People approach the coming of fall from different perspectives. Some are energized by cooler temperatures, excited by the approaching holiday season, and happy about the return of favorite fall foods and flavors. Others, lament the end of warm summer days, extended light, and a more laid back schedule, plus, dread the harshness and darkness of […]
5 Reasons to Reconnect with Friends from Your Past
In recent weeks, several people I had close friendships with 30-40 years ago contacted me for various reasons. It was good to hear from them and made me wish miles, busy lives and challenging situations hadn’t pulled us apart. In each case, we are in the process of making plans to get together and catch […]
4 Reasons to Tune Out Anger
Not long ago, someone I don’t know followed me on social media. I tend to be a skeptic, so I never follow back or accept a friend request without first doing some investigation. What I discovered about this person made me queasy. Every post was a targeted, profanity-laced assault on someone I know well. The […]
5 Truths Learned from Tragedy
Recently, I watched several documentaries about the terrorists attacks that occurred September 11, 2001. The programs chronicled the lives of several survivors. Each person began by conveying facts, but as they got further into their stories, and details emerged of the loss of friends, personal injury, or descriptions of the horrors they saw that day, […]
5 Ways Relationships are Like an Old Swimming Pool
I’m blessed to still own the home where I grew up. In the backyard, is a 51-year-old gunite swimming pool, a rarity in today’s world of vinyl liners. The pool has been the source of great joy and relaxation over the years. I have childhood memories of swimming at night with my parents, back when […]
5 Pitfalls of Comparisons
I was in kindergarten the first time I remember comparing myself to someone. We sat in a circle for show-and-tell as a classmate pulled a shiny pair of black shoes with ribbon ties out of a silky bag. She put those shiny shoes on her feet and tapping around the circle, drumming out a rhythm […]
5 Reasons Why Faith is Hard
Life is full of questions, uncertainties, and things that don’t make sense. Often, circumstances slow you down or halt forward motion altogether. One element that is often overlooked in life struggles is the power of faith. Some think faith is a crutch, and others never fully utilize its power. While it isn’t easy, faith is […]
6 Life Lessons from Nature
Sometimes you hit a patch of life when things are hectic and challenging. You hardly have time to move from one activity to the next while navigating unexpected crises. Fears and anxiety crowd your thoughts, jockeying for position, and stringing together coherent sentences is as difficult as smiling and acting interested while someone tells you […]
4 Things to Remember When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Recently, I saw a young friend whose current circumstances are full of uncertainty, yet her face radiated joy. As we talked, her words weren’t filled with a woe-is-me attitude, rather wisdom far beyond her years as she pointed out good mingled with the challenges. In life, there are things that just don’t make sense—the death […]
7 Keys to Establishing Discipline in Your Life
For almost 25 years, I’ve participated in a 5:30 a. m. cycling class, three days a week at my fitness center. Some days, I can hardly motivate myself to roll out of bed when the alarm goes off, and sometimes I’m a little late getting there, but attending this class is so much a part […]