Tag: personal power
Empowerment in the Age of the Supermodel
When I was in college I had a conversation with a guy once that went like this: Him: “It’s so strange, XXX (a mutual friend) knows who all the fashion models are. She knows their […]
To Be Young Again
I’m told I have some funny stories in me, and so begins a blog series of funny/poignant/ridiculous/illuminating stories from the archives of my brainpan. I’ll start with this one – in which my sister and […]
Crowdsourcing for My Tagline
I’ve been lax about updating my blog for the past few weeks. First it was The Moth and now it’s the interminable task of updating my website and figuring out how to market Raising John […]
How to Do a Live Story
I missed my Wednesday post this week, but I have a reason. I was hard at work on a story for the Moth Story Slam. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s an offshoot of […]
The Power of Apology
Several times a month, if not every week, there’s a story in the news about an apology that’s not really an apology. A “sorry-not-sorry” if you will. Sports figures are caught doping or abusing the […]
No Excuse Needed
If you participate in any sort of organized fitness, the concept of excuses comes up from time to time – if, for example, you decide to skip a workout. Or eat a doughnut. I used […]
Unearthing the Past
I spent most of my free time this week going through old family photos, letters and assorted mementos. A few years ago I became the custodian of these materials, distributed among several large and decrepit […]
When You Have the Attention Span of a Gnat
A friend and I were talking about the challenges of getting things done when you have a short attention span. I was reminded of this little “day in the life” account I wrote a few […]
Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast
Back in the 90s Jeffrey Mayer wrote If You Haven’t Got the Time to Do It Right, When Will You Find the Time to Do It Over? The title was based on a quote attributed […]
As the Hangar Turns
Believe it or not, I’m nearing the halfway point of my airplane mechanic schooling. So far it has been an interesting ride. Here are some highlights from the past year. First quarter was almost all […]
“Do What You Love” – Nice Work if You Can Get It
Last week Slate ran this article. Its point is that the aphorism to “do what you love” is steeped in the oblivion of privilege and that it’s insulting to those who must, simply, work. Given […]
Radical Detachment
We humans don’t always make the best decisions. We throw good money after bad. We fail to save for a rainy day. We don’t floss as often as we should. We do the same thing […]
The Biker’s Story of Job
Dear Readers, I am knee-deep in revisions of my fiction manuscript, so I’m reaching back into my personal archives for today’s post. I wrote this nearly 15 years ago in an attempt to capture the […]
Are You Productive, or Are You Just Busy?
I have been thinking about this lately, because as I have become less busy, I have become protective of my free time, not because I require vast tracts of empty space on my calendar for […]
The Deprivation/Freedom Equation
Twenty frozen bananas cascaded out of my freezer the other day. As they ricocheted off my feet and skittered across the kitchen floor I was reminded of something I have known at various times in […]
A Sense of Purpose Has Many Uses
Nothing is perfect, even airplane school. The flaw is a small peanut gallery who issue snotty remarks from the left (or, in aviation-speak, portside) rear corner of the room. I don’t know these guys, and […]
Has It Really Been a Year Already??
Just about one year ago, I started this blog. It has been a lot of fun and it has been a great way to exercise my writing and thinking muscles. It has also been very […]
Don’t Stop the Train
I’m a closet advice column junkie. Carolyn Hax, Ask Amy, and Margo Howard – I read them all. I still read Cheryl Lavin’s Tales from the Front, which started in the Chicago Tribune right around […]
Jennifer Lesher 