Magicians use the magic word ‘abracadabra’ as they perform their tricks. I learned recently, thanks to a TedX talk by Andrew Bennett, the origin of the word is Aramaic, and it means what I speak is what I create. Words have power to create or destroy. This is an invitation to pay attention to the Read More
As we wrap up the month of October and enter the holiday season, we can often get caught up in the busyness of life. It can be hard to slow down. My last two posts talk about how to stop worrying and stay in the moment. Here are some of my favorite quotes to think Read More
The Final Countdown is a movie released in 1980. It is about a modern-day aircraft carrier passing through a time warp to somewhere in the Pacific Ocean on December 6, 1941. The USS Nimitz is in a position to destroy the entire Japanese fleet headed toward Pearl Harbor and change the course of history. The Read More
If you live in West Michigan, you’ve experienced what many refer to as the “dog days” of summer, with heat and humidity at a high point. The name “dog days” came from the ancient Romans because they associated the hottest days of summer with the star Sirius. Sirius was known as the “Dog Star” because Read More
Once there was an eagle’s nest with four beautiful eggs perched on the side of a mountain. An earthquake occurred causing one of the eggs to roll out of the nest and down the mountain side. It landed in the middle of a chicken farm below. The chickens gathered around the egg and decided they Read More
In my last post, I talked about focusing on the positive and paying attention to the present moment. One way to stay positive is in your actions. Take time each day to build others up to look for ways to be kind to someone. Look for ways to do someone a favor. It is easy Read More
The other day, I was teaching a workshop and after one of the activities, I asked the group to share their thoughts, comments or questions. One of the participants said the model for conversation that I had just reviewed was familiar; he had learned and used similar things many times in the past, and this Read More
You are probably familiar with the Japanese proverb Fall down seven times, stand up eight. In other words, continue to try. Too many people give up when success doesn’t come quickly enough. In her book, Your Journey to Greatness Through Routine, author Michelle Steffes says, “Imagine your success journey as a train. Unless you begin Read More
We can all appreciate a good night’s rest, but did you know that cultivating more gratitude throughout the rest of your day actually adds to your ability to maintain levels of deep sleep for longer? By focusing on the positive side of life in our daily experiences before we settle down to sleep, we are Read More
Once there was a carpenter who decided to retire after a long and storied career. When he told his boss, the builder, of his intentions, the builder asked the carpenter if he would do one last job. The carpenter reluctantly agreed. He approached this project like none other. In the past, he had always given Read More
