Blog entries tagged Personal Development

What’s a body to do?

Heather Berthoud — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

“My body exists to carry my head around.” I used to think this. Moreover, I acted on it. I prized what I could do mentally but didn’t give much thought to my physical self. Sadly, too many people believe the same and act accordingly. I see people who prize their strategic thinking, their people skills, their caring for others, and their activism on behalf of issues big and small with little time or attention paid to the body doing all the work. Little do they know they are f...

Giving Thanks

Heather Berthoud — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:19:12 +0100

Each morning I have my cup of tea on my back porch and give thanks—for the porch, the tea, the house, the life I’ve lived and the prospects before me. Sometimes I see a souvenir and remember a special trip. When I hike I’m thankful for nature in all its glory and for the people who save sections of wilderness so I and others can enjoy it. I’m deeply appreciative of the support I got—and get—from family and friends. I’m thankful that people with talent...

Starved for Appreciation

Heather Berthoud — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0100

I showed appreciation for someone and he cried. As I told him about the qualities that make him a valued part of the team, he welled up. As I moved on to discuss acts and products that he contributed to our program, the tears spilled out. He didn’t ask me to stop but sat for more as the tears continued.

He had been trying to hide his frustration with work under the guise of being a &ld...

2011 Ahead

Heather Berthoud — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Another year has ended and the new one is hurrying along. It’s barely three weeks old and we’ve had a new Congress, the shooting in Arizona, snow across the entire country, and the iphone on Verizon. With that as an opening, there’s no telling where 2011 might go.

2010 in review

Berthoud Consulting highlights include AF...

Leadership and Accountability

Heather Berthoud — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Who holds the top accountable? As a leader, whether of a unit or an organization, it’s easy to get trapped by the illusions of the office. Check the news for accounts of people who used their offices unethically. The leader’s role is fraught with many opportunities to misstep. Leader of cause organizations need to be especially vigilant as effectiveness is often measured obliquely and in the long-term, even as there’s pressure ...

Yoga and karate: Recognizing the present

Heather Berthoud — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0100

I used to study martial arts. I loved it. It was the ballast to my activist life. It was where I discovered my athletic self. Then, after about 18 years, I fell while hiking and hurt my back. There went my martial arts career. No more jumping, kicking, punching hard. After about a year of a modified schedule, I gave it up.

I decided ...

Nature Lover

Heather Berthoud — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Ah! There is nothing like the feeling after exertion in nature. The day was cool, crisp even, but warm when the sun was out and I was getting myself uphill.

I am thankful for all the people over the years who had the foresight to preserve such great spaces. I benefit greatly whether from a local walk and ride path (Sligo Creek Pa...

2010 Greetings

Heather Berthoud — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:28:56 +0100

Welcome to 2010, already in progress and already challenging in so many ways. Now, more than ever, I feel called to engage with community for peace and justice.

The year that was

2009 was full. A big focus was the trans...

Reflection: A Must for Individual and Organizational Success

Heather Berthoud — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Not long ago, a colleague described her four-year-old Blackberry as "ancient". In organizations, campaigns and projects come one after another and often overlap. There are changes in structure, technology, policies, and personnel, plus new demands from the environment. Leaders and managers are expected to produce results and people. It seems there's hardly time to run from one meeting to the next, let alone reflect.

In times of swirling change, reflection can be th...

Back to School

Heather Berthoud — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Actually, it’s after Labor Day, which always meant back to school for me. Although it’s been a while since I was in school, my internal rhythm is still set by that calendar. So, it’s a time of new supplies including blank notebooks and sharpened pencils, new teachers, subjects, and schedules. And let’s not forget, new school clothes.

More than the external trappings of the new school year, this time is an opportunity to gather up the energy renewed over the sum...