Insights & Strategies for a Purposeful Life

For the part of the world that I live in, summer is winding down. We are heading into fall and that means cooler days, more clouds, and less sun. That is why this quote caught my attention: “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”

What is the one thing every person on this planet has in common? If you said “change” you are right. I know some of you are saying, my life is boring, nothing ever changes. Think again. We are not the same from one day to the next. Change can be

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be lived.” Søren Kierkegaard Many of us have calendars, to-do lists, messages, reminders, and notifications. I have them too. Many of these have to do with problems that need solutions. If you are only focusing on problems, it

If you have listened to me long enough you have heard me say, “You are never wrong about how you feel.” You have also heard me say, “Feelings are temporary.” These seem to be contradictory but they actually aren’t. Feelings are useful to check in to what we are experiencing. Then, if

When you think of the word humility do you think of weakness, low self-esteem, passivity, or lack of confidence? Humility to me is none of these things.  Humility is a strength. It shows that you are open to possibilities because you are willing to listen and learn from others. It

My family jokes that I can take any event and turn it into a lesson.  I heard of one recently where two teens took one of their parent’s boat out fishing. They were just going lake fishing so they weren’t out in the ocean but this boat had a little

Have you ever gotten an error message from one of your devices that it can’t save your image or document because there isn’t enough memory storage? Recently, this is what is happening in my brain. Thoughts are swirling around my head like sugarplums (or something like that).If you ever feel

When we invest in something we do what is necessary to help it grow.  If it is a garden, we prepare the soil, plant seeds or seedlings, water, fertilize, and weed. In relationships one of the easiest things we can do is to be grateful and express that gratitude through

Japanese businesses are known for some of their innovative ideas. Kaizen is one of those. Kai means improvement and Zen means good. Over time as the philosophy has been applied to business and implemented in other fields, it has come to mean continuous improvement.  Kaizen seeks to find small ways

This week has been busy as I am training 11 new Positivity Practitioners. The newsletter this week is from Sue Meintjes, who interviewed me for the wonderful work they are doing to support parents. Click on the link at the bottom of the article to get a ton of information

There are times in our lives when it is natural to take a pause and evaluate where we are and where we want to go. This happens when we have major life events. Experience beginnings and endings. When we feel restless, unsettled or bored. When we reach a goal. When

Have you heard the story of the little train that told itself, “I think I can, I think I can,” as it chugged up the steep hill? The little train was almost no match against the big hill, but in the end he did get up the hill because he

Is there any good reason to compare yourself to others? Would it surprise you if I said, “Yes!” Social Comparison Theory is an area getting lots of attention as we have more social media than ever, but is also helpful in our social circles. And it is done at the

The topic of birthdays came up the other day and one woman said, “I don’t have those anymore.”  Well, I do and my twin sister is about to have another one. I like birthdays because I like to get together with family and friends and celebrate. I like birthdays because

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates Have you ever met someone who declares they are over someone or a situation and then they go on and on talking about that person or situation?  They

Forgiveness can be hard for some people. Forgiveness is also a powerful emotion that can have a lasting impact on both personal and work life. When some people are holding back forgiveness from someone who sincerely is sorry and is trying to change it may be helpful to keep in

My friend, Sue Meintjes, has just released a new ebook called “How To Get Kids To Listen”, containing 18 short interviews with leading parenting experts. And, yes, I’m one of the featured interviews. I was so impressed with all the content, I arranged for you to get a copy for

I saw this message on a board this week and the truth leapt out. Our words can either limit us or help us to grow. And we have the choice of which words we use and listen to. “I messed up.” OK, well, who hasn’t. What if we changed the

Canceled! If you are on social media or watch the news you will see that people are increasingly quick to “cancel” someone they don’t agree with. Canceling someone is publicly denouncing them and seeking to ruin their reputation or career. This practice is so common that it is now considered

Spring is a time of renewal and growth and MAYBE a time to brush away a few cobwebs. Those hanging from the ceiling and those in other areas of our lives. Capitalize on the fresh air and increased light to jump-start your motivation and energy to get a new perspective

As if getting a good night’s sleep isn’t tough enough for some people, recently we threw in Daylight Savings Time in the United States. It reminded me about the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. (And, there are many). Sleep helps to restore the body, improve memory and concentration,

Life can be overwhelming. Sometimes it is difficult to know what is the right thing to do. Sometimes it is hard to find the courage and strength to do the next thing. When you feel overwhelmed, you just want the problem to go away.  Take a deep breath and repeat:

In a world where resources are increasingly scarce and things can seem out of our control, developing one’s talents can be a powerful way of making a positive impact.  For starters, developing your talents can lead to a more fulfilled and meaningful life. There’s no denying that when you focus

Positive habits get us to our goals. The tricky part is breaking habits that aren't helping us achieve our goals and establishing positive habits that help to reach those goals. I have a hack for you. Checklists A checklist is simply a list of tasks to be completed. It is