Peter Vajda
Peter G. Vajda, Ph.D, C.P.C. is a seminar leader, workshop facilitator and speaker. He is the founding partner of True North Partnering, an Atlanta-based company that supports conscious living through coaching, counselling and facilitating.
We all need proper vacations
30 Jul 2019
We've said it before and we'll say it again. Everyone needs a proper holiday. Taking real time out from work is a non-negotiable necessity if we're to to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul.
Resolutions and the blame game
01 Jan 2018
This year, as every year, almost everyone who make New Year's resolutions will have given up or failed by Valentine's Day. And that's because we get stuck in a victim mentality that stops us following through on our intentions.
Adaptive strain, adaptive change
18 Sep 2017
People are often the greatest barrier to change, but without them, change can't happen. So handling the effect that change has on individuals is what really determines its success or failure.
The truth about change
05 Jul 2017
The reason change so often fails is that we resist letting go of old ideas and beliefs. But you cannot change and remain the same. Change means the letting go of the old and encouraging something new to develop. And that's as true for organizations as it is for individuals.
Do your filters stop you from hearing?
08 May 2017
Every time you have a conversation, what you hear gets distorted by the unconscious listening filters each of us develops early in life and carries with us into adulthood. And that means that too often, we listen but we don't really hear.
Root cause problem-solving
26 Oct 2016
For many years, the Japanese have approached the process of problem- solving with a strategy known as 'the Five Whys'. Peter Vajda explores how this helps us find better solutions.
The change challenge: escaping the groove
12 May 2016
If the brain is as plastic as science suggests why is permanent change such a difficult thing to achieve? Believe it or not, the answer might lie in a bowling alley.
Why you need equanimity
04 Mar 2016
For many of us, stress is a wrapper surrounding our lives. Surrounded by crisis and conflict, it is easy to be knocked off course. What we need instead is is equanimity - the evenness of mind under stress.
Tragedy, upset and compassion
21 Nov 2015
The response of Parisians to the devastating attacks on their city has been to keep on enjoying life. That’s a powerful reminder of the challenges of dealing with the upsets and tragedies of life’s vicissitudes, both large and small.
What gets in the way?
30 Oct 2015
So, you're having a conversation. Everything starts off well. But all of a sudden, the conversation get derailed by misunderstandings. Why does that happen? Here are some classic reasons.
Wisdom vs intelligence
31 Jul 2015
Many business leaders are intelligent. But they're not wise, or even aware that they lack wisdom. And that's something that no amount of left-brain thinking, operations-focused education or experiential learning is going to change.
Three steps for surviving a sick organization
14 Nov 2014
How can individuals can survive in a dysfunctional workplace? Here's a simple but powerful approach that can help you find more peace of mind and reduce the stress caused by a toxic working environment.
Work, spirituality and interdependence
31 Oct 2014
We are all interconnected. Whether we like it or not, every individual within a group or organization affects the way it functions in some way. So acknowledging our own humanity and that of those around us is fundamental to the overall well-being of every organization.
Are you a leadership lightweight?
13 Oct 2014
None of us are perfect. All of us have blinds spots and areas where we need to raise the bar (sometimes a long way) to improve the quality and effectiveness of our work. Here are five common leadership pitfalls that can keep you stuck in the lightweight division.
Moving beyond procrastination
08 Oct 2014
Procrastination doesn’t exist in a vacuum: there’s normally something underlying it. Asking yourself these questions can help you uncover why you're resisting doing what needs to be done and help you to move beyond procrastination.
25 behaviors that foster mistrust
29 Sep 2014
Relationships are at the heart of life - at home and at work. And the secret sauce that creates and sustains healthy relationships is trust. So does your own behavior help to build trust, or are you undermining it?
Keep on keeping on
19 Sep 2014
It isn’t motivation that spurs us on to change, improve ourselves or to live an extraordinary life. Motivation is too transient for that. The most powerful energy is force of will, the staying power to keep on keeping on even when our motivation is absent or at a low ebb.
