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This is parenting.
This week I go to my son’s college orientation, in preparation for launching him from the nest in a month or so. It is a bittersweet time, but…
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The 2nd Best Phrase You Can Say
“That does help explain your actions, but it does nothing to excuse them.” Today’s phrase may not be something you’ve ever heard, much less something you’ve ever said. But in my experience, it’s the best way to make sense of people’s past actions and help everyone find a better future. Remember the Tiger […]
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The 4th Best Phrase You Can Say
“Tell me more.” (people who pause, seeking to understand before getting people to understand them) A few months ago we looked at the 4th Worst Phrase You Can Say. Today is the 4th Best: Tell me more. When you need to pause after hearing bad news, try “tell me more.” It’s a great […]
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Seeing Eye-to-Eye
Yesterday we talked about our somewhat strange advice to rarely look your children in the eye. The power differential between a parent and child is so pronounced that, if we ever want them to open up and share their struggles, we …
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Think or Sink
We all know the story of Thomas Edison’s perseverance in creating the lightbulb. He never failed, he just discovered 10,000 ways to not make…
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You are/are not an animal
Learning to represent yourself well, especially in difficult conversations, is among…
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Wisdom vs. Knowledge
A teacher can share her intelligence with you. You can attend school or read books to accumulate a vast body of knowledge. The internet gives…
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Doing is Knowing
One of the biggest lies in our world is the lie of education. You know, the one that says, “If we just knew better, we’d do better.”
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The 2nd Worst Phrase You Can Say
Whenever we find ourselves using words like “always” and “never,” we are normally trying to do one thing, and one thing only: shape reality in order…
