Judah Kurtz Coaching & Consulting LLC

06/16/2022

Whether you make decisions by gut (too fast?) or get stuck in analysis-paralysis (too slow?), I thought this article offered some practical insights and suggestions. Worth a look...

Not only does overthinking waste precious time and keep you from moving forward but it can also lead to worse decisions and hurt your health.

06/13/2022

Fantastic suggestions for boundary setting. Download the pic for future reference!

Source: Unknown

11/04/2020

As a "recovering worrier" myself, this article frames up some excellent approaches for leveraging mindfulness to help break the habit.

It’s possible. Here’s how to cope when stressful thinking seems constant.

10/16/2020

A helpful post during this nutso election season. From the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Worth joining their email list for their other great articles and resources throughout the month.

Americans are stressed out by their presidential election. These questions will help you check in with yourself—and perhaps boost your resilience.

10/02/2020

As many know, I have a well-established meditation practice. This article is a great reminder for all of us -- beginner and seasoned alike!

We all make these meditation "mistakes." Don't let them discourage you from meditating. Keep coming back and it will get easier.

08/28/2020

Our "surge capacity" is not designed for the "long haul." This "collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters" is a gift, but it also leads to fatigue and emotional upheaval when tapped into for prolonged periods and ultimately depleted.

Most everyone I know (clients included) is complaining of this. This read captures the experience really well and offers some helpful approaches for re-framing, perspective-shifting, self-care, and building resiliency.

Here’s how to pull yourself out of despair and live your life

08/10/2020

“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”

~Buddha

07/29/2020

Some helpful reminders and advice... From the folks at Berkeley.

What should we do when everything feels so out of control?

06/03/2020

Covid helped us embrace the idea that the world is happening outside our office walls...and it's important (and possible!) to flex, adjust, and bring greater compassion and empathy to our colleagues.

Now, ALL OF US are being faced with another pandemic of sorts that is asking each of us to dig deep and connect to our humanity in another way. All while trying to sensitively navigate our conversations and interactions, and face our own biases, emotions and opinions... as we attempt to work, be conscious of whatever others are going through, and be "professional" in the midst of inner and external turmoil.

In talking with my African-American clients and friends, two themes come out strong: hurting and exhaustion. As a gay Latino Jew, I have experienced discrimination and assault, but I have NO idea what it's like to grow up knowing the cards are stacked against you and that a dangerous world awaits you when you step outside your home because of the color of your skin. As an ally, I offer my love and support, a willingness to educate myself, and a commitment to contributing to the fight against racism, oppression, and discrimination (in all forms).

Check in with yourself. Unless this is part of your own personal experience, don't presume to know what others are going through. Face your own biases. Do your research and educate yourself; don't ask others to do it for you. Be willing to call out others on their words and behaviors. Ask how you can support.

But also know that the person you are talking to may not be in the mood to talk about what's going on for them -- with you -- for a variety of reasons...and that's okay. Just be mindful. Be respectful. Bring compassion.

I just witnessed the lynching of a black man, but don’t worry Ted, I’ll have those deliverables to you end of day.

05/22/2020

Our relationships are vital, as we've quickly discovered during our time of separation. We need them as much as we need air -- for our hearts, for support, for getting $ #!t done, for [insert a million other needs and benefits]. To keep them alive and flourishing, we need to cultivate (and prune) them like we would a garden.

But, when was the last time you did an honest inventory and assessment of who/why/how of your relationships? How do you approach offering (and asking for) feedback on what's working and not working (for both of you)? What would it be like if you could create a new "agreement" on who/how you want to be with one another? How do you go about new relationships?

This vintage JudahBuddha post explores refreshing existing relationships and building new ones with intention and healthy boundaries. It starts with us.

As people, we evolve over time. And so must our relationships if we want them to keep pace with our own growth, change, needs, and prioriti...

05/18/2020

"What the world needs right now is not a great savior, it needs billions of normal people doing small, ordinary, good things." --Mark Manson

A valuable reminder in an extraordinary time that while it's great to strive for extraordinary yourself, it's actually in the "ordinary" we find the most meaning.

More from Manson: "Years ago, in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, I wrote about how the vast majority of our experiences and endeavors will be quite average and mediocre. Yet, our constant exposure to what is extraordinary skews our expectations of what a "good life" should be. This has caused us to focus on chasing the "extraordinary" life at the expense of what actually makes us happy, healthy individuals....

Currently, we are living through a set of extraordinary circumstances. As a result, the trend towards extraordinary expectations for ourselves and others has only grown. We expect that we should do something memorable or important with this time....In fact, I would argue that the average and mundane is important now, more than ever....

Remember: what gets attention is not always important. And what is important rarely gets attention."

We’re constantly encouraged to become extraordinary. It’s all over the internet. It’s what makes up today’s pop culture. And it’s the bane of the self help i...

05/15/2020

I am an ambivert. While my introverted side is quite content with this stay-at-home situation, my extroverted side is only partially satisfied by the countless daily Zoom interactions I'm having with clients, students, and friends. This experience has not only confirmed for me that we are social beings, but underlined that a screen interaction is not a replacement for being in the (meaningful) physical presence of others. We need one another for a lot more than we realize. (10 weeks without a handshake or hug is also tough.)

There’s no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. That doesn’t mean your social friends aren’t losing it.