Your Authentic Self
Reclaim Your Power: Stop Waiting for Other People to Make You Happy
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anyone.” ~Maya Angelou
My knees hit the pavement, unable to hold me up as I watched my entire life purpose drive away.
I had put my entire heart and soul into that relationship. I had sacrificed everything—my family, my friends, my career, my hobbies. And now I had nothing. What had gone wrong?
I lay there for a while, quite convinced that the pain and unhappiness was going to be the end of me. I wallowed in the misery of it all.
Then something touched my face. I brushed it …
Dare to Stand Out: 3 Ways to Let Your Unique Self Shine
“If your number one goal is to make sure that everyone likes and approves of you, then you risk sacrificing your uniqueness, and, therefore, your excellence.” ~Unknown
I can remember many times in my life when I was afraid to stand out.
When listening to a lecture or panel discussion at school, I always had questions to ask, but the moment I finally raised my hand, my heart would start palpitating and gravity would force my arm down.
The same thing happened in business meetings. I struggled to articulate my ideas, although I was sure they could have brought some …
Why We Stay Busy When We’re Not and The Benefits of Doing Nothing
“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” ~Lao Tzu
How many times in a day do you tell yourself you are busy and have too much to do? In a week? In a month?
How many of those times are you actually busy doing “nothing”? You know the “nothing” that I am talking about—the nothing that means you are watching hours of mindless TV, roaming the internet, or playing a game that you can’t seem to tear yourself away from on your smartphone.
I’ve been there and done that, and I still do it sometimes. I know what …
Lessons from Hiking: 5 Ways to Live with Less Stress and More Joy
“The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by the mountain. He is inspired.” ~William Arthur Ward
I like to hike in the mountains. It is such an amazing relief from the day-to-day stress of my position as a healthcare executive.
Hiking settles my mind and puts the drama of my job aside. I am fifty-nine and have had my share of experiences, but I never feel more at peace and complete than I do on a trail in the mountains
I spent a week hiking with family in Maine this past summer. I was halfway through a certified coach training …
Homeless Lottery Winner with a Priceless Reaction
This video just completely brightened my day–though it also fogged my vision. It’s a tad embarrassing that I just started crying in the coffee shop where I’m working, but the joy of watching this was well worth it!
A Message for Anyone Who’s Been Abused and Has Kept It Inside
TRIGGER WARNING: This content deals with an account of sexual abuse and may be triggering to some people.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” ~Maria Robinson
My uncle molested me from the time I was about four until I was in my early twenties. He held me too long and hugged me too tight. He would growl in my ear like an animal in heat, his warm, wet, often alcoholic smelling breath overwhelming me.
This is how he greeted me at every occasion. When I was really …
What All Great Relationships Have in Common
“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand.” ~Emily Kimbrough
My husband and I have been married for almost ten years.
And before those ten years, we were college sweethearts and had been dating for over six.
When you know someone for that long, someone whom you are deeply and madly in love with, something funny happens:
Your collective thoughts, actions, and words become so tightly intertwined that you walk around believing you are one person.
As a result, you feel ten times taller. Like you can do anything. …
Think Like a 5-Year-Old to Start Living the Life of Your Dreams
“Don’t grow up. It’s a trap.” ~Unknown
A little over a year ago, my brother and I decided to write a book together. At the ages of nineteen and twenty-nine, this was a really scary thing for us.
Neither of us considered ourselves “good writers,” and we especially didn’t think highly enough of our writing to imagine that we’d ever write a book.
I made C’s on most of my papers in high school and college and, quite frankly, my confidence in my writing was pretty low.
Each time I tried to sit down and write even a two-to-five-page paper, …
33 Ways to Be Childlike Today
“Great is the human who has not lost his childlike heart.” ~Mencius
Remember when life was simple?
When your friends were the most important thing in the world. When a snow day was a perfect excuse to have fun, not a block of time when you felt guilty about being unproductive.
When the ice cream truck could make your day, no matter what happened before. Bad grade? Big deal—it’s snow cone time. Skinned knee—who cares, you have a screwball!
If only you could bottle that sense of freedom, fun, and enthusiasm for the little things, you could carry it …
The “If, Then” Trap: How It Keeps You Unhappy and How to Avoid It
“Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.” ~Chuang Tzu
Being an empty nester (the kids have grown up and left home), I noticed recently that I have fallen in love with little kids again.
After going through all the kid stages, and surviving them (most notably the teenage years), I took a long kid moratorium. Skiing, mountain biking, traveling, gardening, and reading—all filled to the brim with a commodity I had forgotten about: time just for me.
Now, unexpectedly, they’re back! Exhausting, enchanting, and a source of endless inspiration.
A few doors down to the west I have new …
10 Life-Changing Lessons I Wish I Learned Sooner
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” ~Albert Einstein
I recently turned thirty-eight.
Birthdays and new years always make me quite reflective and, for a long time, critical about my achievements—what I’ve done and what I have to show for it.
This time, though, there was finally a wonderful difference.
Over the past twelve months what’s mattered has been about the people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, the experiences I’ve had, and the things I’ve discovered about myself—none of which have brought me anything physical to show for it.
I’ve learned character building life lessons, the kind …
Reflections: A Touching Performance from Two Young Sisters
Quincy and Gracie Latkovski share a passion for dancing, but they do it in two very different ways: one in ballet slippers, and one in a wheelchair. They performed this moving dance as part of 2013 WHAS Crusade for Children telethon. Just like these talented sisters, it’s both beautiful and inspiring!
When You Feel Down or Stuck: How to Effectively Be What You’re Not
“Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not eliminating our weaknesses.” ~Marilyn vos Savant
I often hear the words “be yourself.” I love those words, and I truly believe that everyone should strive to be the truest version of who they are. There’s nothing more attractive than a person who is just so utterly themselves, even when society tries to push them the other way.
Strong willed people are some of my favorite types. They can be righteous. They can be overly moral. However, they know what they want, they know who they are, and they know that nobody else …
Setting Emotional Boundaries: Stop Taking on Other People’s Feelings
“The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” ~Sonya Friedman
The longer I stayed on the phone, the more agitated I became. My mother was on the other end, as usual, dumping her emotions on me. I had moved to Los Angeles for graduate school in part to escape all of this—my mother’s unhappiness, my sense of responsibility, the pressure to be perfect.
When I hung up the phone, I felt an overwhelming sense of anger. At the time, I could not (correction: would not) allow myself to admit that I was angry with my mother. I …
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