Someone asked me the other day how I came up with Life Writes. Think with me for a moment about the experiences you have every day—or better yet, through the course of your life. How have those experiences shaped who you are today? I venture a guess that your experiences influence who you are and how you interact with life around you. I know my experiences add color to my life canvas. (Her canvas is like the sky, it’s always changing.)
Experiences can be big or small, but they all help hold things together and mold us into the unique beings we are. Think about one of your bigger life experiences. Can you see parts of that in yourself that color how you interact with others? Here’s one of mine. I have a friend I met in the 7th grade, right after I moved to a new place. To this day, she is still one of my best friends.
Continue ReadingFeeling optimistic! It’s a glass-half-full kind of day. To me, optimism looks like a fist pump with a big YES attached to it. You know, when the pieces all come together and it’s a ‘yes’ moment? I feel like I can do anything when I tap into feeling optimistic. Favorable outcomes all around!
My body feels confident when I feel optimistic. How ‘bout you? Where does optimism live in your body? I can feel my shoulders drop, my posture is straight and supportive, and I can feel myself smiling. It brings about a can-do attitude that spills into anything I’m doing.
I have a morning routine that involves walking 3 miles every day. When I pop out of bed in the morning, I give myself a few moments to wake up and get my bearings, and I find a good walking video to watch. Then, I set myself up on the treadmill, and away I go! Right now I’m watching a walking tour in Sydney, Australia—one of my favorite places. I’m optimistic about moving, about walking and lifting weights while I saunter through Sydney City. I see the Opera House, the Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, and everything around and in between.
Continue ReadingThis memoir excerpt comes from a chapter about sugar-coating the ugly. I sometimes refer to my kidnap and rape trauma as the big ugly. Here’s an excerpt from my first draft. (Remember, it’s a work in progress!)
The concept that there are rich lessons to be learned from our life experiences is interesting. There are those who respond to this idea with a negative connotation. Somehow, the ‘good’ that comes from such an experience lessens the profound horror of the experience. If I’m speaking from my experience, I see it from a different perspective. My big ugly is my big amazing. Not that I’m grateful for the experience, but I’m grateful for my choices.
There is nothing good or pretty or amazing about being raped and kidnapped. It’s horrible! In my mind, there’s no reason for another human being to do that to another person. It is senseless and cruel.
Continue ReadingThe passion I’m referring to today is the one that ignites your soul. You know, the emotion we grasp that urges us to pursue our dreams and embrace life. It lights up our hearts and sets our spirits on fire.
When I feel passionate (as defined above), it looks like an insatiable drive or magnet that pulls me. I’m passionate about helping people learn how to name and acknowledge their emotions. (Can you tell?) The root of this passion comes from observing what people do to each other when they get disconnected from their hearts. When someone stops caring, people get hurt. I visualize a world where emotions are so prolifically a part of our vocabulary. In this world, it’s rare for someone to speak without specifically identifying an emotion.
When I’m aware of feeling passion, I can feel an energy surge through my whole being. It feels like an unstoppable force that fills me with purpose and enthusiasm. This feeling helps me learn about my strengths and weaknesses. When I tap into that, I discover new potential inside me waiting for an appropriate platform for expression.
Continue ReadingYou’re standing in the shower, humming a nonsensical tune, and suddenly you hear a peculiar gurgle in the nearby toilet. Your heart skips a beat and you halt. The shampoo lather drips down your face like a deranged Santa Claus beard. Yes, my friends, you have just entered the twilight zone of broken pipes.
The mischievous troublemaker, the broken pipe, becomes the antagonist in a bad B-Movie. Hiding in the belly of your backyard, they sneak around; waiting for the most inconvenient moment to strike. Just when you thought you were safe, your toilet sounds like a boiling cauldron. BOOM! Suddenly, the day you looked forward to turns into an adventure of discovery.
Oh, the thrill of being on a first-name basis with the local plumber. Unexpectedly, the script for your well-intentioned day requires refocus. This knight in shining overalls comes to your rescue, with wrenches in hand. He comes with a willingness to conquer the beasts lurking somewhere in the underneath.
Continue ReadingBe still and savor feeling quiet. There now. Isn’t that nice? Let the noise and distractions fall away and let your whole self feel quiet and still; your body and your mind. Can you hear yourself think? What do you observe about yourself when you feel quiet?
