Tag: excellence

  • Lessons from a True Tale (Told in Ten Bullet Points)

    Lessons from a True Tale (Told in Ten Bullet Points)

    So last week was a bit humbling. It was a week that brought another valuable lesson. Part of what was so humbling was that I’d learned this particular lesson before. And then forgotten it. In fact, it’s probably happened more times than I care to think about. And it’s such an important one. And –…

  • Why You’re Scared About the Wrong Thing

    Why You’re Scared About the Wrong Thing

    So…things have gotten slightly anxiety-ridden in the Maloney house. The culprit? Well…I wrote a play. Yes, the theater kind. The last time I did this was back when I was in college. As in undergrad college. As in a looooong time ago. Oh, and I’m also going to produce the play this year. The last…

  • But Not Today

    But Not Today

    Well this is a tricky time, yes? Let’s count a few ways… There are the holidays, which often come with a multitude of festive moments…and a multitude of non-festive moments. Think traffic, crowds, and, potentially, a few forced smiles around that carefully-set dinner table. There’s also…and let me say first that I am in nooooooo…

  • How to Deal with Your Whole Lotta Nothing

    How to Deal with Your Whole Lotta Nothing

    So recently life got kind of…funky. The schedule, the business, the personal stuff… …all funky. Work projects got all bunched together, with odd, quiet stretches in-between. Same thing with my writing projects. And travel. And personal engagements. And good books. The result? Clusters of weeks where life sped along at an almost chaotic pace. Which…

  • When Life Laughs at Your Best Laid Plans

    When Life Laughs at Your Best Laid Plans

    This month found me exploring the country of Japan for the first time. Those of you who know me won’t be surprised to learn that I did a whole lot of planning…or, as I lovingly called it, “Japlanning”…in the months leading up to the trip.  And that Japlanning paid off. Mostly. There were a few…

  • The Pesky Mind Game You Don’t Know You’re Playing on Yourself

    The Pesky Mind Game You Don’t Know You’re Playing on Yourself

    Last week I went to see the new Star Trek movie. On a Wednesday. In the middle of the afternoon. It was lots of fun, even though we didn’t take the whole things as seriously as…other couples. While I’m not a big Star Trek fan, it turns out that Hubbie is. And partnerships are about…compromise.…

  • How to Actually Do the Thing that Scares the Bejesus Out of You

    How to Actually Do the Thing that Scares the Bejesus Out of You

    So those of you who regularly read this blog will know that I can be a bit of a joke-cracker. It seems there are some days when I can’t get a sentence out without some kind of cheeky quip thrown in. Sometimes it’s almost like a tic I can’t control. I’ve also been known to…

  • The Three Letters That Change Everything

    The Three Letters That Change Everything

    So here’s a bit of random Deirdre trivia for you (which, I promise, will lead to a greater point). I can’t cook. I’m not a good chopper, I’m not good at putting flavors together, and I’m impatient…which means I hike up the oven temperature to save time, leading to messes like this: I’ve staked my…

  • The Happiness Ratio

    The Happiness Ratio

    I recently found myself chatting with a woman I hadn’t met before. She was working a whole lot of hours. She had several kids. She didn’t sleep much. At all. I was overwhelmed just listening to her, and asked if it was all worth it, if she was happy. She turned the question around and…

  • Why It’s Time to Give Up the Thing You Never Had in the First Place

    Why It’s Time to Give Up the Thing You Never Had in the First Place

    I recently found myself observing a little girl as she attempted to build a sandcastle. Before long, her Dad came by to give her a hand. Then, slowly but surely, one by one, additional guys strolled by and joined him. The little girl was cast aside as they focused on the critical mission of granular…

  • The Number One Way to Get What You Want

    The Number One Way to Get What You Want

    So…there’s an interesting trend to report in the life of Deirdre. At first it might sound like it’s the high-and-mighty variety, but I promise you it’s not. The trend? People tend to give me things I want. A few examples: The guy in front of me at Starbucks let me go ahead of him in…

  • Digging Out of the Talking-Trap

    Digging Out of the Talking-Trap

    I fell into a trap recently. A talking-trap. A guy-who-wouldn’t-stop-talking-to-me-no-matter-what-I-did trap. It happened while Hubbie and I were vacationing in a rented RV up in the wine country. It turns out the small-ish living space inside the RV had nothing on the teensy space outside of it. Case and point? Here’s a photo of our…