February 2012
2 posts
5 tags
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be...”
– Steve Jobs
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7 tags
January 2012
1 post
4 tags
“The point of adversity is not that you’ll “learn valuable...”
– Michael Ellsberg
#TheGame
I’ve been thinking a lot about love lately. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about the possibility and process of finding the “love of your life.” It’s a topic that’s piqued my curiosity in the past- but lately, it has crept its way into even my most casual conversations with people. One recurring theme I heard in these conversations about love was the notion of “The Game.” If you’re human,...
6 tags
December 2011
1 post
November 2011
7 posts
3 tags
Trust Your Gut.
It’s really as simple as that. People will find 1,000 ways to rationalize why this phrase isn’t true, arguing that their gut reactions have been off plenty of times before.
But let’s not forget: a gut reaction is very instantaneous. When we are in tune with what our gut feels like- and the more we trust and listen to it- the louder and clearer it becomes. It occurs in that...
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“The only thing you are responsible for is loving yourself and loving the world....”
“Your world is a mirror, so choose each day to show it your best, most loving...”
– Ralph Marston
October 2011
2 posts
Find Your State
Back in 2008, I set a goal to one day visit every country in the world. With a goal as lofty as that, I promised myself I’d never travel to the same place twice. And then I met Chicago. To say I love Chicago would be an understatement. Last weekend, I made my way out to the Windy City for- count it- the ninth time this year. It’s fair to say I’m past the honeymoon stage and I’m ready for...
The Scary Choices Are The Most Worthwhile
Check out my post this week at revolution.is on choosing passion over security!
September 2011
1 post
Life Is Like A Half Marathon
Earlier this month, I ran my first half marathon in Chicago. Which is absolutely crazy because I can vividly remember a time when running even just one mile before high school basketball practice felt like an eternity. In my mind, nothing could be more uncomfortable or pointless than the act of running. But somehow, one mile at a time ever since, I have grown to love it. As I signed up for races...
August 2011
3 posts
Hurricanes & Facebook Feeds
Something became glaringly clear to me in the wake of both Hurricane Irene and the earthquake earlier this week down in Virginia- both of which were felt all along the east coast. People have an intense desire to share. It was hard to ignore the overwhelming commentary on these natural disasters as I scrolled down my Twitter stream and Facebook feed. The comments ranged from illuminating to daft...
Don't Ask Your Single Friends For Love Advice
“ Should I make chicken or steak for dinner?” “ How does this outfit look on me?” “ Do I go the corporate or entrepreneurial route in my career?” “ How would you solve this business problem?” “ Do you think she is the right girl for me?” “ Should I listen to my head or my heart?” These are just several of the many requests for advice I overheard this past week alone. We sure ask for a lot...
Caught Up In A Moment
While at Lollapalooza in Chicago last weekend, I caught a band called City and Colour (amazing, by the way, check them out). Before performing one of the songs, the lead singer said, “Just for this one, put down your Blackberries and iPhones. Please don’t worry about tweeting where you are, posting a picture on Facebook or texting your friends. Sometimes, we get so caught up in trying to remember...
July 2011
2 posts
Rainbow Sunsets
I was on a plane coming back from Chicago a few weekends ago and caught the most stunning rainbow-colored sunset. As I looked out the airplane window, the symbolism of daylight, nighttime and sunset in the context of personal relationships became strikingly apparent. Over the course of relationships with people we love, there are moments of light, clarity and joy. They are the moments that fill...
Reunited And It Feels So...Introspective?
This was one reunion-filled weekend. Friday night, I had an elementary school reunion (yes, you read that correctly, elementary school). Then, I spent Saturday and Sunday with a bunch of great college friends for our annual “Hamilton in the Hamptons” weekend. It is so much fun to catch up and reconnect with people whom you haven’t seen in a while. But another reason why reunions are great: they...
June 2011
5 posts
99 Others
When you think about the most inspiring leaders in the world, who comes to mind? Some of the people on my list- and I’d guess many other people’s lists- would be: Oprah, Barack Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Arianna Huffington, Nelson Mandela and The Dalai Lama. There is no doubt about it: the people listed above are some of the most inspiring people in the world....
Cookies & Work
Let’s talk about work. I have been fortunate enough (or unfortunate enough, depending on how you look at it), to survive Corporate America for close to three years now. And I’ve learned a bunch of lessons about work as a result. The lessons include the following: Work makes you fat. I don’t know what it is about the work setting. Maybe it’s the florescent lights or the missed lunches because...
