“Rising From the Ashes”©
We’re surrounded by flame everywhere, everyday. We take fire for granted, barely noticing in the moment the amazing tools and conveniences provided for us with the turn of a knob, the switch of a button. We bake a cake, grill burgers, heat our homes, toast marshmallows around a campfire. From the beginning of time, man’s ability and ingenuity to create and harness fire has marked our path of evolution. And as long as that flame can be contained, controlled, all remains well and productive. But when it breaks loose, the potential for catastrophic loss of life and property is boundless [ Read More ]
The Safe Haven of a Small, Elegant Word
Dignity. A word with few letters. On appearance not very large. But elegant. Succinct. With enormous reach when it’s authentic and honest and organic. Not used often enough in today’s world to describe someone’s character or attitude. And yet, it is a momentous, precious, rare word. Containing deep value. Representing deeper values. Today, in light of all the events, from the most horrific and tragic to the amazing, astounding, “did-that-really-happen” moments of the past week, it’s emerged as the key word, the most accurate, deeply appropriate and somewhat surprising word in the rulings by the highest court in the land http://is.gd/Y5knbY. [ Read More ]
How To Deal With Rude People
Dear Olive, I’m so glad we had the chance to meet and discuss this issue. As you know, being on the mortgage side of real estate focused on sales and marketing requires me to call on people I don’t know in the hopes I’ll be able to help them see the value of our services. That can often lead to situations where I am confronted by rude people. I also send out a lot of emails and at times I’m asked to remove people from my list. That can be both surprising and hurtful, too. But when these things happy, [ Read More ]
“But I Thought You Did, Too”
Dear Olive, I was happy to meet you in person. I discovered your column last summer when it ran in The Oregonian and have followed it since on examiner.com but had no idea you were in real estate. That’s why I’m writing. Ted and I have been married for twenty-three years. I always thought our marriage was special and admit, especially when I read one of your columns about infidelity or a couple who couldn’t communicate, thinking, “that isn’t us.” Now I’m not feeling so smug. With the kids gone, we recently decided to sell our large home. That’s when [ Read More ]
“Ultimatums are Tricky”
Dear Olive, My girlfriend just cancelled her marriage at the last minute, and it’s made me nervous about my own situation. I know several girls who married even though they knew there were problems. They all ended up divorced. I don’t want to make that mistake. I’ve dated Paul for three years. We’ve lived together eighteen months and he’s a great guy, but I want to get married. I’m thirty and it’s time. Even though Paul tells me he loves me, he gets weird whenever I mention anything that suggests commitment. If we get flack from friends who want to [ Read More ]
“What’s Your House of Cards Made Of?”
Like so many other folks I know, I’ve finally gotten hooked on “House of Cards,” the amazing series on Netflix. The work is exceptional on every level – writing, production, music, cast, cinematography, and concept. And since I can now watch it on demand, I’ve already spent seven hours during the past two weeks watching; devouring it, both as a screenwriter and as an average audience member, as I moved from chapter to chapter, at will, savoring the ability to move on to the next segment whenever I wanted to without having to wait a week or a month wondering [ Read More ]
“While You’re Spring Cleaning, You Might…”
In the past week, at least three clients have said to me, “I’m so ready to start taking things apart and clean out the clutter. It always makes me feel better.” Spring cleaning. http://is.gd/nTZUQA Simplifying. Organizing. Music to my ears. As well as a prompt for the sun to come out and show me the way to those ever-present smudges on the windows that are invisible when it’s raining and gloomy. Now I recognize for some that the mere idea of straightening anything is depressing, even unnecessary. But for a much greater percentage of us, there seems to be an [ Read More ]
“Will You Be Mine?”
If you are a part of any culture that celebrates St. Valentine’s Day in one form or another , this is a question as old as time. It’s one that most of us, in some secret part of our heart, dreams of being asked for real at least once in our life. And it’s one that’s going to be echoed over and over again during the next few days – on the air, in social media, and on the street. Along with advice about what to give your loved one, what to wear for that special night, where to dine [ Read More ]
“I Divorced Facebook”
Yesterday, I honored my own Inner Bottom Line. I got a divorce. I ended an abusive, one-sided long-term relationship. No, it wasn’t easy, and yet, in a way, it was simple. But to do it quickly with clarity, and without hesitation, I knew I had to face the facts and rely on the tools and premises I created so many years ago for my clients of The Inner Bottom Line. First, I asked myself those four, hard, tried-and-true questions – what’s at stake, who’s in control, how long has this been going on, and what price am I going to [ Read More ]