When I embrace quietness, a profound stillness settles within me. The chaotic symphony of thoughts and worries gradually fades away. My mind becomes open, and even my inner chatter finds stillness. Now I can tune into my inner self and connect with the world around me.
How do you go about being quiet? Is it a feeling you suddenly feel, or is it something you look for? Some find solace in nature, surrounded by gently rustling leaves and soothing birdsong. Others find a cozy corner to savor the blissful absence of external demands. When I’m feeling quiet, I can embrace the hush and tune into my heart.
Continue ReadingWhen friendships pause, this can introduce different dynamics in the relationship. Sometimes when a relationship pauses, it ends. (That’s a topic for another time.) Other times, the pause causes a suspension of sorts, but the essence of the bond remains untouched.
When a friendship pauses, you might assume the relationship is at the end of an era. However, the truth might be far more enchanting than you realize. Think of it as a magical journey into the world of the in-between. While the friendship may not progress in a conventional sense, its foundation remains unshaken. Unread messages, missed calls, and incomplete plans all still exist, awaiting the right moment.

I’ve experienced this. When we graduated high school, my best friend and I went our separate ways. We each did life differently, but the essence of our relationship sat patiently in suspension until the moment came for us to reconnect. And you know what? We picked up right where we left off. Sure, we each did some growing up during our pause period, but the essence of who we were as friends never changed. I love that about our relationship. The pause was okay; we still loved each other.
These pauses in relationships can teach us that the ebb and flow of life can affect the bonds we hold dear, but it doesn’t diminish their significance. These friendships whisper to us, “Even in the stillness, I’m here.” Sometimes, life’s responsibilities take precedence, forcing friends to venture down separate paths. Other times, distance or circumstances intervene, creating an invisible wall between two hearts. Yet, when you press the pause button, these friendships become an ethereal presence, a flicker of light in the dark corners of our memories.
Fear not! Friendships that pause have the potential to dance back into our lives. They are the unfinished symphonies, waiting for their grand finale. When the time is right, they reawaken with a burst of color, as if the universe conspires to bring them back together.
Continue ReadingEmotional maturity – what does that mean? Our world is full of both goodness and social unrest. My observations of current world issues lead me to believe there is value in conscious emotional awareness – emotional maturity.
Consider events such as politics, corporate well-being, crimes against others, grief, anger, school shootings, and so on. Conscious or unconscious emotional responses have everything to do with the maturity of our leaders, children, families, and individuals.
Understanding

Emotional maturity means understanding how we experience and respond to feelings. For a simple example, imagine someone speaking harshly toward you. What is the first emotion you feel? Shock, anger, misunderstood, defensive, or something similar. When you feel the emotion, is it conscious or unconscious? For a unique example, remember someone who speaks lovingly to you. How is your immediate emotional feeling different from the first example? Caring, open, understanding, and warm. Again, when you feel the emotion, is it conscious or unconscious?
Continue ReadingWho here loves feeling relaxed? (She raised her hand and said, “I do, I do!”) You know, that state of calm and ease that allows stress to slither out of you. There are so many ways to feel relaxed. Let’s explore this feeling and celebrate it!
When I feel relaxed, a gentle smile graces my face. My face turns soft and my posture relaxes. Doesn’t that just feel good? Sometimes my body feels light and tranquil and other times I like the feeling of gravity cradling me in a chair, bed, or other supporting structure. It depends on where I am and what I’m doing.
I imagine my body turning into a puddle of gelatinous goo when I think about what feeling relaxed looks like. (The pretty, colorful kind, not the gross kind.) Another image for me is laying upon the grass, consuming a juicy, good book. Or heck, I also imagine sitting in my living room with my eyes closed, listening to music.
My mind focuses on the present moment when I am aware of feeling relaxed. It is amazing to notice how clear my mind becomes when I allow myself to feel it. Even brief blips of relaxation help bring clarity to my thoughts — it’s a savory mini vacation that restores balance and purpose. It stimulates my creativity and helps to gain insight into specific challenges I might be having.