It Won't Turn Out The Way You Thought
I stumbled upon Kate Northrup’s “The Freedom Tour,” and wanted to share one of her blog posts with you all. Here’s a snippet: You won’t do it at the right time. You’ll be late. You’ll be early. You’ll get re-routed. You’ll get delayed. You’ll change your mind. You’ll change your heart. It’s not going to turn out the way you thought it would. It will be better. …and...
Why Plans Are Dumb
Someone recently asked me, “Melissa, what’s your five-year plan?” To be honest, I don’t have one. I have big dreams and clear goals, but no plan. Don’t get me wrong. I really like the idea of plans. I’ve always enjoyed thinking about the future, and the surge of inspiration that comes while writing out what I “plan” to have happen in my life. And whether you care to admit it or not, I’m willing to...
Your Dream Life & Two Choices
Imagine your dream life. No, seriously. Go grab a sheet of paper, and write down what your life would look like if you could have it be any way you wanted. What would you want your… * Health * Career * Family * Friendships * Love Life * Home * Community Work * Free Time …to be like? Before you keep reading this post, please truly give the above some thought and write out what you are...
December 2010
1 post
Up In Flames
If your house caught on fire, what would you take with you? What, if you couldn’t take it, would you truly miss? This past weekend, I had about 60 seconds to answer those questions when part of my apartment building caught on fire. Several floors had to be gutted and as a result of putting the fire out, there was extensive leaking throughout the building. Fortunately, I got out safe and my...
November 2010
1 post
Awesome At Failure
The theme of this past week for me was failure. There were a few instances in which I didn’t quite reach an intended goal, or get the response I was seeking from someone else. And, as I think many of us do, I began to get hyper self-critical and doubt my ideas, my dreams, and even some of my relationships. In general, that’s sort of our natural reaction to instances of failure, isn’t it? We...
October 2010
1 post
Your Childhood Dreams
When I was traveling this past weekend, I saw a young girl- probably about 7 or 8 years old- sitting next to her mom. In an effort to stay entertained, she began cutting different shapes out of paper napkins. As she finished making an impressively symmetrical star, she declared, “Look mom! I’m an AR-TEEEEST! ” As I watched her giggle and continue to happily make shapes out of napkin paper, I...
September 2010
2 posts
Making Music
When I was in Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago, I walked past a man who was playing a great beat with empty paint containers, cardboard boxes and metal scraps. This man drew a crowd with his big smile and infectious drumbeat. I enjoyed the music, but didn’t think too much of it- that is, until I was back home in NYC and found another man playing music with similar “instruments”- a plastic box, a...
I'll Be Missing You
My pup just passed away a few days ago. The degree to which a pet is part of a family varies drastically- but I can say that my dog, China, was a big part of mine. I am an only child, and losing her felt as though I was losing a sibling. Now that she is gone, the house isn’t filled with quite the same energy and vibrancy as it once was. Her presence and playfulness are dearly missed. I hesitated...
August 2010
5 posts
The Next Train
One morning this past week, I was waiting for the train on a packed subway platform. As an already crowded train pulled into the station, I watched about three-dozen more people fighting to squeeze into the subway car in front of me, like it was the last lifeboat paddling away from the Titanic. Now, I’ve got to be honest. As a New Yorker, born and raised, I am usually one of those people who fight...
Making Fire
I had the pleasure of catching up with a bunch of great friends at a barbecue this past weekend. One of my friends, Jeff, has an adorable daughter named Heather. She is quiet when you first meet her; but when she starts talking, you just can’t help but smile at her cute facial expressions and the hilariously honest stuff that she says. I found this little girl to be so engaging and...
Dancing In The Rain
Just like pretty much every other woman I know, I went to go see the movie Eat Pray Love this weekend. I was personally very moved by the film, for a list of textured reasons that are too long to name here. But, there was one particular line from the movie that stuck with me: “To lose one’s balance for love is part of living a balanced life.” Is that true? In order to find balance, we have to...
Exerienced Clothing
During my last trip to Boston, I spent some time wandering around Cambridge. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a sign on a store window that read “We Sell Experienced Clothing”. Hmmm. Experienced clothing? What is that?
Of course, I couldn’t resist the urge to go inside and find out for myself. Much to my chagrin, it was just a small thrift shop. But unlike most thrift shops, this one...
Trust Yourself
“Trust Yourself.”
I can’t think of anything much more important than that. During each of our lives, we’ll have to make thousands and thousands of decisions. For some of those decisions, the answer will come easily; but for many of them, answers won’t always be so obvious. So, self trust is paramount as we make choices- big and small- in our lives. Take a minute to think about a time in your...
