Where Did Your Wings Take You?

On September 20, 2018

Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall. –Ray Bradbury, author I don’t really think of myself as a ‘jump off the cliff’ type, more a ‘calculated risk’ taker. I prefer to travel off the beaten path, yet I can’t see myself hacking a new trail through unexplored

Decide to Be

On August 30, 2018

Fix the Drip!

On August 23, 2018

I had become immune to the drip. For a while, the sprayer function on my kitchen faucet hasn’t worked. Then an annoying tiny spurt of water from the corner of the downspout. And then…water dripping down the neck and pooling at the base. I started keeping a rag near the counter, so I could wipe

Who’s on Your Team?

On August 7, 2018

“Teamwork makes the Dream Work” — John C. Maxwell How often do you try to ‘go it alone’? For many of us, we got to a position of responsibility by (at least looking like we…) have our act together. That we are the solution to all problems. Barbell squats was my painful reminder that my

Which Lens Are You Looking Through?

On April 13, 2018

Have you ever been to the optometrist to get fitted for new glasses? Staring at the eye chart, you strain to assess magnification acuity. “Which one is better? Lens A?” Click. “or B?” Click. “A?” Click. “or B?” What if we used this idea and looked at the world through a different lens every day?

Sometimes, You Get What You Need…

On March 22, 2018

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.” –The Rolling Stones, 1969 “I did it again. Tried to jam 20 pounds of ‘stuff*%*’ in a 10 pound bag.” As I looked at my upcoming week on Sunday night, I thought, “how

The Gift Of Generosity

On December 21, 2017

I recently lost a very good friend to cancer, someone I had known for close to 40 years. My friend was a dynamic spirit who filled her life with adventures. At her celebration ceremony, many people from different interests in her life came forward to share the piece of Valerie that they knew. Her whitewater

Finding A Leadership Lesson In My Garden

On October 17, 2017

I have a butternut squash growing between the branches of my big azalea bush in the front yard. I didn’t plant the butternut, yet one seed somehow survived a year of mulling in the composter with my kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and shredded leaves. The seeds I intentionally planted saw lackluster performance. A dozen decent

Change Your Words, Change Your Life

On May 31, 2017

I’ve been conducting a little experiment on myself. Every morning for the last two weeks, I wake up and say, out loud, “It’s going to be an awesome-sauce*day”. No matter what’s on the schedule. No matter how ‘behind’ I feel. No matter how complex and seemingly unsolvable is the challenge in my day. My unscientific result?

How Often Do You ‘Walk Your Talk’?

On May 2, 2017

I’m soaked to the skin, standing in the rain. Thinking, “Jane, here you are taking a first step to ‘walk the talk.’” How many people do you know who fail to ‘walk the talk’? How about that friend who often complains to you about how a co-worker is treating her. But she won’t ‘walk the

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