Welcome. The site's name is a riff on what valkyries of Norse mythology do: they ride through the battlefield, deciding which soldiers will live and which will die. We bring to bear this process of discrimination to find the ideas and practices that empower us, and dispense with those that weaken us.
In the short stories that follow, I occasionally talk smack about real people and organizations; I also have a day job to keep. Given this, I've changed and obscured identities to protect the guilty, the innocent, and me.
I've entitled this collection "Something Like the Truth," in recognition that, like all of us, I have cognitive biases, and my best recollections will never be perfect. My intention with each story is to get as close to the truth as possible. If it's painful or makes me (or us) squirm in the process, then that means it's worth exploring. (Translation: these are tales that will require something of you, and give something back. I hope you will find them engaging, but they are not beach reads.)
We tell ourselves stories all the time. Let's tell useful ones, around this campfire.
All the best,
PS: I believe in using the entire English language, including infrequent profanities. I find power, humor, and authenticity in doing so.
PPS: I wrote the content serially, and have structured the site for flow. About appears immediately below, which flows into entry #1, On Rebirth, to entry #2, On the Precipice, and on to the Jerks trilogy: Working with, Managing, and Working for.
ValkyrieMermaid is a perennial valkyrie in training, in both body and mind. She intends to use her unusual skill stack and strengths to bring goodness into the world, to help people like you reach your life and work goals, and become happier along the way.
She studies across leadership, philosophy, sciences, arts, economics, performance psychology, and persuasion. Her current engagements include leadership and mentoring roles. Over three-n-some decades, her professional life has spanned disciplines from computer science to media production and editing, technical training, and sports coaching.
She likes to look truth in the face (best she can), and dive deep into the psyche, because throughout her life, she has coiled that spring to propel her greatest periods of growth.
She hopes you find ideas that assist your growth here. Please contact us to request an assessment and custom development plan from VM, or to provide feedback or suggest a topic.
Get started with ValkyrieMermaid Entry #1:On Rebirth.