David Stamation, Executive Life Coach The Long Read Coming out of my health sabbatical, I needed a way to regain focus and momentum. Like many people, I had a history of setting big goals, chasing them with energy, then watching motivation fizzle. What changed everything for me wasn’t another clever goal-setting system—it was discovering my North Star . Take the quiz . This simple, enduring tool has kept me steady through distractions, setbacks, and shifting circumstances. To

David Stamation, Executive Life Coach One of the unexpected gifts of this health crisis has been seeing how Cynthia and I communicate—and how we treat each other—when everything feels uncertain. It revealed the bones of our relationship: the strength of our connection, and how much emotional fluency matters when life turns upside down. There were moments when I didn’t feel like her husband. I felt like a dependent version of myself—a patient, even a child—someone being taken

David Stamation, Executive Life Coach Life doesn’t hand us a guidebook when hardship strikes. When cancer interrupted my life, I turned to a skill I had practiced for years— emotional fluency . What I learned not only carried me through treatment but continues to shape how I live today. A health crisis rarely arrives with a roadmap. My own sabbatical, prompted by a cancer diagnosis, was not something I ever planned for. Yet it became one of the most instructive periods of my

David Stamation, Executive Life Coach Part 2 In many relationships today, a subtle but powerful dynamic often emerges as women feeling more like caretakers than partners. The question is worth asking—does the man want a wife , or is he unconsciously seeking a mommy ? At its core, this isn't about infantilizing men or mocking vulnerability. Rather, it's a call to examine patterns that too often go unspoken. Too many women find themselves shouldering the emotional labor of a...

David Stamation, Executive Life Coach While on my current health sabbatical, I found myself reflecting deeply on how much I’ve come to rely on my wife during this time of cancer treatment. There were moments when I didn’t feel like her husband—I felt like a dependent little boy being mothered. And that troubled me. In full disclosure I had a similar health sabbatical 4 years ago to treat the same cancer. This BLOG is a current update and thoughts for August 2025. I’m used to

By David Stamation, Executive Life Coach Advanced   self-care prompts us to reflect on what  Basic  self-care is. Going beyond basic self-care is vital for getting more out of your life. Let’s organize self-care to help you explore ways to incorporate it into your life. Here’s a recap of the basic level before moving into advanced forms: Basic Self-Care Physical Health:  This includes sleep, diet, and exercise. These basics can be challenging and neglecting them can lead to b