When Gratitude Is Out of Reach

When Oprah Winfrey and Positive Psychology raved about keeping a gratitude journal,  I rolled my eyes. I’m a cynic at times. Here’s why it didn’t work for me. Sometimes gratitude feels way out of reach. If I don’t feel it; I’m not writing it. The research indicating writing what I’m grateful for supports greater health and happiness, doesn’t motivate me. One Reason To Do It …

Minor Change; Major Impact

Consistency is not my forte’. For over a year, promises to lift weights at the YMCA morphed into, “I’ll go later in the week,” and then…well….you know how this ends. Now, I’m at the YMCA  twice a week – without hesitation.  What changed? Gretchin Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before says, “Habits are the architecture of life.” She writes, …

How To Communicate Belonging

It’s Friday, Sept. 2nd, the end of the first week of school. I’ve been watching Rachel, my 7-year-old across the street neighbor get off the bus all week. But today is special. Jennifer, her mom is standing in the driveway holding balloons in her hand and looking in the direction of the approaching bus. Rachel steps off the bus, gets a hug …

Be A Jerk? Or Be Human.

Today, after 6 decades of living in a home with a landline, I said good-bye to 828 658-1217. My Spectrum’s Customer Service experience was a blast – friendly conversation and laughter. Say, “customer service,” and you’ll see eyes rolling for good reason. You know these lines: “please hold,” and “let me connect you with the next customer service agent.” So, why …

I Made a Mistake!

While moving at lightning speed, from one detail to the next to organize and stage TEDx Asheville 2022, I made a big mistake. If it was a detail on the website – easy fix. If I forgot to arrange a projector, a call would right that wrong. This mistake required I apologize. Even with that creepy-crawly feeling of shame and embarrassment in …