Archive | Mental Health

Cover the Employee’s Back

As I wrote the prior post about the need for employees to cover the boss’ back, I had this post, and the next one, in mind, because covering for each other is critical. It is important for a boss to keep the health and well being of the employees in mind. In our 30+ years […]

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I strive to be a good boss.  I thank all of my employees, and vendors, for completing tasks to which they have been assigned.  I thank the employees at the end of every work day for everything they have done that day to help me.  I am aware that, absent the help I receive from […]

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Expand Your Horizons: Johnny Cash, Jazz…

Expand your horizons. Exit your comfort zone. Try new things. Visit new places. Meet new people. These are mantras to which I aspire. Many people are too afraid to venture outside things they’ve always done. They go to the same restaurants, then order the same things off the menu. When it comes to music, some […]

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How broad one’s horizons, or comfort zones, are is probably relative.  While some people consider Melissa and me to be adventurous in certain respects like music or food, I know, I for one, still draw a line somewhere.  I know I have limitations based on foods because of 2 things.  One is an allergy issue […]

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Reactive v. Proactive

My mother used to tell me that she, as well as almost everyone else, would “have to get up before breakfast to stay ahead of me.” For readers of this post who are unfamiliar with, as Mom used to say “old South Carolina sayings,” this means that, all things considered, I work and move at […]

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I don’t think of the proactive/reactive dichotomy as just an issue of speed, but of priorities.  And, in fairness to our clients (attorneys), many reactive behaviors are a part of the job.  They must react to rulings by the court, motions or pleadings by the other side, client demands, etc.  It is not just attorneys, […]

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Probing Questions and Difficult Answers

I went to my primary care physician recently for my annual check up. (As an aside, my physician is smart: He has a Ph. D. in addition to an M. D.) My physician is committed to helping medical students with their education. He has mentored medical students from The University of Miami for decades and […]

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I loved hearing the story Melissa related about the young medical student shortly after her check up.  It was a classic example of how Melissa’s interactions with the world are sometimes more than what people bargained for on any given day.  I hope that, not only did this make a lasting  impression on this future […]

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Con Mucho Gusto

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 16, 2022

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Mental Health, Psychology, Travel

David and I have written in previous posts about one of our pet peeves, replying to “thank you” with “no problem.” We always get a little miffed when someone says “no problem” because we don’t think there is a need to mention any sort of problem when someone is being thanked for doing something. I […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 16, 2022

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Mental Health, Psychology, Travel

I do not speak Spanish.  Living in south Florida all these years has not been enough for me to learn more than some basics and I depend on Melissa when we find ourselves in Spanish speaking countries, or places.  But, it didn’t take me long to catch on in Costa Rica that the locals, Ticos […]

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Vacations

At the time of this post, I am likely on vacation. After missing the opportunity to take a vacation for a couple of years, Melissa and I have been looking forward to it. The visit to this destination, Alaska, was delayed from our original plan and thus, we’ve been working on and revising the plans […]

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I will begin this post by saying I love to work!  One of my best friends, Bob, was my office mate (and co-conspirator) in graduate school.  He frequently referred to me as a “workaholic” because, invariably, when he called to find out what I was doing, I was working or studying.  I love my job […]

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Live Your Life Like Someone Left the Gate Open

I don’t remember where I saw this quote for the first time, but I instantly liked it: “Live your life like someone left the gate open.” I guess there are multiple interpretations of this sentence, however, my view of it is that, as David’s late mother used to say, we should try to “have fun” […]

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For reasons I won’t go into, the timing of my reading of Melissa’s post was, well, timely.  We sometimes have to remind ourselves, and each other, to have fun, find fun where we can, and to leave that gate open to get out and enjoy what there is to enjoy in life.  It might be […]

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If You Won’t Practice, Don’t Bother Learning

As I mentioned in my previous post, “practice makes perfect,” my childhood piano teacher, Corella Johnson, insisted that all her piano and organ students practice their instrument(s) at least 30 minutes a day. The first thing she did at every lesson was ask her students to play the piece of music they were learning, so […]

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Childhood music lessons didn’t work well for me.  I tried guitar and piano but found I’d much rather go fishing or tromp through the woods than hone those skills.  Perhaps it was also because my early music lessons focused too much on fundamentals, rather than playing a song, these music experiences were not attractive to […]

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Practice Makes Perfect

Practice makes perfect. How many times have we heard this phrase? I have heard it too many times to count! I started playing the piano when I was 6 years old. I started playing the organ when I was 11. My piano and organ teacher was a wonderful friend and neighbor, Corella Johnson, who had […]

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I can attest to Melissa’s commitment to practice.  She takes it seriously and is religious about it, as long as her “day job” doesn’t interfere.  But practice gets a bad rap, that is a bad name.  Melissa’s practice time is often better characterized as “playing” as in “playing the bass.”  Practice seems repetitive and punitive.  […]

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It’s Okay to Have Regrets

I recently read an article in The Wall Street Journal that focused on the “no regrets” philosophy that has become a cultural goal for many Americans. Supposedly, a life without regrets has been touted as a goal for people to attain, much like the concept of “bucket list” (of things we must achieve before we […]

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In his signature song, My Way, Frank Sinatra sang the words written by Paul Anka: Regrets, I’ve had a few But then again too few to mention I did what I had to do And saw it through without exception Paul, and/or Frank, claimed to only having a few regrets having achieved what each of […]

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