Laura Gassner Otting 
I woke up at 1:50am, feeling an overwhelming sense of loss. And, loss is hard. And I don’t mean the loss of someone who dies. That shit is the worst — the exquisite, bottomless aching of a person whose arms will never again wrap around you, whose laughter will never again peal into your ears, … Read more
How do we do hard things, let alone, do them alone? So often, we do hard things by drafting off of others. We have friends, teammates, colleagues who get us through, give us advice, and role model for us. Their presence speeds our plow. This morning I did the hard thing — the thing I … Read more
Structure at home has been our saving grace these last few weeks. Last night, over dinner, ensconced at home during COVID-19, I asked my kids four simple questions: 1. What did you do for your mind today? 2. What did you do for your body today? 3. What did you do for your soul today? … Read more
Do you want a peaceful home? For the past four years, my family has held a family meeting each and every weekend. Sometimes it’s in-depth, gathered around the kitchen table unpacking a deep and difficult problem, sometimes it’s fast and furious, in an airport lounge waiting to come back from a trip and just doing … Read more
It’s always 4:30 am. We’ve all done it. We’ve all looked at the travel website, considered the long list of flight options, and thought, “Well, if I take the 6:00 am flight, it will be a rough morning, but at least I’ll be on the beach by lunchtime…” Most of us, noting that the ass-crack-o-dawn … Read more
Oprah, can you hear me? Today I had a rude awakening morning. You’ve had these mornings, too. They are the ones where you are thrashing about in one of those nightmares that hides as a dream, and then suddenly — bam! — you bolt upright in your bed, blinking away the sleep, trying to piece … Read more
What’s your favorite Christmas ornament? When I was a kid, growing up Jewish, I adored the shiny, matching ornaments of the department store trees, twinkling with the glow of the holidays. This one was all silver! That one was all gold! I assumed this was how anyone and everyone would want to decorate their tree. … Read more
Ladies, I beg of you, stop being too nice. (Not a political post, just a political setting.) At the end of the Democratic debate last night, Judy Woodruff asked the candidates if there was a candidate on the stage to whom they’d give a gift, or from whom they’d ask forgiveness. The men talked about … Read more
I dedicated my book, Limitless, to one of my mentors, Arnie Miller, who taught me to bring everything I am to everything I do. Why? Because it’s not just about not getting it wrong. We have to make sure we are getting it right. He was the toughest boss I’m so … Read more
This post was originally published on Facebook the day after the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. Some of the facts (like additional undetonated bombs) turned out to prove false, and some (like me running in 2014) turned out to be true. The sentiment remains intact as ever. On the Boston Marathon Bombing of 2013: Hi … Read more