Louise CarnachanMay 163 minThe Frustration—and Joy—of AnticipationSome of you will remember the 1976 Heinz ketchup TV commercial set to the music of Carly Simon’s “Anticipation.” It captured our...
Louise CarnachanMay 101 minJerks in Fiction and Real LifeIf you're a fiction reader, TV or movie fan, you've no doubt had the experience of falling in love with a character who was also...
Louise CarnachanMay 34 minHow Do You Respond to Unexpected Change?We were an hour out of Portland on our way to Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey when a flight attendant asked, “Is there a physician...
Louise CarnachanApr 194 minHandling Conflict: Lessons from the BeatlesGiven my demographic, it’s no surprise that I was enchanted with Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary, Get Back. I remember watching the Ed...
Louise CarnachanApr 54 minJumping to Conclusions is Not an Aerobic ActivityIt was my mother’s 98th birthday and I had ordered a special cake. Paper butterflies were to fly out of the box when it was opened. Since...
Louise CarnachanMar 222 minThe HopeWe have watched in horror as the destruction of Ukraine and its people continues to unfold on our screens. If you’re like me, you’ve been...
Louise CarnachanMar 83 minInternational Women's DayIn the United States, Women’s Day has been observed for over a century. The suffragettes of 1908 marched in New York City for the right...
Louise CarnachanMar 13 minIs Bragging Always Egotistical?The tide was going out, but one feisty wave unexpectedly came running up much farther onto the sand. This necessitated a scramble to...
Louise CarnachanFeb 153 minSharing WAY Too Much at WorkIn Work Jerks: How to Cope with Difficult Bosses and Colleagues, I write about the Non-stop Talker and the Dramatic. Although I placed...
Louise CarnachanFeb 13 minEmotional LiteracyI responded to a reporter whose query contained an unattributed quote for me to react to. The person quoted had gone off the deep end...
Louise CarnachanJan 184 minThe Slash and Burn NarcissistYour run-of-the-mill narcissist may be self-absorbed but not necessarily destructive. This more benign version could throw a Richter...
Louise CarnachanJan 42 minBegin Again, 2022An aspect of meditation has been bugging me for years. I often felt like I was a failure when my mind would stray AGAIN. I found myself...
Louise CarnachanDec 21, 20212 minThe Light Will ReturnIt’s Winter Solstice and the darkest days of the northern hemisphere. In the Pacific Northwest it’s gray and rainy, sometimes foggy. It...
Louise CarnachanDec 7, 20212 minDifficult People—Why Do They Behave That Way?Ah, the holidays 2021. You’ve got obligations, work, family, and the decisions whether to socialize as Covid continues. Welcome to a...
Louise CarnachanNov 23, 20213 minThanks GivingThe US celebrates Thanksgiving this week. The food, well…and for those who are into football, it’s truly hog heaven. Regardless of how...
Louise CarnachanNov 9, 20214 minIs it Possible to be Too Empathetic?Empathy can be defined as walking in someone else’s shoes, really feeling their suffering. Certain professions attract empaths:...
Louise CarnachanOct 26, 20212 minStrategies When Things Go WrongThe Olympic Games are about as high pressure as you get for an athlete or a team.You’d think a silver medalist would be happier with...
Louise CarnachanOct 12, 20213 minWhy a Pay Increase Doesn't Create Happiness for LongThe 1960s psychologist Fredrick Hertzberg wrote One More Time, How Do You Motivate Employees. His cutting-edge premise of the time was...
Louise CarnachanSep 28, 20213 minAre You on a Team? Make Everyone Look GoodOff Limits (my former improv troupe) held a reunion in August. Three of us in person, three on Zoom. Our last photo was from 2014. Seven...
Louise CarnachanSep 14, 20213 minSelf-soothingEarly in my career, a colleague who’d had enough of my whining asked if I’d ever considered suffering in silence. The answer was, “No.”...