Imagine yourself on a day when your childcare or school is closed, but you still have some work you need to get done.  I’ve been there an uncountable number of times over the past decade.  And I’ll admit that figuring out how to navigate the “closed” day with as little guilt as possible still remains an ongoing challenge.  I can be doing an activity with my kids, feeling like I really should be working on that legal memo.  Or I could be trying to get through a work project, feeling like I really should be playing with my kiddos.  I’m sure you know the feeling well ..read more

“Have you heard about the 3 H’s?” my husband asked me, as he closed the front door of our house behind Steven.  “No, what’s that?” I inquired, always eager to learn whatever wisdom Steven Cohen, our family’s – though primarily Jason’s – professional organizer had imparted during his session.  Not only is Steven a godsend in the house-and-office clutter department, but his prior training in social work means he brings to his organizing passion a deep understanding of human psychology. “It stands for ‘hug, help, or heard,’” Jason shared.  “When someone is having a challenge and ..read more

The first two months of 2024 were dark for me.  Dark in the cold season of winter, yes.  But also dark emotionally.  As I alluded to in earlier blog posts this year (about asking for help, practicing self-compassion, and the healing powers of walking), I felt many times like I had lost my footing.  My family was in crisis, and I felt like I was crumbling. Windy March blew in a new phase of this journey, though.  Things seemed better.  But for the first few weeks of the month, I was jumpy.  Skittish.  Constantly worried something was about to go wrong ..read more

Whether you’re looking for new opportunities in your current work role, or you’re searching for a new job, how you tell your story really matters.  You want more opportunities to come your way, right?  Then you need to be able to talk about your successes and talents in a way that makes others want to direct those opportunities to you. Today, I’m delighted to welcome Nikki Adamson back to the Mindful Return blog to help us get this career storytelling thing on a better track!  Nikki, CEO of a recruiting company called Hustle Hunters, joined us a while back to share her wisdom ..read more

A few years ago, an amazing coach and mentor of mine, Susan Dunlap, told me she’d heard an expression she simply had to share with me: “The playground is the new golf course.”  As the founder of a program called the Women’s Leadership Forum, Susan and I are very much aligned in supporting the creation of “self-authored” careers that may not follow a predictable path.  We also both love a good metaphor. We were talking that day about networking and about the fact that so many traditional, plug-and-play business development and connection opportunities simply aren’t conducive (or in ..read more

I’ve done more than my normal amount of walking these past few months.  Believe me, I’m not just guessing.  My iPhone tells me, “On average, you have walked and run further this year than last year.”  So there you go. As I wrote a few weeks ago, 2024 got off to a challenging start for Team Levin.  And as I write this today, I stand in solidarity today with anyone who faces chronic, seemingly intractable family and life and parenting conundrums.  Those kinds that research, hard work, diligence, and all the normal problem-solving and parenting strategies we scroll thro ..read more

Though commercialized, Valentines and Galentines days do (happily) often prompt us to think about the friends, family members, and those we love in our lives.  This year was no exception.  Though it was a few days ago, a member of our Mindful Return community, Jane Yamaykin, was inspired to share with us her message to those of her friends who do not have children.  (You may remember Jane from her insightful post back in November entitled Lessons My Husband’s “Dad Approach” to Parenthood Have Taught Me About Calmer Parenting.) Please find her beautiful words below, and be sur ..read more

Maybe you’ve been following the Kyte Baby story over the past few weeks, maybe you haven’t.  I wasn’t planning to write about it, for two reasons.  First, pop culture and I don’t usually spend much time together.  Second, I figured everyone had heard about it already, so I wouldn’t be adding to the conversation.  But it turns out not everyone has tuned in.  So here we are. If you haven’t been following along, here’s the short story.  A children’s clothing company called Kyte Baby (that sells baby clothes made from breathable bamboo) employed a woman named Maris ..read more

My intention for this week has been one thing: self-compassion.  If you read last week’s post on the Mindful Return blog, you know our family has been in crisis mode this month, simply putting one foot in front of the other.  And as we settle into a knowing, like we all did at some point in the pandemic, that this is a long game not a short one, self-compassion has been waving her brightly colored flag at me.  Urging me to pay attention. “I’m here! I’m here!” she reminds me throughout the day, asking me to stop and just listen to her for a moment or two.  When I think ba ..read more

I’m sure that as a working parent, you’ve been told to ask for help.  You’ve been told to lean on your village.  Get support.  And don’t try to muscle through. But if you’re anything like me, you’ve also ignored that message from time to time.  Figured you’d just sort things out on your own.  Perhaps you’ve thought it was simply easier to do things yourself. In early parenthood, I definitely ignored the “ask for help” advice often.  But a decade+ of intentionally practicing the skill of asking for help and building the “saying yes when people offer support” mus ..read more