July 2010
1 post
The Upside To Losing
Did you know that we feel our losses 2 to 2.5 times more than we feel our gains? In other words, if we lost $100, it would feel 2 to 2.5 times worse that it would feel good if we won $100. I think to some extent, we all fear loss- and as a result, we often respond in one of two ways. Sometimes, we’ll cling too tight to the things we fear losing. We wrap ourselves up in things that ultimately don’t...
April 2010
1 post
Just Keep Going
I’m on a mission to raise $20,000 to build a school in Laos, a small country located in the heart of Southeast Asia. I’ve thought about raising this money for a long time, but I found myself constantly questioning my goal and myself - Can I do this? How will I raise all that money? Will people really care? What if I fail? I just recently got the push I needed to start- to affirmatively say,...
March 2010
1 post
Your Whole Heart
Relationships are a constant balance between two different extremes. On one end, we instinctually keep our hearts guarded. Giving only half of the love we have to give, we wait for the other person to prove that they won’t break our heart if we give it away. We let our history play too big a role in writing our future. We focus on all of the things that could go wrong, and it keeps us from...
February 2010
1 post
What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?
Fear is what stops us from getting what we really want. While I think many of us know this intuitively, few of us genuinely embrace our fears. In truth, the presence of fear is something we can’t avoid- it’s part of the human condition. Just to name a few popular ones: fear of flying, fear of spiders, fear of heights, fear of being wrong, fear of failure, fear of falling, and fear of falling in...
January 2010
1 post
Extreme Perspective Makeover
I love the beginning of a new year. It’s an exciting time, filled with the motivation to improve and accomplish more in the coming year. Many of us make big resolutions every January (whether we keep them or not). Even for those who aren’t fans of making resolutions, it’s hard not to dream about the possibilities that a new year brings. In general, I’m a fan of them. In fact, I don’t think...
December 2009
2 posts
All You Need Is A Piece Of Paper
I walked into a store the other day and the owner’s four-year-old daughter was there. She was the cutest little thing, and completely restless- the entire time, she was running up and down the aisles trying to get her mom’s attention. At one point, I looked over at her and she looked a bit frustrated. She was holding a pink marker in her hand and said something to her mother, who just shook her...
Compliments & Criticism
A kick in the ass will move you forward faster than a pat on the back.
Too often, we look for compliments and avoid criticism. I think we’ve got it all backwards. Sure, it’s nice to hear that other people think great things about our work or who we are. In fact, I think that especially in leadership roles, it is imperative that we recognize and reward great talent and...
November 2009
2 posts
How Much Are You Worth?
Recently, I read a story for my marketing class at Columbia about the pricing of Gibson guitars. At one point, the Gibson Guitar Corporation lowered its prices to compete with Japanese guitar rivals, such as Yamaha and Ibanez. Surprisingly, Gibson found that its guitars weren’t selling well at lower prices. Why? Put simply, it’s because pricing provides a consumer with an indication of how much...
Balancing Act
I’m telling you. One of the biggest challenges in life is trying to balance a cup of Starbucks in one hand and a newspaper in the other, with a gym bag over my shoulder. In four-inch heels. On a packed, speeding NYC train with nothing to lean on except the sketchy-looking dude next to me. I’m being a little dramatic. But, during one of my less eloquent morning commutes to work, I got to thinking...
October 2009
2 posts
Personal ROI
We are really good at negotiating with ourselves. Whenever we are presented with a situation where a choice needs to be made, we often find ways to rationalize how we can go for the option that brings us short-term satisfaction, but may ultimately hurt us in the long-term. We ask, “Can I do X?” …Can I eat a third cookie? Can I spend $200 on a pair of jeans? Can I start my own business? The answer...
Connect The Dots
You cannot become who you want to be by staying who you are. …What does that mean, exactly? Without lifting your finger from the paper (or screen, in this case), connect the following nine dots with four (and only four!) straight lines:
Got your solution? Well, most people attempt to solve it this way:
…Here’s the actual solution: In the same way that most of us try to solve this...
September 2009
4 posts
Oh, Controversy
I recently had a very long, in-depth conversation with a good friend on a controversial topic. Have you ever had one of those? Where you try really hard to see eye-to-eye with someone else, but for whatever reason you just don’t? A lot of the time I find that when we are in these situations, we are so busy trying to validate our own point that we don’t truly hear what the other person is saying....