Time Givers
What are two things that take time away from your day, while simultaneously adding to it? It sounds like a riddle, but it’s not. The answers are (1) sleep and (2) exercise. Sleep and exercise are often the first things...
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Oxygen Mask
We were out of cereal. Each of the kids reminded me when I came downstairs that morning. I made a mental note to buy some later. But first, I had been asked to pick up supplies for our local women’s...
Pinsetters
Christmas morning, 1974. My brother Jeff was two at the time, and asked Santa to bring him a bowling alley. Santa listened, and under the tree was a plastic ball and set of Fisher Price pins arranged into a triangle....
You're Not Going That Way
When my Aunt Judy was in college, she and her friend discovered after an evening out that her car would not shift out of reverse. Six miles from their apartment, they resorted to what they thought was their only choice....
The Do Something Principle
Some days I feel motivated to clean the house. Some days I feel motivated to exercise. Some days, I feel motivated to write and cook and tackle my to-do list and show up for my family. But other days, a...
No Magic Jelly Beans
We are all familiar with making resolutions in January, but I can’t imagine a better time for a fresh start than spring. Spring is the epitome of new beginnings. One spring when my kids were young, my sister suggested they...
Frogs on a Log
Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left? Can you guess? The answer is obviously one, right? Five frogs...four decide to jump...one remains. Wrong. Wrong, at least according to John Maxwell, who...
Morning Pages
May I recommend a simple daily practice that can do wonders to clear your mind, and increase your focus and creativity. It is Morning Pages, and comes from the book The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. Morning Pages are, essentially,...
Qualified
I have spent the last twenty years as a homemaker, completely immersed in raising my children. While I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity and would not have chosen any other path, I admit it occasionally came at the cost of...
Eat That Frog
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy provides a motivating approach to avoiding procrastination. And speaking of procrastination. I heard about this book for years before finally reading it, which I suspect has something to do with the fact that when...