An arm round the shoulder or a boot up the backside? Which one do you need? Which one do you need to deliver to the people around you?

In reality, you need a Swiss army knife variety of approaches in your arsenal. That way you can figure out the best approach depending on the person you are dealing with, and the situation you/they are in.

It took me a long time to begin to understand 'me'. And it came from one of the best pieces of advice I ever received as part of coaching.

The problem with being a blank canvas, is that you will tend to pick up paint transfer from the people around you. What do you want your painting to look like? Wouldn't you rather choose than have it dictated to you by the company you keep?

I like structure and routine in my life. But it can't be the be all and end all. Life does not work that way. For all of us, life happens and it's how we respond to this that counts. I've been to either extreme.

As Iron Mike once said, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face" (or something along those lines). How you respond when life punches you in the face is the difference between thriving and merely surviving.

Do you ever feel like you are struggling to communicate with the people around you? Like you are all speaking the same language, but unable to understand what's being said?

Seek feedback. Do the people you communicate with understand what you are trying to say to them? Reflect on misunderstandings. Could you have been clearer?