How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you build a cathedral? You place the first cornerstone. How do you start a thousand-mile journey? With a single step. How do you grow a majestic oak tree? By planting one small seed. Whether it’s building a new website, writing a book, remodeling your office, mastering a …
April Fools
Your shoes are untied… made you look! I mean seriously, how can we resist when we have to write a Monday Morning Stretch for April Fool’s Day! But, where did all this foolishness about April 1st come from? We did a little research and here’s what we found: Historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France …
Music Monday: Welcome to my Revolution
We made it! 2019. Despite political upheaval, super storms, and dire predictions, we have somehow miraculously made it into the New Year… as we always do. On this first Music Monday of 2019, I chose “A Brand New Year” by SheDaisy. It’s a perfect song for the start of a new and pivotal year as it’s not so much about …
Music Monday: The Space Between
I facilitate an exercise with groups where I ask everyone to write down a quote from a book, movie, play, or song that had a profound impact on them personally. We use the quotes throughout the day in a variety of ways. So far, I’ve not met anyone who didn’t have one. Mine is easy to recall because when I …
Music Monday: Listen to the Music
You know you’re getting older when there are tribute bands everywhere representing the ones you most loved in high school and college. One of my favorite bands was The Doobie Brothers, and I was reminded of a song today that was perfect for my Music Monday message (always the first Monday of every month). I’m asking for forgiveness in advance …
Through Another Man’s Eyes
It has become a tradition during the weeks we spend at Tom’s summer cabin in the Sierras each year to attend the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. They host a Shakespearean comedy every July in a gorgeous venue under the trees and the stars on one of the beaches of Lake Tahoe. On the docket this year was As You Like …
Music Monday: Catching Your Breath
The month of June signals warmer weather, school vacations, graduations, and lots and lots of birthdays … at least in our family. The biggest reason we love June is it typically signals “Cabin Season” for the Belt family, and next week Tom and I will make the 2-day, 10-hour trek from Southern California to Echo Lakes (just south of Lake …
Music Monday: Imperfect Choices
Nothing in life is perfect. Not our children. Not our jobs. Not even our “perfect moments.” At 50 years old, I found myself single and searching for something more in life. Something perfect. And, 8 years ago, I met him. 5 years ago, I became engaged to him. And, 3 years ago on May 24th, I married him. But, it’s …
Music Monday: Coming Home
If everything is energy and just living life is an ongoing energy exchange, even a country pulses with a unique energy all its own. Each of us likely interprets that energy differently but for me the English and Irish countryside dotted with its little, ancient villages, filled to the brim with its friendly, charming people and of course it’s lilting …
Crazy Lucky
Top o’ the morning to ya on this second Monday in March. March is generally the month when we start to awaken from winter and welcome in Spring (at least on the West Coast!) We also get to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Saint Patrick was a 5th century Irish bishop and is considered the patron saint of Ireland. He frequently …
