Every parent wonders if the instruction and advice we gave our children when they were growing up will actually stick or be eventually discarded or ignored completely. I always did a silent, internal fist pump when I would see one of my sons put a napkin in their lap, hold the door for someone, or pull up in a car …
Moving Forward
My friend, Mary Fox, is a licensed counselor and certified coach with a sense of humor that rivals any other person I know. Having her around is always an experience full of rich conversations and side-splitting belly laughs—a perfect combo in my book! You cannot change the past. You can only accept it and learn from it. Focus on moving …
Roll with It
Back in May, I started a list of suggestions for how we could live and operate our businesses from a place of greater happiness. This is a list of what could make us happier people and better business leaders, but it could also be interpreted as a list of the things that make us miserable or make our lives and …
Freedom
We’ve just celebrated our national 4th of July holiday, one of my favorites. It’s the day we dedicate to remembering what it means and costs to be free. I work hard at never taking for granted that I live in a nation that allows me to pursue my dreams, live where I want, worship as I chose, and always have …
Yes, You Can
I have a sign on my desk (given to me by the fantastic Sara Connell) that says, “I Can and I Will.” I’ve put lots of sayings on my desk, bulletin board, dream boards, laptop screens, and bathroom mirrors over the years to give me a nudge about sentiments I tend to forget or acknowledge. They simply remind me of …
Happy People
I’d describe my dad as one of the happiest people I know. He doesn’t live a perfect life, but he’s happy pretty much no matter what happens. I’ve always dreamed that I could learn to live my life so that people would describe me that way. I think it would be a great epitaph at the end of a life …
Acting Lessons
My kids were so impressed when they found out that I had been a cheerleader 3 out of my 4 years in high school. It’s apparently a big deal when there are hundreds of kids in your class and thousands in the school, but when you have less than 50 students in your graduating class and only 8 try out …
The Land of “Yes!”
Jealousy doesn’t even begin to describe it. I so wish I would have thought of “The Land of Yes!” as the name for a company, blog, or even my personal homestead, but alas our friend’s brilliant daughter laid claim to it first for her farm-to-fork catering company. I simply adore how it sounds rolling off my tongue and all the …
Becoming Our Best Selves
Recently, I was faced with a moment of choice. I was with a group of friends, and the topic of a colleague we all know came up. In the past, I have joined the group in what was essentially a gossip session about this person with whom we all have a challenging relationship. But I have made a commitment to …
Something to Look Forward to
A few years ago, one of my business coaches, Mark LeBlanc, gave me a piece of advice as I was creating my strategic business plan: Always have something you’re really looking forward to on your calendar, even if it’s months (or even years) away. He contended it would help to balance my energy on the days when life and work …
