Perspectives
Recent Stories
Fierce Mother in Body and Spirit
I got to spend another Mother’s Day with my mother this year. It was the first year in my life that I realized this day
One Mother’s Loss is a Loss for Every Mother in the World
For the past several weeks, I’ve carried a deep sadness as violence and death have continued in Gaza and in too many geographies in our
Why Am I So Anxious in a Charming New England Town?
Since the pandemic, I haven’t taken my annual 4-day retreat where I get to be a hermit, stocked with food and drink, books and journals
Lunar New Year – A Rootedness in Family Connections and Identity
I’ve come to see that holidays are a way for people and societies to reinforce what matters in their culture. Food and customs, passed from
Taiwan-China Tensions: Revisiting Family Heartbreak
I was in high school when I found my father sitting at the desk in my parents’ bedroom, face in his hands, sobbing. It was the only time I’d ever seen my father cry. He had been separated from his family for 40 years, when he became a teenage refugee, from China to Taiwan…
Self-Gratitude May Just Improve Your Performance Review
Many professionals undervalue their contributions because they think they’re not enough, but self-gratitude comes from our wholeness and allows us to recognize and own our contributions to our work, which will surely help with our performance reviews.
Separation Anxiety
Tomorrow my Alyssa leaves for NYC for 8 weeks. I sit next to her as she naps, excited for her adventure ahead, all the while
Covid Life – Recluse, Re-Emergence and Ritual
…The day finally arrived this Memorial Day weekend when the four of us and Popo dared to venture out together to visit my father and brother in New York, the first time in over a year. It was cold, windy and wet, but my 87 year old mother determinedly walked to her husband’s gravesite and read the poem she wrote for him that’s etched on the tombstone. We lit incense, bowed in respect and ran back to the car as lightning and thunder reverberated through the skies. After all the sadness, loss and separation, we returned to each other through this family ritual, marking the passing as well as the continuation of our shared journey.
Catching My Breath in Drowning Waves of Death
2020 Ahmaud Aubery Breonna Taylor George Floyd Protests Black Lives Matter Awakening of America to what has always been for black people in America
Passion and Purpose in Our Work
Passion and purpose in our profession. Is it plausible? Is it realistic? Is it worth pursuing if my work pays well? I always say yes
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5 Key Steps To Making a Career Switch
We are making career switches at a faster rate than any other generation. It’s a good thing in my opinion because it means we can choose work that expresses our Best Self, our purpose, our passion. As a result, we’re happier and likely performing better at our jobs.To be successful at making the switch, here are 5 key steps:
Vacationing In the Midst of the Greek Crisis – A Paradox of Experience
I realized our good fortune when I went to vacation in Greece a couple of weeks ago during their bailout discussion with the EU. I’ve heard about the Euro crisis on the news these last few years regarding Greece, Spain and Italy. But now, it’s more than the conceptual understanding from reading the Wall Street Journal. It’s a lived understanding as a human being.
Spring into Your Dream!
Welcome to my first video blog were I talk about taking steps toward your dreams!
NECINA Career Conference Keynote Speech, "Crossing the Cultural Chasm to Super Charge Your Career"
Judy Shen-Filerman speaks at the NECINA Career Conference on January 31, 2015. As the keynote speaker, she discusses the mentality and cultural competence that it takes to be successful in the US. In doing so, Judy addresses the concepts of Best Self, identity, and humility, all through the cultural lens of Americans, juxtaposed with the Chinese perspective.
Choosing the Path Forward
At this time of the year, when the American calendar has started the new year and the Chinese new year is imminent but not yet here, I am in a Yin-Yang state. Ready to run yet still in contemplation. The Chinese new year is not the Times Square drop-the-ball kind of celebration. It’s more akin to our Thanksgiving. A time
Who Has the Time for *$&# Gratitude?
Like all habits, the habit of gratitude takes discipline, practice and patience. It has taken me years to develop into a person who can appreciate the small things in life that gives me joy. My husband will be the first to assure you that my five-alarm fires are still alive and well in my life. For sure they are still there. But with practice, I’ve counterbalanced that natural tendency to worry with a newly developed tendency to appreciate. And as a result, I truly believe I live a happier life, a more effective life and hopefully, a life that extends more positivity to the people with whom I interact in the world.
A Longing for Cultural Belonging
Some twenty years after his death, as I do work in intercultural and leadership coaching, I understand his life through a different lens. I see now that my father yearned to belong at work. He wanted to be more than just a systems specialist. He wanted more than to just clock in and bring home the check. For all the hours he spent at work, he wanted to be part of the community – sharing, talking, engaging – more than the perfunctory, “how was your weekend” pass-by glance. I look back and realize that my father’s work existence must have been quite lonely.
Is Passion Misunderstood?
Over the years as a coach, observing myself and my clients, it’s become clear that passion can be misunderstood. We generally think of passion as overt, provocative, bigger than life. Somehow we believe our passion can consume us if we are not alert. It can lead us to wayward paths. It’s almost irresponsible. Yet I’ve observed passion to be deep, mature and patient.
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