Lives In Progress

by Nicholas Wolff, LCSW, BCD, TEP      Most professional trainers who speak at a variety of groups and events have at least a few stories of epic fails, when the presentation just does not work. When the group does not like or connect with us or our methods. We will all face this humiliation at some point. And when we do, we will flail, we will flounder for the duration, and then flee. And we will collect our fee.      As tough as these failures tend to be, they are great for taking stock of our skills and finding the weak links in our preparation. One of the most common reasons for the fatal disconnect between presenter and group is an inadequate or inappropriate warm-up. Like the time I was asked to speak for a professional singles’ group monthly brunch – when I asked them to stand up and form a half-cirlcle they got up and formed a line to get bagels and lox. I had an arsenal of experiential exercises at the ready and none of them landed on this group. Question #1 to ask when

by Jude Treder-Wolff   In 2005, when Trenton NJ natives Jacquie and Sterick Ivey bought the Trenton Conservatory of Music – founded by Juilliard piano professor William O’Toole in 1920– there were 14 pianos still inside, along with original manuscripts of instructions books on piano technique,sheet music in abundance, and evidence the place was designed with the needs of musicians in mind. “Professor O’Toole believed that Trenton needed and deserved a music conservatory” Jacquie explained in an interview for this article, “and I took piano lessons here as a child.” When Sterick, who works in real estate, saw that the property was for sale the couple – parents of 2 girls, Makenzie age 7, and Peyton age 4 - made a commitment to bring back and expand upon O’Toole’s vision. “The Trenton High School band used to be nationally competitive and now it is just hanging on” Jacquie states. “Having taken lessons here and knowing the value of the arts to kids’ lives and to the community, I wa

by Jude Treder-Wolff, LCSW, RMT, CGP  In the networked world, relationships in our personal, business and community life are increasingly viewed as a form of wealth. With large-scale economic uncertainty threatening our sense of financial security, we are going to find that the intangible resources among friends, colleagues and members of social networks are important resources for creating work opportunities as well as emotional and psychological well-being. Here are five techniques that fuel positive energy in relationships: Act as if . Relationships are fantastic vehicles for taking stock of what we have going for us and what we need to change. Creating sustainable change is often a difficult struggle to redirect deeply ingrained habits of mind but there are some reliable techniques that enhance these internal shifts. New ways of acting follow new ways of thinking, and we can energize the psychological “muscle” that makes us more adaptive, flexible and open to change by “actin