Personal development is part of our journey. Most people aim to be successful at work, at home and in their community. Change and uncertainty present opportunity for growth, yet it can be challenging to manage multiple priorities and increasing demands. Reactions can get in the way of meaningful action, often without even being aware of the impact.
These posts cover a variety of topics including:
Personal development allows you to learn how your reactions can get in the way of what is important. Learning how to recognize and resolve reactions creates space for more meaningful action. We guide you using Logosynthesis® to resolve the triggers to these reactions through coaching and teaching you how to use this method for self-coaching.
To learn more about why and how to use Logosynthesis® for leadership, you can watch a video, read Cathy’s books and take a course. Enjoy!
We’re doing well at work and in life. We show up, take responsibility, and get things done. Often we do more than what is formally expected of us. This is what reliability, capability, and responsibility can look like in everyday life. And in many ways, it works well. In fact, it works so well that more tends to come our way. More responsibility, more complexity, more people relying on us. And because we can carry it, we do. At times, … Read More
Over the past few years, I have found myself reflecting more deeply on what it means to be human in a complex world shaped by rapid change, increasing demands, and growing layers of information and expectation. While these developments bring many opportunities, they also seem to amplify something that has always been part of human experience: the ease with which we become absorbed in patterns of thinking, responding, and living that can gradually distance us from our inner knowing. Part … Read More
“Think outside the box.” It’s a phrase repeated in conversations about creativity, innovation, leadership, and change. It sounds simple, even obvious. Yet as humans, thinking outside the box is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Not because we lack creativity. But because human thinking naturally operates through conditioning and patterns. We Don’t Think From Scratch Most of the time, we are not actively thinking from a blank slate. We interpret life through patterns that have developed over time. These … Read More
My inability to see images in my mind has sparked my curiosity. I can’t create a picture in my mind’s eye. When I close my eyes and try to visualize a walk on a sandy beach, I don’t see the sand or seaweed, hear the waves, smell or taste the salty air, nor feel the gusty wind. I know this experience is relaxing, but there is no calming movie playing in my head. I’ve never considered this an issue because … Read More
Recognizing and shifting the underlying stress patterns that influence how we think, react, and respond in an AI-driven world. We live in a time of rapid change, uncertainty, and constant information. As humans, it is natural for these conditions to trigger stress reactions, often without even recognizing the patterns involved. These reactions can show up as anxiety, overwhelm, defensiveness, anger, self-doubt, or overthinking. Stress reactions can also appear in behaviours we often value in leaders and high performers: strength, control, … Read More
Seeing Beyond the Situation Sometimes the issue is not the complexity of the situation, but the state from which we are responding to it. At a recent Implementation Science workshop, there was an interesting discussion about the difference between simple, complicated, and complex challenges. Simple challenges require straightforward solutions. Complicated challenges involve expertise, coordination, and planning. Complex challenges involve uncertainty, adaptation, relationships, and changing conditions where outcomes cannot always be predicted or controlled. Often, these situations involve significant human factors. … Read More
Have you ever reacted strongly to something and then wondered afterward: “Was I right … or did I overreact?” Maybe it was a comment that rubbed you the wrong way.An email that left you tense for hours.A small mistake that felt far bigger than it should have. In the moment, the reaction feels automatic. Later, when things settle, the question often comes: Why did that affect me so much? Many people assume overreacting means they are too sensitive, too emotional, … Read More
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to stay calm when serious situations become heated? You may be aiming for peace, and yet situations escalate out of control.There is no compromise.Other people become defensive and appear irrational. In fact, it’s common to believe that we need adrenaline and strong words to get our point across.We need to fight for peace.If we believe the issue is really important, we may even be prepared to go to war for peace. This … Read More
Many people experience anger and rage. Many people are labelled as having “anger issues”. For some, these emotions are expressed openly. Voices rise. Words become sharp. Actions escalate. Homes become tense. Workplaces become toxic. A moment of anger can leave lasting damage, expressed in strained relationships, broken trust, and lingering fear. For others, expressing anger and rage feels unacceptable. So the anger is pushed down and hidden. Outbursts are avoided until one day the pressure builds and erupts in a … Read More
Stress in the workplace is common. But stress rarely looks like stress. More often, it looks like working harder, staying busy, solving problems, overthinking conversations, tightening control, or holding everything together. Over time, these reactive behaviours affect performance, relationships, decision-making, and health. A key challenge for those experiencing workplace stress is that it often feels necessary and justified. The pressure is real. The deadlines are real. The difficult conversations, the uncertainty, the changing expectations—all of it feels external and often … Read More