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Connecting Beyond Images
When we think of ourselves, we call up a certain self-image that we hold in our minds. When we think of others, we call up an image for them as well. But these images can distance us from our deeper essence and that of...
Elisabeth Sperling · 16 November 2021 · 2 min read
Don’t Let Mistakes Derail You
Last week I was interviewed for a podcast and, at a certain point, I made a mistake. The inner voice in my head went ballistic and almost derailed the whole interview. The podcast, eventually, went super well, and I...
Davide Pagnotta · 2 November 2021 · 4 min read
How to Handle a High-Stakes Conversation
It can be scary to realize how one conversation may determine the future of a project, a relationship, or even a life. Four researchers spent twenty years studying how to navigate such moments, and distilled their...
Elisabeth Sperling · 12 October 2021 · 8 min read
Whoever Gets Offended First Loses
Last week, I finally managed to go visit my parents in Italy after over a year. It was very emotional to see them in person and be able to hug them again.
Davide Pagnotta · 28 September 2021 · 4 min read
Learning to Run Toward, Not Away
I learned a life lesson when taking an Advanced First Aid course in college. I had finished about half of the course and was walking through the freshman quadrangle when I saw an elderly man collapse on the path ahead of me.
Elisabeth Sperling · 14 September 2021 · 2 min read
Oops, What Did I Just Do? 🙈
After several cold and wet weeks, it was finally sunny and 30+ degrees in the UK this past weekend (that’s just short of 90 Fahrenheit). Fran (my partner) and I couldn’t miss the opportunity: we rented a car and drove to the South West beaches.
Davide Pagnotta · 20 July 2021 · 5 min read
Take a Holiday from Work, not from Yourself
Well, it doesn’t feel like summer here in London but the calendar says it is and, even more so, my body and my mind are telling me I need a proper break.
Davide Pagnotta · 8 July 2021 · 4 min read
Can I unsubscribe from your judgment, please?
A common refrain among my students is: “I would like to stop caring so much about what other people think of me.”
Elisabeth Sperling · 6 July 2021 · 3 min read
The Journey Is What Brings Us Happiness, Goals Just Set Directions
Have you ever noticed that we don’t have control over whether we achieve our goals or not?
Davide Pagnotta · 22 June 2021 · 4 min read
Self-Forgiveness and the Real Second Chance
Some years ago, a friend of mine caused himself serious harm, and beyond the shock and grief I felt, I noticed my mind doing a strange thing. It kept running a mental movie of me rushing to the scene just in time to stop him.
Elisabeth Sperling · 8 June 2021 · 3 min read
My Partner Doesn’t Make Me Happy. He Makes Me Grow
As I write this week’s blog, my partner is on a plane from Barcelona to London. One way ticket. He’s moving in with me. I haven’t lived with a boyfriend for almost nine years, and someone has now left his friends, his family, his job, and his country to come and live with me.
Davide Pagnotta · 25 May 2021 · 4 min read
That Annoying Person in Our Life
We all have someone in our life who irritates us. We may try coming to terms with them, helping them change, expressing our uneasiness… but nothing seems to work; they’re still that annoying person in our life.
Elisabeth Sperling · 11 May 2021 · 3 min read