Blog | Page 2 of 8 | Dr. Les Kertay

It was official May 31. I got fired. Again. At least, that’s how it felt. Getting fired sucks, even when it’s not personal. Maybe especially then. I’d actually known since the 9th. That’s when the conversational rubicon was first crossed, that moment when it’s spoken aloud that the company perhaps can’t keep your role intact. That you might be consulting part time rather than employed. It’s not personal, it’s business. It’s revenue, or a new direction, or something, anything other…

The magical thinking that passes for healthcare policy

Les Kertay

Politics, Radical Civility

The “debate” (read: ranting) about healthcare policy on my media feeds is – there is no other way to put this – mostly bullshit. At best, it’s magical thinking. At worst, it’s a cold-hearted, callous disregard for those who can least afford the “luxury” of participating in the most technologically advanced heath care delivery system in the world. (Note I didn’t say “the best,” but that’s a different post). Let’s get this one thing straight at the outset: this post isn’t…

I agree, let’s make America great again

Les Kertay

Politics, Radical Civility, Showing Up

Because of a website hack that lost the original, I get to repost this article – and it seemed worth it, given the positives I heard and the intensity of current events surrounding the man who made the phrase, “Make America great again” into a “thing.” Here’s the original post: I have a quixotic belief in finding common ground. I insist that there is a way to work together. The phrase “Make America great again” has become a caricature, but I believe…

How to live a happier life

Les Kertay

Showing Up

You can decide that you will live a happier life, starting right now. I think I can tell you how to live a happier life, unfailingly, in less than 900 words. I also believe that you can take this transformative step without medication, psychotherapy, coaching, or anything other than a decision. What’s not to like? There is a continuous cycle between our mindset (our expectations of the world), our behavior (how we act based on our mindset), our experience (how our…

Closed borders won't making us safer, thinking might

Closed borders will not make us safer

Les Kertay

Politics, Writing & stories & stuff

The linked article about the Bastille attacker takes more time, than you might usuallly want to spend. Do it anyway. Thinking and reading might be the only thing that will make us safer. This article articulates everything that’s wrong, strategically if not morally, with what is happening at the stroke of President Trump’s pen. Closing our borders will not make us safer. Understanding might. The need for meaning can make us less safe Human beings have a remarkably strong, even…

Why abandoning the electoral college is a terrible idea – and what to do instead

Les Kertay

Politics, Radical Civility

Abandoning the electoral college is a terrible idea. Believing otherwise is magical thinking. Closing our eyes and wishing hard will not change the past any more than it did when we were children. I know it stings that Clinton won the popular vote by somewhere between 1 and 2 million votes; it stings me too. Abandoning the electoral college is NOT the answer. I’m unhappy about the outcome of this election, and I’ve vowed to do everything I can to (a) work…

Great service always comes from the heart

Les Kertay

Showing Up

What touches us is genuine connection, speaking from the heart. That it is unexpected, and seems rare, is perhaps the greatest tragedy of our time and describes much that is wrong with our lives. But that it is so powerful, and so easy, can be our salvation.

On being Mindful of the Marvelous Webs We Weave

Les Kertay

Showing Up

Unlike the spider, we are both blessed and cursed with a choice about the meaning we make of our life. We – you, I – have a choice, today, right now. We can lament our lot in life, or we can take it for granted. We can lord our bounty over others, or we can share it, recognizing that our riches are just as fleeting as the spider’s web.

How people change [/psychAMA]

Les Kertay

/psychAMA, Radical Civility

If you want to know how people change, read this post. Change your mind, change your mood, change your life. What follows combines two of my favorite subjects: the psychology of belief and the need for radical civility in political discourse. Doesn’t sound all that sexy, I admit. But understanding why we hate ambiguity is the key to understanding how people change – or don’t. It’s also key to how we got where we are in the state of political discourse.…

The right to disrespect the flag

Les Kertay

Don't Be a Dick, Radical Civility

Jim Wright said it better than I will. He’s a powerful writer, and a credible guy. He is retired military; I’m not. 54,000 people shared his post. And since Jim said it better, I needn’t bother. But I’m going to say it anyway. Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback who may currently be the most hated man in America, has every right to do what he did, and if you are a true patriot you know that. Colin Kaepernick has the right…