I don’t know how to hold a grudge.  I’ve never met anyone who has done something so terrible to me (killed or seriously hurt someone I love on purpose) that it warrants harboring an extremely negative opinion of them for months or years on end.  Even when a person does something that I consider rude, mean, or inconsiderate, my ...

My husband sent me this theory on friendships by the wife of a prominent ESPN blogger.  He doesn’t remember where he found it, so I’ll just have to quote rather than link:   “I have always said that female friends are ''pursuers'' or ''pursuees.'' I am a ''pursuee.'' You have to pursue me to be my friend. I don't like planning ...

An acquaintance of mine was looking for someone to clean her house once a month.  Because the safety of her home and her family is important to her, this woman held interviews in her home.  She asked the standard questions that one would think to ask a prospective housekeeper, but then she took it a step further.  Although this ...

I love the show Jon and Kate Plus 8.  For those of you who might not be familiar with it, it’s a reality program on TLC that follows thirtysomething Pennsylvania parents Jon and Kate as they raise seven year-old twins and four year-old sextuplets.  I like watching it because it provides harmless entertainment while I’m feeding the ...

Bob Sutton’s book, the No A**hole Rule:  Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't,  has been generating buzz since it was published last year.    Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University, argues that a**holes—those who deliberately make co-workers feel bad about themselves and who ...

Anita Bruzzese has an interesting post on mothers’ influence on career success.  Anita cites the work of a psychologist, Stephan Poulter, who has written a new book, The Mother Factor: How Your Mother's Emotional Legacy Impacts Your Life. The book’s thesis is that whether we acknowledge it or not, our mothers leave an indelible impression on ...

I’ve been spending a lot of time in doctors’ offices lately.  No, I’m not sick – just 36 weeks pregnant.  And having a doctor’s appointment at least once a week inevitably means that my productivity goes way down.  This is because one waits longer for a doctor than for any other professional, and even if you only see the doctor for ...

In their January/February issue, Details Magazine has a provocative article on how to break up with a boss who’s holding you back.  The article tells the story of Michael Rogers:   “Michael Rogers had lunch or cocktails a couple of times a week with the CEO of the New York public-relations firm where he worked. They’d split a plate of ...

With Iowa behind us and the New Hampshire primary tomorrow, everyone I know who’s remotely interested in politics was tuned in for the Republican and Democratic candidate debates, sponsored by ABC News and Facebook, that took place this weekend.   Myself included.   A huge issue was likeability.  After Iowa voters said that ...

We’ve spent some time on this blog discussing the warning signs that you may be in firing range at work, or that you’re unhappy in your current job situation.  This week, CNN.com has an interesting piece on ways we might unknowingly sabotage our own efforts at a successful career.  Among the highlights: Not keeping your skill set ...