Standing in the wake of Ted Lindsay’s passing is like bearing witness to an incredible species becoming extinct. You don’t have to be a hockey fan or even a sports fan to appreciate the greatness of this generation of athlete, or this generation as a whole. There’s a lot we can learn from them…
Read moreSix Revolutionary Words
Be your own I love you: These words will change the way you think and feel. I believe they can change the world. This is what it means to be your own I love you…
Read moreInstructions for Living a Life
Short. Simple. Profound.
These are instructions for living a life…
Start With You
The turn of the year feels like anything is possible. There are umpteen choices of what to do with this fresh assembly of 365 days. But the starting point is always the same: You. Me. We have to start here.
Read moreCome Meet Me Under the Star
Whatever you celebrate, I hope it’s happy. For me, it’s Christmas. In the midst of the crazies and holiday hassles, the hard-to-please relatives, and burned cookies, I'm taking a break and heading to the Star. It’s the most wonderful place of all. C'mon, I'll meet you there...
Read moreDon't Miss the Meaning of the Christmas Tree
True confession: I have an emotional connection… to my Christmas tree. Really. But before you call me kooky, consider this: Maybe you have that connection, too. This is a whole new way to think about it….
Read moreLook How Far You've Come
It can feel like forever to get from bottom to top, just like with so many other things in life. But it’s not just about what’s left to be done.
When you’re looking at where you’re going and how freaking long it’s gonna take to get there, stand back once in a while and notice how far you’ve come.
How to Deepen Gratitude & Find More Joy Every Day
Make gratitude flow beyond the Thanksgiving table and there you’ll find joy.
Deep and lasting gratitude can change your life, but in order to find it, you’ll need more than the annual gratitude list shared around the Thanksgiving table. Real gratitude (and the joy it brings) means going deeper. Here’s how…
Read moreThe Power of Believers
A hug from Lee Kinard, one of the world’s best believers, with Doug Allred and Laura McGowan Murray looking on.
It was impossible to find the words, but finally they came... after I figured out why it was so damned hard to lose Lee Kinard. What do we do without the believers, the ones who somehow seem to know what we’re capable of long before we do? They give us a chance and, in doing so, they ignite in us a belief in ourselves. But what happens when they are gone, when it’s just us and the indelible mark they’ve left? I think I’ve found the answer…
Read moreSolo Travel, the Finale: Finding Yourself
Sole Mio: My own sunshine. That’s what we’re after.
“O Sole Mio”: “My own sunshine”
We find our own inner light, our own sunshine, when we know our true selves, that part of us that can get buried under life and family and baggage. So how can you rediscover the forgotten you?
Part 3: Solo Travel - The Adventure Begins at Alone
Just before departure. Here’s to setting off… solo at last!
I have seen before how travel changes the traveler. I have felt it within myself. But this time, as I throw off the training wheels and go solo, it’s different. It’s deeper. As I discover a little-known, incredible city that should be on everyone’s Italy hit list, I’m also discovering myself…
Read morePart 2: Solo Travel and Training Wheels
I’m on the plane, my third in as many days as I hopscotch on the circuitous route of a solo traveler using frequent flier miles. I’m trying to manage the big, crazy-making emotions of the first day… and not miss any more flights… as I head to Italy for a trial period of traveling alone. All the while, I tell myself things have to go better than they have so far…
Read morePart 1: Solo Travel and Facing Fears
The look of fear
Damned fear… getting in the way. This was supposed to be exciting: my first solo trip abroad. The calling to go it alone came from deep within me. It was something I knew I had to do. But as I got ready to take on Italy alone, fear grabbed me in a way I had never experienced before. It was bad. Embarrassingly bad. And I wondered if I would really fly solo at all…
Read moreThe Importance of Cousins
The summer of 1973 and cousins, plus one (left to right): cousin Dale & his buddy, cousin Debbie and me
This is a great one to share with cousins you love!
For many of us, our cousins are woven into the childhood fabric of summer visits with extended family. These times together are the glue that binds generations. Now, as my children’s cousins from the U.K. are en route for long over-due time together, I’m thinking about the extraordinary importance of cousins…
Why It's Good to be an Underdog
Underdogs: the ones who are doubted, discounted, and looked at as long shots. But we are also the ones who persevere with determination and tenacity. We defy the odds. And as we forge on, this is where we find fuel for our unquenchable fire…
Read moreDon't Wait! Speak Your Heart While There's Still Time
Dad and I in the newspaper, circa 1968, the apparent era of bowl shaped haircuts.
Turn to someone you love and share your heart. Don’t wait. You can’t afford to because time is precious and brutally unpredictable. It can trick us into believing we’ll have more of it when sometimes we don’t. I remember when sharing my heart was difficult. And awkward. At first. But then everything changed….
Read moreFinding the Extraordinary in an Empty Nest
I don’t usually do more than one post in a week right now because of the book I’m writing.. and because you don’t need to be bombarded. But I had to follow up with you on this let you know it’s gonna be okay. In fact, it might just be great…
Read moreThe Makings of Mother's Day in an Imperfect World
Photo booth memories of a salvaged Mother's Day
Mother’s Day, that sometimes sweet, sometimes difficult, sometimes ironic teacher, isn’t always what we wish it could be. I’m about to face my first one without kids at home. Maybe you have tough circumstances, too. Whatever they are, take heart. We can still salvage Mother’s Day… and learn a little something in the process…
Read moreWho Are You.... Really???
The world will slap labels on you all day long and those can easily become your identity. Father. Mother. Wife. Husband. Job doer. Student. Shy. Outgoing. But underneath those worldly layers, who are you really? The answer is worth finding if you want to live your real life…
Read moreThe Incredible Day I Followed My Inner Adventurer
Nia adventurers, Deb (left) and I, ready to embrace the new and unknown.
When you try something new, you get something new. My innner adventurer taught me this and I discovered that the payoff was profound...
Read more