Author, heal thyself
15 Sep 2014
Why do some people always seem to need to run other peoples' lives? Why do they prefer to tell others how to live their lives rather than getting to know themselves? And how can they close the book on other peoples' lives and start to author the book of their own?
What's stopping you from healing?
25 Aug 2014
Many people claim they want to 'heal'. In reality, however, what they’re actually looking for isn’t healing, it’s simply a quick-fix that can reduce their pain and suffering. That’s an important distinction, because true healing can be both challenging and threatening.
Do you always need to be right?
11 Aug 2014
Many people feel that they always have to be right. What's more, they also have a need to prove that others are wrong. So what's the reason for this 'I’m right, you’re wrong' dynamic? And what would happen if we let go of it?
Now is all there is
04 Aug 2014
Do you live in the moment or are you always waiting for a future that might never arrive? The thing is, ‘now’ is all there is and if you don’t appreciate that, you’re missing out on your life.
Silencing your inner critic
18 Jul 2014
Inside every one of us there is a little voice that criticizes, judges and shames us, telling us that we’re deficient, bad or wrong. It’s merciless, damaging and it needs to be silenced.
More from Peter
Are you a firecracker or a dud?
04 Jul 2014
On this holiday weekend in the midst of fireworks and fun, how about taking a moment to reflect on how you're doing as a leader, manager or supervisor. Are you a sparkling firecracker or a fizzling dud?
Integrity, balance and self-deception
27 Jun 2014
Many people can tell you what they’re doing in their lives but are hard-pressed to explain why. They lack real purpose. They’re disconnected and out of balance. And without a conscious alignment between what they think, feel, say and do, they also lack any real integrity.
Are you on the road to burnout?
23 May 2014
The road to burnout is paved with good intentions. So if you're an idealistic, hardworking, self-motivating achiever with high aspirations and expectations, don't make the mistake of thinking that it can't happen to you.
Whose success is it anyway?
09 May 2014
Most of us aspire to succeed. But what does that mean? It's no use trying to emulate somebody else's idea of success. Being successful requires a conscious exploration of what success means to you. It's far more than just achieving results.
A culture of fear
24 Mar 2014
For all the talk of organizational values and integrity, many people experience life at work caught up in a culture of fear. Fear of losing their jobs, fear of being judged, fear of making mistakes or fear of pointing out inappropriate behaviour.
You know best
10 Mar 2014
No-one else knows what's best for us. So advising others, educating others, making decisions for them, plotting and planning their journey and crafting their strategy for moving forward is not our responsibility, nor should it be.
The fear of not knowing
14 Feb 2014
Many of us over-emphasize how much we know and feel that not knowing something is unacceptable. When was the last time you admitted that you don't know something and felt completely at ease with saying it?
Collusion, culture and bad management
23 Jan 2014
Does your workplace have a culture of collusion? Are you happy to turn a blind eye to the misdeeds to ensure a quiet life? If so, beware. Collusion is a progressive drug. We need to lie and collude more and more to maintain that false feeling of emotional safety
Embracing change
15 Jan 2014
We've all heard the expression 'change is the one constant in life.' Every day we experience change in some way. But for many, change is unsettling, bringing with it feelings of insecurity, instability and disharmony - fears that can all be overcome.
Finding inner peace in 2014
30 Dec 2013
Far from being at peace, many of us seem to go through life in a state of conflict, agitation, upset, stress or overwhelm. Here are some ways to change that and start finding some inner peace in 2014.
Emotional intelligence or emotional maturity?
26 Nov 2013
Much of the talk about the importance of emotional intelligence is missing the point if we fail to deal with the root causes of our emotional reactivity. In fact it's not emotional intelligence that really matters, but emotional maturity.
The need to please
21 Nov 2013
People who are always trying to please others seldom do. In fact more often than not, their behavior is counter-productive. So what about you? Are you a people-pleaser?