Karlin Sloan

The insane media coverage of the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 has given me pause. It is a reminder  to build relationships and community, and to value those things in our lives and our work. Despite the overload I feel when I read or watch the news today, I believe it's important for us to remember. And even more important, to be inspired to be the best of ourselves. I remember walking through the Manhattan streets that day, watching paper fall and swirl around in a light wind. The streets were almost empty by 7pm, but small groups were clustered together...

"The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical New Thought belief that 'like attracts like,' that positive and negative thinking bring about positive and negative physical results, respectively." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Attraction What am I attracting into my life? For better or for worse you are attracting what you are right now. Christopher Franklin One of the most difficult truths to face is the mirror of our lives and attitudes as reflected by the people and circumstances that surround us. When we are caught in a cycle of fear, in negative attitudes, and relationships, either at work or in the home, the last...

A wise friend once shared with me her secret to a successful and happy life . . . "Forget the back-story" - Leslie Ayers, The Job Search Guru Part of "Accepting what is," the first step in practicing Unfear, is to let go of assigning blame. When we get caught up in the back-story, in assigning blame, we arrest forward movement. Assigning blame is a diversionary tactic. It is avoidance, a fear reaction which imprisons us in the past. When we focus on assigning blame we create ego conflicts and a toxic work environment. Accepting what is requires focusing on...

Hi readers! Ideally we wake up each morning and head into an office full of inspiring, positive energy: Leaders who listen to your thoughts and co-workers who want the best for you. Well, that isn’t always the case and unfortunately sometimes we find ourselves having to deal with a not so ideal environment; an environment where negative feedback, cutthroat competition, and fear are everyday occurrences. How do you cope when you live in a workplace that does not nurture you? It all goes back to the idea of resilience. The three areas that create resilience, or our best ability to bounce-back...

“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”—Harry Truman Leaders we admire are often optimistic. They are the ones we look to for inspiration—the ones who remind us of what’s possible. Optimistic leaders are able to see opportunities in bad markets, in challenging circumstances, in every situation that presents itself. There are even health benefits to being an optimistic person and cultivating an optimistic state of being such as: -Longer life -Better quality of life -Stronger immune system -Illnesses are less severe -Faster recovery from illness or injury...

Most people who achieve amazing results must, at one time or another, use their resilience in order to achieve those results. We all have these stories, and it’s worth looking at some of these tales, and how miraculously resilient we humans can be! Famous stories of resilience can remind us of how powerful we are to transform our circumstances. 1. Richard Branson had dyslexia and poor academic performance as a student. The entrepreneur behind the famous Virgin brands, he now owns 360 companies and is worth over 2.4 billion dollars. 2. Paul McCartney applied to join the choir of the...

Simple mindfulness exercise for staying calm & centered. Greetings readers! Work can be hard. We’re all susceptible to stress and anxiety, but there are ways to counteract these things. Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness of all that is around us and inside of us. It is a state of calmness, where the body’s autonomic nervous system is activated. With repeated practice you can activate your own mindfulness at any time. Throughout the day and before you go to sleep take in a series of breaths. Instead of allowing your mind to wander over the day’s concerns and letting stress...

 Making yourself look good doesn't mean kissing up. Dr. Wayne Dyer is widely credited with the wise saying, "You teach others how to treat you." Well, I'm a big believer in that statement. You teach others to regard you as important by respecting your own time and energy, not by always asking "How high?" when they say "Jump." An executive in my coaching practice, "Stan", is a key account director for a global consulting company that works with big-name clients worldwide. His clients are very demanding and will call at all hours of the day or night with requests both...

Welcome back readers! And hang in there... Many people believe that we’re either born tough or weak, and our circumstances dictate how we turn out. I am a firm believer that we can all learn to be resilient, and our ability to bounce back is not based on our genetics or even our life experience. The most powerful, effective managers and leaders are those who step up to a challenge and face it with flexibility, courage, and the ability to inspire others to follow them into the unknown. They may not know how strong they are before they are tested, but...

Bad things happen, and we’re all mortal. Sometimes we forget that at work, and the death or illness of a colleague can be a great shock.   Nothing ever goes exactly as we had planned, and we constantly have to adapt and adjust to the events around us. Bouncing back from a major setback such as the death of a team member requires sensitivity and resilience on the part of team members and team leaders in equal measure. It’s never an easy process, but there are steps you can take to ensure those around you are getting the support they need...