Blog
Joy in the Midst of Hardship
The Grinch had taken everything, all their floofloovers all their tartookas. He snatched every whohooper and gardooka. He stole the roast beast. He left nothing, not even a crumb for that mouse. Then he horsewhipped poor Max his dog, and that giant sled of toys, up...
Is Blame an Issue for you? Part II by Tom Esch
My wife Kristen had a car accident recently. In our driveway. It was not the first time. She expected me to blow up and shower her with blame. I did neither. Why not? Because I “accused myself” first, as recommended by the Persian poet Rumi: When something goes...
Is Blame an Issue? Part I
Do you ever find yourself wanting to blame others for a painful situation? Are others habitually blaming you? When something goes bad at work or at home do you want to point the finger at another person? “Not my fault!” “I had nothing to do with it.” “I think it...
Meditation? “No, I want real solutions to stress”
Most of my coaching these days is with men in construction. These guys are hard-working, tough, no-nonsense individuals. They are used to navigating high stress situations. And these days many of them are showing signs of significant stress: drinking too much, not...
The Slap Heard Round the World
Was it real? Did Will Smith really slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars? And why? Just in case you are the only one who missed it. Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair. She was present in the audience, looking beautiful and with almost no...
What are you sourcing?
There I was in Chicago on a windy evening, in mid-December, and I just wanted to get home. I had been travelling a lot and my wife called to tell me that there were tornado level winds coming up from the south and hitting Minneapolis about an hour before my plane...
The Potentially Devastating Power of Rank
Three years ago, I saw Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the successful remake of the movie “A Star is Born” and there was a scene toward the end which captured my attention. Spoiler alert: If you have not seen the movie, you may want to skip this. But I am guessing you...
I know why the driver in Waukesha did it
Another unbelievable tragedy, just days before Thanksgiving. A driver in Waukesha smashed his vehicle into a crowd this past weekend at a holiday parade, killing six people and injuring well over 40. Why? We all want to know why. Did the gas pedal get stuck? I do...
Why “No News” is Bad News
A client recently said to me, "No news is good news” is not ok with us. He was talking about safety in his company. I loved his comment. When it comes to safety and healthy work culture for those working in high-risk environments, you could reframe it as “No news is...
Can You Prevent Suicide?
Do not wait to have that conversation. You know how some memories stay in your mind? I still remember the handshake. The very physical, nearly-break-your-knuckles grip the solidly built young man put on me. And the comment, “Esch, I am nothin!!” He was loud and...
