When your son is caught sleeping
On the way home after an evening outing with some friends, I asked my youngest if he had a good time. “Sort of,” he answered. “But the kids on the playground were teasing... »
Personal Accounts
Building good workplace relationships
I have a neighbor who is a very good handyman. A while ago, he did some work for us in the house but seemed to be very grouchy and out of sorts. When I tried to help or g... »
Learning from the hurt
It’s my 20th year living and working in the former Yugoslavia. I also lived here earlier, right after President Tito died in 1980. His pictures were still hanging everywh... »
Talking vs listening
The small cafeteria at our workplace was abuzz with chatter. Colleagues sat in groups and the room was humming with conversation. That morning I felt I had little to cont... »
The way out
In a 1968 episode of the original Star Trek, the crew of the starship Enterprise encounters an intergalactic species whose lives are far more fast-paced than those of the... »
Speed up, slow down
The books on the shelf have similar titles: Slowing Down Modern Life, The Rush Culture, Putting a Price on Speed … Most everyone agrees that contemporary life is lived in... »
Blind spot vs. Sweet spot
That blind spot! I’m not talking about the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball, that place lacking cones or rods that causes us to lose vision at... »
10 tips for excelling at work
We build our work with our attitudes and actions day by day. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind if we want to excel in our jobs. Volunteer. In the old folk tale of th... »
When work is play
Believe it or not, young children like to help out. It’s true! Children actually enjoy and take pride in being helpful until they are “taught” otherwise. It’s only when t... »
The counselor
I’m a perfectionist. I like to do things well and thoroughly, no matter how much time it takes. In my decision-making, I’ve come to recognize that my main motivation is a... »
Almost a marriage
For nearly 20 years, I’ve been with the same team running an NGO in the former Yugoslavia. “A marriage!” some people have commented. Yes, in a way it is. It has required... »
Building a life
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire, and he told his boss of his plans to leave and live a more leisurely life with his wife. He would miss the paycheck, but he need... »
The bus ride
One typical rainy spring evening in Rijeka, I was sitting on bus number 18 going home after a long day—at least, I thought it was bus 18. There were about 30 other passen... »