Take a moment with me. Picture what feeling relaxed is like for you. Give it a few seconds, or a couple minutes. Just feel relaxed. Isn’t that a nice emotion to have in your repertoire of emotions? The great thing about these emotion thingies, we can (and do) shift around in them all day long. Here’s to recognizing what it means to feel relaxed and having an understanding about it.
Emotions create color on the canvas of life…
If you would like to explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Positive Emotions book, click here for more information.
Continue ReadingWork brain versus retirement brain is an idea I’m exploring more about, now that I’m retired. I’m specifically thinking about ways those two mindsets can complement each other, and how they differ from one another. Then, beyond that, how they impact the quality of life.
When I was in the workforce, I understood the focus of a structured routine, a focus on productivity, and the desire to achieve success. I found creative ways to interject my passions into those corporate structures in order to pacify my desire to feel fulfilled and happy with my work. Now that I’m retired, I still define structures for myself, but they are more geared toward living my passions.
Work brain is essential for career growth and advancement. The longer I was in that mindset, though, the more I felt like I was in a tunnel that kept me from living my personal passions and interests. Now that I’m retired, I wonder how I could have elevated that sense of personal fulfillment within the confines of corporate structure.

In an ideal world, wouldn’t it be nice if all our ‘day jobs’ were happily married to our ‘passions?’ There are several people who find that sweet spot and enjoy a whirlwind of success with it. Some people find a palatable job to pay the bills and push their dreams aside. There’s got to be a sweet spot in there somewhere! I suppose this is part of the experiment we all have as we progress through our lives.
What if we could allow our hearts and minds to live for those our fulfilling passions and get paid for that? If you could have the best of both worlds, what does that picture look like for you? I have lived my life largely keeping them separate, but now that I’m retired, I wonder how I might have done that differently. Maybe my musings will stir some ideas in your creative living.
Continue Reading
No Results Found
Life Gifts
- I send you life rafts for navigating the waters of life.
- I send you warm, comfortable rest.
- I send you buckets of bubbling, juicy kindness.
- Sending you friendship to warm your heart and knowledge that you’re loved.
- I send you calm, to remember love and caring.
- I send you delicious caring and big love.
- I send you showers of grace and peace.
- I send you healing love and energy.
- Sending you joy and glee in celebration of your accomplishment.
- I send you fresh, crisp apple bites of life to bite into everyday.
- Sending you calm to scatter around the chaos.
- I send you appreciation for caring to make healthy choices for yourself.
- Sending you bright colored paint for your life canvas.
- I send you showers of strength as you walk your journey.
- Sending you quiet mornings to savor nature and listen to the musings of your heart.
- I send you permission to be exactly how you are today.
- I send you tender, loving arms to hold you in care and love.
- Sending you love and caring.
- I send you good thoughts for successful surgery, for doctors and nurses to care for you with love and honor, and for healing comfort.
- I send you love.
- I send you a path of petals on which to tread as you navigate life.
- I send you wide open spaces big enough for all your dreams to materialize.
- Sending you patience while your body heals.
- Sending you peace and beauty, like the glassy stillness of a lake before the breeze’s caress stirs things up.
- I send you calm as you step back into work from being off for a few weeks.
- Sending you blankets of love to help you feel safe.
- I send you virtual blankets to keep you warm, and good thoughts that your electricity is soon restored.
- Sending you oodles of energy noodles.
- I send you moments of pause so that you can remember you are loved and cared for.
- I send you bright flowers to see, smell, enjoy, and nurture.
- Sending you nourishing soup for your soul.
- I send you peaces.
- I send you buckets of smiles to share with everyone you meet.
- Sending you willing, loving hearts and hands to help you.
- I send you healing, detoxifying energy as your body benefits and heals from your weekend massage.
- I send you inspiration to put thoughts on paper.
- I send you billowing bubbles of joy.
- Sending you magical lenses to sharpen your focus.
- I send you giggles and chortles to accent all the moments of your day.
- I send you light to illuminate the places inside you that seem dark.
- I send you chortles, giggles and warm hugs.
- I send you patience to allow new things to unfold positively for your life.
- I send you honor and respect as you navigate this wave in your life.
- I send you over-flowing cups of love to restore your heart and soul.
- I send you large bundles of gratitude for being who you are, and for being connected with me.
Author Archives


