JKG Challenges

Garbage Truck Mondays

Challenge 98
Copyright Jeanne Gladden
Monday mornings are the best. Monday mornings are when garbage is collected in our neighborhood.   As the garbage truck announces itself, I’m enjoying my…

Say Something, Do Something

Challenge 97
Copyright Jeanne Gladden

It’s the mid-eighties. It’s the mid-west. Women were gingerly stepping into executive roles, having proven themselves worthy of such an honor over millennia.

I scored…

Remembering Jane Goodall

Challenge 96
Copyright Jeanne Gladden
Today the world remembers Dr. Jane Goodall not just for her contributions to science, but for her humanity.  Her curiosity, compassion and courage challenge us…

Seasons Change and So Must We

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 95

It’s autumn.  A fresh new season.  And, if you are Jewish, it’s a new year.   

Whether we’re observing the ending and beginning of a…

Happy Healthy Me

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 94

If you didn’t know your birth date…your birth year…if you didn’t know how old you were, how old would you be?  This question came…

I’m M.A.D.

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 93

I belong to a community of life-long learners who share a commitment to making a difference.  As individuals.  Our inspiring leader, Robert, calls us M.A.D.

OMG

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 92

One day last week I overheard myself tell a guy that I had just celebrated my 50th birthday.  And I believed it.  It took me…

The Stuff of Life

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 91

I hear there are 3 stages of life. Wanting Stuff. Getting Stuff. Getting Rid of Stuff.   It seems I am in the Getting…

A Little Birthday Prayer

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 90

Dear Lord,

I’m about to turn 75, but you know that already, don’t you? 

Well, thank you for blessing me with another birthday…and for surrounding…

Forever Friends

Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
Challenge 88

Three old friends walk into a bar and order a round of cherry cokes and a large bag of strawberry licorice for the table. The…

On Becoming Whelmed

Challenge 84
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden

Conversations with friends, family and clients lead me to conclude that darned near every one of us is running on overwhelm.  

Work Expectations.  Family…

Full of Surprises

Challenge 83
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
The body is full of surprises.  I just read that if all the blood vessels in your body were laid end to end, they would…

For the Love of Learning

Challenge 82
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
A colleague described a parent-teacher conference she attended for her eighth-grade son.  Her son set the agenda, prepared the topics for discussion, and conducted the…

Quality Conversations

Challenge 81
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden

“86.5% of the time we think we have communicated, we have, in fact, failed.” 
jeanne gladden

I’ve asserted this claim thousands of times over…

A Legacy Leaver

Challenge 80
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden
As a child, family members, friends and strangers perpetually reminded me that I was the granddaughter of Mr. Clonts, and that I needed to act…

None of my Business

Challenge 79
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden

Just about the time I think I have mastered this life lesson… Bam!  I find myself fretting over how another person sees me, thinks of…

Use Everything

Challenge 78
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden.


“Use everything.  Be used by nothing.” Walter Starcke

I was an undergrad student for 12 years.  Twelve years. That’s how long it took to complete…

In Praise of Nothing

Challenge 77
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden.

What might it be like to find yourself with a little time of your own?  With nothing pushing or pulling at you?  No demands.  No plans. No pressure. No places to be. 

Would you feel peaceful? Or might you feel a twinge of urgency to do something…anything…. to be productive?

As a kid, I excelled at nothingness.  I remember long unscheduled summer days full of big sky…

Confidence or Competence?

Challenge 76
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden.

Confidence or competence.  Which comes first?  A chicken or egg kind of question, to be sure.  And, the answer may surprise you.  

Growth requires us to take risks.  To shine a light on our imperfections. Growth requires us to lead with confidence before we have the competence. 

It’s natural to feel self-confident when we possess competence in a particular area.  Not so easy when we are…

We, The People

Challenge 75
Copyright: Jeanne Gladden.
A 3-minute read

Perhaps, like me, you are searching for signs of America becoming great again.  Perhaps you are pleased with what you see.  Perhaps you are not. 

I wonder if we, the people, could even agree on what would make America great?  Do we have a shared vision? A set of shared values? Some worthy goals?  A set of metrics?  These disciplines drive consensus in…