Back
HRKNSSremote: Postcard from the Edge of Normal with Glenn Mangurian

The world is on hold. We are anxious about the present and worried about an uncertain future. To get through this crisis we need to contain two viruses: COVID-19 that is dangerous to physical health and fear/panic that is dangerous to our emotional health. Both are highly contagious. Stemming the first virus requires social distancing and stemming the second virus requires emotional connections. As we physically separate, we need not emotionally isolate. Our emotional wellbeing is influenced by what we read, how we interpret what others say and what we say to others. What is the voice in our heads telling us? It is easy to get trapped into patterns of negative thinking about dark scenarios that might never happen. We need to avoid sinking into a canyon of fear.I've learned two important lessons that I am reminding myself today. First, we are all vulnerable. Bad things happen to good people. Yet, don't underestimate the power of the human spirit to persevere in the face of adversity. We each have a reservoir of emotional resilience. We are capable of achieving more than we think. Dealing with adversity takes self-awareness, forbearance and emotional discipline. Second, the only thing we can control is how we respond to life's circumstances. It is our choice on how we rise above our fears.Glenn MangurianGlenn Mangurian is a retired business leader with more than four decades of experience driving innovation and results with his clients. Through personal experience, he has discovered that we are capable of overcoming challenges that seem insurmountable.In May 2001, Glenn suffered an injury to his spinal cord, resulting in the paralysis of his lower body. Undeterred by his injury, Glenn remains active in his consulting, speaking, and writing. He combines his decades of business experience with his personal experience in overcoming adversity to inspire individuals and organizations to achieve extraordinary results. Drawing on his personal experience, he authored an article titled “Realizing What You’re Made Of,” which was published in March 2007 in the Harvard Business Review. In May 2017 he published his first book, Pushing the Edge of Thought, Possibility and Action – Questions and Insights from Everyday Life. It is available on Amazon.Glenn remains active with his writing, speaking, family, and community. Glenn resides with his wife, Gail, in Hingham, Massachusetts. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Zoom Meeting
The world is on hold. We are anxious about the present and worried about an uncertain future. To get through this crisis we need to contain two viruses: COVID-19 that is dangerous to physical health and fear/panic that is dangerous to our emotional health. Both are highly contagious. Stemming the first virus requires social distancing and stemming the second virus requires emotional connections. As we physically separate, we need not emotionally isolate. Our emotional wellbeing is influenced by what we read, how we interpret what others say and what we say to others. What is the voice in our heads telling us? It is easy to get trapped into patterns of negative thinking about dark scenarios that might never happen. We need to avoid sinking into a canyon of fear.

I've learned two important lessons that I am reminding myself today. First, we are all vulnerable. Bad things happen to good people. Yet, don't underestimate the power of the human spirit to persevere in the face of adversity. We each have a reservoir of emotional resilience. We are capable of achieving more than we think. Dealing with adversity takes self-awareness, forbearance and emotional discipline. Second, the only thing we can control is how we respond to life's circumstances. It is our choice on how we rise above our fears.


Glenn Mangurian


Glenn Mangurian is a retired business leader with more than four decades of experience driving innovation and results with his clients. Through personal experience, he has discovered that we are capable of overcoming challenges that seem insurmountable.

In May 2001, Glenn suffered an injury to his spinal cord, resulting in the paralysis of his lower body. Undeterred by his injury, Glenn remains active in his consulting, speaking, and writing. He combines his decades of business experience with his personal experience in overcoming adversity to inspire individuals and organizations to achieve extraordinary results. Drawing on his personal experience, he authored an article titled “Realizing What You’re Made Of,” which was published in March 2007 in the Harvard Business Review. In May 2017 he published his first book, Pushing the Edge of Thought, Possibility and Action – Questions and Insights from Everyday Life. It is available on Amazon.

Glenn remains active with his writing, speaking, family, and community. Glenn resides with his wife, Gail, in Hingham, Massachusetts. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.