I recently became aware of a New York Times op-ed from earlier this year called “Unless You’re Oprah, ‘Be Yourself’ is Terrible Advice”. The article explains that while authenticity is the buzzword du jour, it’s actually not something most of us [...]
Recently (and not-so-recently), I’ve written a lot about assertiveness – how it can feel mean but is actually the kindest form of communication, and how being "nice" is overrated. One of the most viewed articles on this blog is about [...]
We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. She’s on her way to Granny’s house when she encounters a Big Bad Wolf who turns on the charm, waylays her, and coerces her into spending a bit more time [...]
A few weeks ago, I called a friend to wish him a happy birthday. We spent about half an hour catching up, first talking about his celebration plans, and then more general life events. As we were getting off the [...]
Assertiveness is an act of kindness. This is an idea I keep coming back to, again and again. It’s something I say at least once a week during a therapy session, and almost every time I do a speaking engagement, [...]