Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction I recently bought an online singing course. Yes — me. A guy who, in high school, was told (by his best friend no less) that his back-up vocals were so wildly off-key that it “actually worked as harmony.” Spoiler: it didn’t. That wasn’t a compliment. So why,...
Category Archives: Long Form
So, Ya Got Fired…Part 3 Move to Action
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Next take home point: Still fired, so Now What? In our previous installments we discussed an approach to the initial reaction (emotionally) of getting fired, and then discussed an approach to sorting thru the feedback to gain an accurate picture of your current self. Now is the next...
So, Ya Got Fired…Part 2: Feedback and Insight
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP In our first installment, I broached the topic of firing. We started at the beginning and discussed our ground-rules for avoiding unnecessary negative emotional responses, and used that to discuss an approach to managing the initial emotions that come with getting fired. We left off with three steps...
So, Ya Got Fired…Part 1
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Odds are you’ve been fired, cut, dumped, or ghosted—by a job, a team, a person, or an institution—even though you thought you were good/great/vital/pivotal/indispensable. Full disclosure: Me too. I’ll talk about it during this post (and the sequels), but not in gory detail. First off, much of...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 6
The Wrap-Up: What We’ve Learned, What Comes Next Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP The Rant Wasn’t Just a Rant Let’s face it—resilience needed a rebrand. Too many conversations about it either go Full Metal Jacket (“suck it up and drive on”), collapse into mushy platitudes (“just bounce back!”), or—on the flip side—dismiss resilience...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 5
What Actually Builds Resilience: Pressure, Process, and Purpose Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Let’s step back. Up to now, this series has focused on you—the individual reader. Your internal dialogue. Your emotional load. Your capacity to fall apart and rebuild. That work matters. But if resilience is real, it doesn’t stay static. If...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 4
Resilience Isn’t Just Bouncing Back (Eggs Break, Tennis Balls Bounce) Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction There’s something quietly seductive about the phrase “bouncing back.” It conjures images of recovery, strength, even speed: someone knocked down by life who springs right back to where they were, untouched and unchanged. It’s the fairy tale...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 3
Resilience Isn’t Pre-Determined Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction One of the more seductive critiques of resilience goes like this: “It’s all predetermined. You either have it or you don’t. It’s baked into your DNA, your childhood, your trauma history, your bank account, or your ZIP code.” Now, is there some truth in...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 2
Resilience Isn’t Victim Blaming Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Let’s start with one of my favorite catchphrases from the feedback side of my coaching work: Any feedback that can be restated as “Stop sucking, be more better” is of limited value. That, in a nutshell, is what gives resilience such a bad...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 1
Why We Won’t Throw Out Resilience Just Because Some People Misuse It Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Resilience gets a bad rap these days—and not without reason. In recent years, especially in conversations about trauma, adversity, and systemic harm, the concept of resilience has sometimes been used to shame people rather than...