This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Karen Litzinger contributed 83 entries already.
Like in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life,” we often don’t know the impact of our presence. This could be with work, family or friends. Sometimes it’s just small and special. I missed seeing Christine’s smiling face at the Residence Inn this Thanksgiving morning. She greeted us multiple times during our annual visit to State […]
I chose to celebrate my 65th birthday last month on a private retreat with my 23 year church group at the Benedictine Sisters of Erie Monastery. You may have heard of them in the news lately with the fraudulent claim that no one lives there. Besides such a meaningful retreat reflecting on my “next chapter,” […]
(Click HERE for my post about World Gratitude Day.) “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us […]
Who might you want to thank in your life? On the 10th Anniversary of my business in 2012 I hosted a Pittsburgh World Gratitude Day event. I found out about the September 21 world holiday when looking up the term “Thank-You-Note-a-thon” which was my original idea for the celebration. As a career counselor and business […]
I was honored to be invited to write the Focus article on emotional intelligence for the National Career Development Association Quarterly, Summer 2024 issue. Although the audience is career professionals, the material and exercises are relevant to anyone. With addressing career-decision-making, job search, and career management, the information is applicable for a lifetime. The article […]
I usually don’t read my alumni magazine. As I stood by my recycling bin I opened a page randomly to a huge photo of my best guy friend from Duquesne University, Ed Petner. He and I were leaders in Residence Council which launched my career. Ed was very service oriented, and I remember him explaining […]
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” Margaret Thatcher You might sometimes wonder if you’re going to “bounce back” from your job loss, or perhaps you are struggling to regain your confidence from a dysfunctional work environment. Resilience is a process of being able to adapt and move forward […]
My Linden tree did not turn out as I hoped. Perhaps that’s what you may be feeling about your career or your life. At times I lament making the “wrong choice.” Then I’m reminded that I’m always sharing with clients there is no one “right choice”. My Linden tree also gave me some happy surprises, […]
I cried when he died. And I love when I hear his words and have the opportunity to keep them alive. This morning my national Transcendental Meditation teacher ended his morning meditation with words from Fred Rogers’ 2002 graduation speech at Dartmouth college where he was an alum. His words are about life for us […]
How did an Italian guitarist from Genoa come to be invited to play bluegrass at a Czechoslovakian folk festival? I wondered this as I enjoyed the diverse and captivating music of Beppe Gambetta at a house concert recently. As his music and story unfolded, I understood: Passion and Perseverance. He read a story from his […]
The following is an excerpt from my multi-award winning book, Help Wanted: An A to Z Guide to Cope with the Ups and Downs of the Job Search. For more information and to order: https://karenscareercoaching.com/help-wanted/ For 10 complimentary excerpts that you are free to share: https://karenscareercoaching.com/help-wanted-free-excerpts/ “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” […]
With all that is going on in the world, it is hard sometimes to allow joy. Feeling joy in dark times can feel selfish or bring guilt. Feeling joy while in the job search can seem unrealistic. Yet joy is helpful for a full and healthy life. Joy is one of the topics in my […]
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Henri Nouwen It may be hard to find joy in the job search or even see joy on the horizon in a new job. Yet each day we have a choice about how to see our life. […]
As soon as I saw the ornament in the gift shop, I knew I had to buy it. I hoped my 11 year old great niece would humor her 4 year old sister about Santa, and didn’t know where my 8 year old great niece would land. This Kindness Ornament features daily video messages from […]
I’ve been reflecting this month on my trip to India in 2015 and some of the common career issues that came up when visiting the school my church has been sponsoring since 2003. After conversations about this, the principal invited me to speak with the 9th and 10th grade students, which was a fun surprise […]