Jeff Goins wrote about getting wrecked, and doing something different, something uncomfortable, partly because we long to be part of a bigger story. While I never would have chosen unemployment as my ultimate Wrecked Moment—how about something easier and more of a conversation starter, like a stateside mission trip?—it was where the sum of […]
Gratitude, Expectation, and the Not-Skis
I am tickled pink—bright, brilliant fuschia, actually—to introduce you to my first guest poster ever. Her name is Alexis Helmrath, and she is cute, witty, and just downright adorable, in addition to being a great writer. Alexis shares her creative masterpieces and disasters at Crafty Sheep, a one-stop shop for cute cat pictures, knitting and […]
Got encouragement?
Time to give and receive: It’s a linkup!
As we approach the final days before Christmas, I hope you are slowing down, letting go, asking for help, and especially taking time for the important and not just the urgent. To help you find those sweet and savory spaces of rest, relaxation and encouragement, I have put together a list that includes a variety […]
Go ahead and make my day: Ask for help!
Quick! Have you pinned the latest, coolest decorating ideas on Pinterest, bought the ingredients for the most fabulous cookie swap, and bookmarked multiple sites on how to be the most awesome hostess ever? Whoa! Bring that wild ride to a slow stop, and take a few breaths. There’s a good possibility you are trying to […]
There is no door #4
Do you remember game shows that offered tantalizing prizes if you just picked the right door? The contestants only ever had three choices: Door #1, Door #2, and Door #3. Well, real life is a lot like that. You only have three choices in any given situation. Not five, or ten, or even zero, even […]
10 Rules for Delightful Gift Giving
You have picked out a present that will surely bring a smile brighter than the Hope Diamond. Your loved one slowly unwraps the gift, feeling your excitement, savoring the moment, knowing this will be DELIGHTFUL. They lift the lid of the box, and. . . Nothing. No excitement. No delight. Instead there’s a flicker of disappointment […]
Gratitude, shmatitude.Just let me enjoy my pumpkin pie in peace.
What’s that, you say? You’re tired of hearing about gratitude? Truth be told, so am I. I know that’s a surprise, coming from Miss Too Darn Happy, perennial practitioner and encourager of gratitude. I actually get a smidge annoyed in November at the volley of articles peppering me to be thankful. Don’t get me wrong. […]
If you give a child a choice
When was the last time you read the delightful children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? If you need a refresher or synopsis, the story revolves around the “what if” of giving a mouse a cookie, and the humorous consequences that just don’t stop, ultimately leaving the youthful main character exhausted on the floor. […]
The BEAGLE Theory of Life
Life’s lessons come to us in some unusual ways, but more often than not through rubbing up against those hard and unyielding sharp edges of the world. Such is the case with the B.E.A.G.L.E. Theory of Life. There was a pistol of a young man—Charlie Marston—who attended high school with my daughter. He had […]
12 secrets to deflecting life’s slings and arrows
What do ornery coworkers, angry children and irritable spouses have in common? You as the target. Well, at least it seems that way, especially when you feel like you could be part porcupine because of all the virtual arrows bristling from your back. However, in most cases, you really are not the target. What you just […]