This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat…Do you make the time to truly see others and find out what’s on their mind? When my daughter Lauren was in kindergarten, we had a nightly routine. We would snuggle up in her bed and I would ask her to tell me all about her … Continue reading Ask Me: How was my day?
Are You Chasing Perfection?
The holidays are a wonderful time for movie marathons in our family. We mix in the old and the new, and ‘Elf’ is always on the playbill. This Christmas, we watched Soul, the latest movie from Pixar. Soul is about Joe, a black music schoolteacher who suffers a tragic accident the same day he gets … Continue reading Are You Chasing Perfection?
“I Don’t Know How To Not Invite Them”
Party in progress. Photo credit Arlene Amitirigala. All rights reserved. This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat…I was getting impatient with my daughter, Lauren. We were a month away from her 9th birthday and I had made a simple request – pick a maximum of seven friends to invite to your party, … Continue reading “I Don’t Know How To Not Invite Them”
“It Should Not Have Been Sunday”
Service at St. Mark's, 2011 This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat...I was knee-deep leading the launch of a communications campaign across Latin America and the Caribbean. I was working with a first-class agency and we had been busting our butts to be ready for Monday’s launch: ensuring all assets were delivered, … Continue reading “It Should Not Have Been Sunday”
Colors are for Everyone
photo credit: Arlene Amitirigala. All rights reserved. This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat...One day, my son Aris had a color crisis. At age five, he had that pure, undiluted logic that children possess. He never pretended to understand words that he didn’t know or expressions that were new to him. He wasn’t afraid … Continue reading Colors are for Everyone
Give Them What They Want
This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat...When my children were little, they had joint parties, but as they got older each one wanted their own celebration. With each party came the inevitable question – what about the birthday loot bags? Twice a year I was thrown into a tailspin of figuring out … Continue reading Give Them What They Want
Are you due a treat? Reward yourself.
This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat... One day, a few years ago, I stopped at the ATM to get cash to cover some bills. Having agreed to pay some service providers in cash, I withdrew more than I usually would on a normal occasion. Lauren was watching from her rear vantage point, … Continue reading Are you due a treat? Reward yourself.
Trust and Let Go
Aris stands ready in goal This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat... My son Aris started soccer classes when he was five years old. His Dad would take him to the field on weekdays. On Saturdays, when I went to watch the games, I spent half the time cheering and the other half giggling. … Continue reading Trust and Let Go
Learn to get along…or you’ll be miserable
Me and Laurencita on the way home from school This is part of the series Lessons from the backseat ... Years ago, when they were little, I didn’t often have the privilege of picking up the kids from school as I had a helluva commute from Miami to Fort Lauderdale that could take up to … Continue reading Learn to get along…or you’ll be miserable
Give people freedom to succeed
This is part of the series Lessons from the Backseat ... Often when people talk about management or leadership they talk about getting in the driver’s seat. It sounds good, doesn’t it? Being in control. You are at the wheel and you have a clear view ahead. But what about the passengers in the back … Continue reading Give people freedom to succeed
TrulyArlene 