That new habit that’s not sticking?  Perhaps it’s okay!

That new habit that’s not sticking? Perhaps it’s okay!

That habit that is just not quite sticking?  Perhaps that is a good thing.  I've rethought habits recently and have a different perspective! I tested for and received my 3rd Dan Blackbelt in Aikido in December. This time around, I unlearned as I prepared. I was...

Not Knowing and the Fear that Ensues

Not Knowing and the Fear that Ensues

Early Saturday morning, a sound radiating from the wall abruptly broke my slumber. Confused, my heart seemed to stop for a moment. The sound was unfamiliar. It was something alive but had to be bigger than a mouse. I imagined something bigger, like a squirrel, as...

Five conflict desires and habits

Five conflict desires and habits

We humans are fascinating creatures. I love to study the way people interact, myself included. It's pleasant when everything goes seamlessly, but when tension and conflict come up, it becomes intriguing. The entertainment industry knows this well! The potential for...

Karen’s Most Loved Dozen Non-Leadership Leadership Books

Karen’s Most Loved Dozen Non-Leadership Leadership Books

A good book is one of my favorite things! As a kid there was a well-worn path between my house and the local library!  As an author, I know what goes into refining a message. It is a gift when I think of the years of experience and research that go into writing a...

Thanksgiving Wishes

Thanksgiving Wishes

A loud BLAST followed by a shower of BLUE SPARKS out the back window shattered our pleasant pre-Thanksgiving visit in front of a gently burning fire. Surrounded by quiet and dark, we looked at each other. What just happened? As I brought out candles, this brought to...

Book Review:  The Art of Learning

Book Review: The Art of Learning

Book Review The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey of Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzkin I savored every page of this book! You may have heard of the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer about the child chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin. Josh won eight National...

What can you do in troubling times?

What can you do in troubling times?

I want to wrap my arms around all peace-loving people in the world. The events in the Middle East, Ukraine (and many other places) are terrifying. Our congress is frustrating too. What to do when you can't control or directly help? Sure, contribute, volunteer, pray,...

911 Remembrance

What does it take to create unity without tragedy? As I sit this morning, and ponder this question, it adds some tinder to my commitment to more broadly sharing Spiral Impact! Tragedy demands focus on an outcome - recovery. I'd love your comments below!   Develop...

The Antidote for Workplace Apathy

The Antidote for Workplace Apathy

I thought I was a very empathetic and compassionate person before 2020. Though the intensity of the times revealed holes and limits in my empathy, which called me to deepen my practice in Conflict Mastery.  Now, as a cloud of loneliness and burnout lays rest on our...

Between Two Fears

Between Two Fears

On a Friday night, still unwinding from the busyness of a work week, we arrived at a beautiful, wooded area outside an old house on the city's outskirts. The crisp wooded air fought through the distinct smell of smoke. The quiet of the woods disappeared as more people...

Seize the fleeting beauty

Seize the fleeting beauty

My inner poet emerges again... The transient nature of spring wakes us to notice. Snow bells, crocus, and daffodils all have their limited ‘show’. A reminder that all living things are temporary in nature. Some ‘shows’ last longer, feel more relevant. Then when they...

Get Measurable Results

Enterprise-wide results that make a measurable difference in how your teams engage.

Karen Valencic

Martial artist. Engineer. Best-selling author. Sought-after consultant.

Join Karen Live at the Next Masterclass

Complimentary each month with a
different focus