Simple questions like "Am I happy here?" Or, "Could I be happy here?" are not always so simple to answer.

Our work - our relationships too! - are multi-layered and nuanced.

They aren't usually all great or all bad.

The technical term for the experience of being in a good enough job, career, or relationship is .... "Meh."

I literally cannot think of a more accurate description.

I do love grit - the idea that the learning to be resilient and persistent in the face of difficulty is an essential skill.

I can tell it's time for me to share my reading list with you again because I have a new stack of books that simultaneously thrills and delights me while occasionally overwhelming me!

What will keep you warmed up and humming through winter?

Is it time to let some leaves drop? Are there drains on your time, energy, warmth and light? Could you say, “no” to these things? Maybe you ended up over committed just recently? Or maybe things you used to love have started to feel like an obligation?

How do we shift from this feeling of getting whipsawed by events into a feeling of being a proactive creator, setting the course rather than reacting?

About 30% of the people I work with have lost touch with what makes them uniquely suited for their work.

Another 30% need steady and gentle reminders about how truly talented they already are.

The cause of some of this is our natural negativity bias – the tendency of our brains to focus on problems, risks, and shortcomings as a survival strategy.

I've been thinking a lot about the ways we tussle for too long with the wrong problem...

I find most of us tackle the content of our challenges: the specific details, information, strategies and tactics associated with an issue.

This is a good place to start, but by bringing in context – elusive and dynamic solutions become accessible.

This week I watched two Ted Talks by this pretty funny guy - Sir Ken Robinson.

You may be thinking..."a guy using the title 'Sir' is funny?" Yes.

He talks about creativity and education.

I’ve been increasingly disenchanted with the basic to-do list strategy for a variety of reasons.

But most importantly it was far too easy to do a lot but not achieve what really matters.

I’ve also had times when life felt dull, my dreams seemed impossible, and I couldn’t even remember what it was like to feel creative or inspired. It sometimes felt personal and intractable.

My view is that these “seasons” - the good and the bad - were a combination of circumstances, my wiring and my mindset.

As leaders, one of the greatest skills we can cultivate is helping our teams learn how to learn.

One of the key benefits of asking people questions is that you teach people how to think and learn and then you observe their ability to apply these new skills.