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Source: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels Over the past week, I had two experiences that either make me challenge my ability to function in the online world or represent the online world gone wild and a bit crazy in terms of trying to eliminate the human element. Story Number One I decided to take my 12-year-old car out for a drive just to make sure that things were working since I am driving very little these days. Everything was fine until a bright red light came on the screen saying, “Your tires are dangerously low, and you need to do something about it!” It didn’t really say that, but that’s what the big red flashing sign means. OK, I understand that tires sometimes go flat on their own, and I don’t know whether driving more or less makes a difference, but I received a signal to do something. As I was pulling back into my garage, it suddenly occurred to me that if something were to happen as I was driving to a gas station to refill my tires, I might get into deep trouble. In … [Read more...] about The Challenging Online World: How to Make the System Work for You

People tell me all the time that they see two sides to anger problems.  On the one hand, they see people who get angry too often and don’t express it in healthy ways.  On the other hand, they see people who don’t get angry enough.  I hear stories of individuals who have been truly wronged and yet don't seem to care as much as they should.  And of course, this may lead to them being taken advantage of. The truth is, trying to decide if you or someone else should be angry is a messy business.  It is a wildly subjective question with no real clear answer. At the same time, though, part of being an emotionally wise person means being able to critically evaluate our feelings, what they might mean and where they are coming from, and to act on them. So, here is an attempt at laying out some guidelines for whether or not we should be angry in a given situation. First, ask yourself two questions. 1.  Was I or someone I care about treated poorly or unfairly? 2.  Is someone or … [Read more...] about A Guide to Deciding if You Should Be Angry

Source: Suhyeon Choi/Unsplash How often have you had the following conversation at work? How are you? Good. You? Fine. It is a script we stick to even if we are dying inside. It’s hard to build real connections with your colleagues if you never get beyond superficial chit-chat. And yet people who have a “best friend at work” are not only more likely to be happier and healthier, they are also seven times as likely to be engaged in their job. What’s more, employees who report having friends at work have higher levels of productivity , retention, and job satisfaction than those who don’t. Many companies have tried to support office bonds through perks like ping-pong tables, free lunches, or corporate retreats, but the reality is that most of us don’t have close friends at work. In a survey by Pew and the American Life Project, just 12% of respondents’ closest ties were with people from their professional life. If we expand this to people who were significant in … [Read more...] about Friendship at Work Can Be Tricky, But Also Life-Saving