Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
“I am not good enough yet.” That has been an inner voice of mine for about 40 years. I probably started saying this to myself when I was a kid. Whenever I came home with test scores, my mom would congratulate me but my dad would focus on the points I missed. Even if I got 97 out of 100, most of our conversation would be about what happened to those three points and how I could avoid missing them next time. ...
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how it’s possible to feel two completely opposite emotions at the same time. As the parent of an 18-year-old entering adulthood, I’ve discovered that pride and heartbreak can exist side by side.
My daughter turned 18 in May and graduated from high school. She is standing at the edge of adulthood—excited for college, independence, and the life waiting ahead of her. ...
As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom and how much her love shaped me over the course of my life.
When I was younger, I don’t think I fully appreciated it. Like many children, I think I simply assumed my mom would always be there — supporting me, worrying about me, comforting me, encouraging me, and loving me quietly in the background of my life. ...
I’ve cried three times a week this past month — and not because I was sad. The tears came from something deeper: the painful realization of how brutal my inner critic has been for years. Not a gentle voice encouraging growth, but a harsh one constantly telling me I am behind, lacking, or still not enough. ...
Of all the five types of wealth, Financial Wealth was the one I avoided writing about the longest. At first, I told myself it was because I didn’t want to sound braggy. Who wants to hear someone talk about financial wealth when so many people are still working hard to build it? But the truth is, I also hesitated because I’m not sure I understand this one as well as I thought I did. ...
I didn’t expect this.
For 30 years, my life had structure — goals, promotions, deadlines, problems to solve, and a ladder to climb. Even when it was stressful, it was familiar. I knew who I was in that world. Then I stepped away.
Financially, we’re okay. We’ve been frugal. We’ve diversified. Even with market downturns, I’m not lying awake worried about money. And yet… I’m lying awake. At 5:00 a.m., grinding my teeth for the first time in ten years, my body burning like a furnace (thank you, perimenopause), covers on, covers off, sometimes moving to the leather couch just to cool down. ...
As I step into 2026, I find myself in a season of transition — one that feels unfamiliar, a little disorienting, and surprisingly freeing.
I’m leaving full-time work and entering what I like to call my rewirement phase. It’s not quite retirement, not exactly a second act with a clearly defined script. I don’t yet know what my goals will be for the next five years. And for the first time in a long time, I’m learning to be okay with that. ...