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Value Choices: A series of value choices becomes the complex systemic path to one person's symptoms

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“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”   – H. L. Mencken  I have been working on a mental health project for a large non-profit organization that owns the space for one major health problem. Leadership recognizes the importance of stress and mental ill health as a contributor to the onset and course of their illness and wants to tackle the various mental health contributors. They have been engaged with major corporations throught a wellness scorecard examining corporate wellness initiatives which could impact the incidence of their disease.  I was engaged as a subject matter expert to provide context, update research knowledge with a critical eye toward the quality of that research, and contribute to a plan for this major NPO to affect MH policy, training, and service delivery of educational, marketing, preventive and treatment services. A colleague and friend who is a marketing guru helped me take a broader, even global, view of the issues and
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Lessons learned from my experiences as a teacher

I am a teacher. My first teaching job was in college when my mentors and friends Tom and Joyce Farrell hired me to teach tennis in a Madison (SD) summer recreation program after my freshman year in college.  I wasn't a great tennis player nor a great teacher but it was a job, I liked Tom and Joyce, so it was a win, but didn't convince me to become a teacher. My next teaching job was during college at SDSU. I was taking both psychology and child development classes and my next class option in CD was "Introduction to Nursery School Teaching". For 2 afternoons a week for a semester, I was the only male with 4 other women teachers in a class of 20  three year olds. It was the most fun teaching experience I have ever had, before or since! Three year olds are a hoot! They are curious about everything, very concrete thinkers, and open to new experiences. Awesome teaching time for me. My next teaching job was during my first year in grad school at UT Southwestern. Contact Dal
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Why does interacting with nature create a sense of peace and serenity? I think I know the answer

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I am a sailor. During an earlier single period, I decided to get certified in sailing and booked a trip to Bellingham, Washington, the home of one of the country's best immersive sailing schools. For a week, the six of us and an instructor lived together on a 36 foot Pearson sailing yacht and we sailed the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound. (see stock photo at right). I experienced the joy of sailing, the serenity of being on the water, day and night, for a week, and I did get certified.  It was during that week on the water that I realized that I was more relaxed and at peace than I had been in a long time. I knew being on the water had something to do with that feeling but it got me thinking. How did that work? I had to figure that out... Years later, I was doing my sabbatical from jury research and selection and litigation consulting as a leadership consultant at Texas Instruments. TI was a member of MIT's Organizational Learning Center led by Dr Peter Senge and our team spent
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Introduction to the new series: Thought for the day with Dr K

In my quiet time this morning before I got out of bed, I believe the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about using my writing talent during this transition from daily divorce litigation challenges with clients and lawyers to the new challenges of helping startup enterprises like Microbicbloc.  I am a talented and award winning author, and I have downplayed that talent my entire life. I won my first award for my writing in 6th grade (thank you Mrs. Minga Hall) for my autobiography entitled "Me". My second award for writing came right after law school when the book I co-wrote with Dan Shuman, one of my law school profs, "Psychiatric and Psychological Evidence" was published by Shepards/McGraw-Hill. The American Psychiatric Association recognized the book with the Alfred Guttmacher award for the best book in law and psychiatry for the year 1986. Next, I envisioned and co-wrote "Loving Your Children" better with my graduate school friend, Dr Mary Ann Little. Publ
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