The other day, I momentarily caught myself wishing I could be that person who spends her days raising chickens, cooking gorgeous meals, and wrapping Instagram-worthy gifts for my friends. A lovely fantasy in the moment—but the reality is that I don’t actually want to do a SINGLE ONE of these things. I would much rather learn about what’s going on with ChatGPT and how it will affect my work.

Welcome to Monday! Every so often, I re-introduce what I consider to be a freakishly simple communication tactic into my repertoire. See if you can spot it in this story … Last night, I had a SUPER successful conversation with my teenager (no small feat). It went like this: I said, “Hey! How does it feel knowing you are one month away from being a senior?” Her eyes danced. She replied, “It’s SO weird. I feel like it’s not real.” I said with warmth in my voice, “You feel like it’s not real?”

Recently, I did an Instagram Live dedicated to helping people find their fire and rekindle their energy after losing a job. These are challenging times, and I feel so helpless watching as smart, talented people are eliminated from jobs they love. I wanted to do what I could to support others in this time of transition (and opportunity!).

I was recently at a large dinner gathering with my husband. Around the table sat old friends and new, and about an hour into the meal, the conversation started to wane. We had caught up on family news, work news, life news. I kind of panic when conversations go quiet, so I like to have an engaging question ready to keep the connection going.