Who’s on Your Fire Team?

On August 15, 2019

Last week I had the immense pleasure of serving as a team leader for a diverse group of Army and Marine veterans at Semper Fi Odyssey Leadership camp. The program re-energizes their warrior spirit and helps them create a plan to move their life forward through rebuilding family relationships, going back to school, pursuing a

What Makes You Feel Alive?

On August 2, 2019

While on vacation in Maine last week, my husband and I took a hike on the coast trail in Acadia National Park from Otter Point to Sand Beach and back. The trail winds through the trees and over rocks, fairly easy but with its share of ups and downs, roots and rocks that beg for

How Do You “Sharpen Your Saw?”

On July 11, 2019

While I’m all for hunkering down with a good novel to lose myself in someone else’s story for a while, I also seek out books that “sharpen my saw” (as 7 Habits author Stephen Covey would say), to read something that makes me question what I thought I knew or fills in some blanks on what I don’t know. I just read a book that definitely cut a few more sharp notches in

“Someday” is Today

On January 3, 2019

I was talking with a friend at the gym a few weeks ago. An energetic super-positive big-hearted guy. We were sharing intentions about what we wanted to focus on in the coming year. He mentioned his dream is to someday start an orphanage in his native country. He mused, “When I’m 40…” (quite a few

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

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

Beyond My Comfort Zone…And Loving It!

On June 5, 2018

Stretching far out of my comfort zone today. In a different time zone, in a different country, in a different language, heading to a destination I’ve never been. By one bit of security is a good cell signal and google maps. (How did we get along without google maps before???) I’m in Lisbon, Portugal, the

Bringing Soul To Your Bottom Line

On January 25, 2018

The picture above is the (Save Our) Soul box from Penzey’s Spice company. After the President’s derogatory comments on immigrants from African nations a few weeks ago, Bill Penzey, Jr., the company’s CEO, sent out a newsletter denouncing the people who continue to support racism in our country. To put ‘skin in the game’ so

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

Courage In Everyday Life

On August 30, 2017

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. — Nelson Mandela I used to think that courage was some magical thing reserved for the Medal of Honor winner who runs into

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