Tag: motivation

  • The Messy, Imperfect Blog Post

    The Messy, Imperfect Blog Post

    Well, this stinks. With just a few days left in Paris and a blog post coming due, I desperately want to write something inspired…something that beautifully sums up my time in the City of Lights and the lessons that have come along the way. There have been a lot of them, believe me. Not only…

  • The Right Thing To Ask When Something Feels Wrong

    The Right Thing To Ask When Something Feels Wrong

    Today’s post begins with a tale regarding a beloved topic: food. Before arriving in Paris there was lots of dreamy anticipation about the pending French cuisine. Those decadent, creamy sauces…those exquisite pastries…that bread… Okay yes, the bread is pretty incredible. But now that I’m here I can say that the rest of it…well…I’m just not…

  • Lessons from the Tortured Artist in Room 5

    Lessons from the Tortured Artist in Room 5

    Recently our French adventure found us renting a car to drive out to the country – a somewhat death-defying notion for anyone whose starting line is in Paris. Really, you never know what you’re going to find. (Actual photo from a random walk on the Left Bank) After delicately escaping the City of Lights, we…

  • How to Handle the Cranky, Miserable People Around You

    How to Handle the Cranky, Miserable People Around You

    Well, it’s here. After much build-up and prep, our six-month overseas adventure officially began just over a week ago when our plane touched down in Paris. And, it turns out, my first life lesson based on this little adventure followed that very morning. We’d gone to a store to stock up on some known culinary…

  • The Totally Avoidable Way We Mess Things Up

    The Totally Avoidable Way We Mess Things Up

    So this past week I hit a wall. Literally. Behold… The good news, beside the fact that I’m uninjured and therefore able to write this blog, is that it happened because I was exhausted from our exciting move. To Paris. France. It happened at the tail end of moving day. We’d spent weeks getting ready and…

  • The Problem with your Problem-Solver

    The Problem with your Problem-Solver

    I’m writing this while in the midst of an emotional whirlwind. The cause: an impending, temporary move overseas. Anyone who’s moved knows that things can get a bit…overwhelming. Needless to say, I’ve needed lots of people to figure lots of things out. Actually, I’ve needed more than people. I’ve needed experts. Here’s just a sample:…

  • The Very Unexpected Leadership Lesson Learned from my Very Italian Mother

    The Very Unexpected Leadership Lesson Learned from my Very Italian Mother

    A visit from Mama brought lots of excitement to the Maloney home last week. A full-blooded Italian from New York, Mama is just as lovely and cute as they come. Exhibit A: She’s also got an energy that is hard to beat.  And as a direct descendent I’ve also been known to reach similar levels…

  • Lessons from Dunkin’ Donuts’ Big Day

    Lessons from Dunkin’ Donuts’ Big Day

    It was a wildly anticipated event. For months we watched the signs go up next to our building, the ones announcing the impending arrival of the new Dunkin’ Donuts in town. Despite its reputation for its delectable pieces of sugary wonder,  I couldn’t help but question if a health-conscious, avocado-lovin’ place like San Diego would welcome…

  • The Reason You Can Handle Anything

    The mind is capable of playing some pretty nasty tricks on us, yes? It can make us believe anything in the moment. Don’t believe me? Just think of a time in the  past when you’ve completely believed something in the moment…something that wasn’t real. Perhaps it happened on a day like Halloween. Here’s another example. A few…

  • The Easy Fix When You Can’t Get Moving

    The Easy Fix When You Can’t Get Moving

    The other day found me driving at – let’s just say – a speedy pace. I was late for an important meeting. I was sweating and stressed…when I finally got there the sheepish look on my embarrassed face said it all. And there was nobody to blame but myself. Just 15 minutes earlier I’d been…