Dearest Journeyer, Your inbox is filled with NEW-YEAR-NEW YOU invites to every type of inspirational class and program known to man. Your friends are breaking out words for the year of 2018: TRUST! FLOURISH! REFLECT! DRIVE! DANCE! People are posting vision boards and nearly shouting how they are signing up for weight loss programs, writing classes, and locking in one-year … Read More
The Power of ‘No’
Last Friday our office had a meeting to discuss the new health insurance options our district is considering. True to my usual form, I asked several pointed questions. Afterward, our union director approached me and asked if I would be a representative. “I’m honored that you’ve considered me,” I replied, “but ‘no.’” “Why?” he asked. I proceeded to rattle off … Read More
It’s Not Personal
I absolutely love the late Patrick Swayze. Gentleman. Genuine. Gorgeous. What’s not to love, right? I don’t know about you, but I’ll always remember this talented man who left this life way too early. Though there are many lines and scenes he lived out on the big screen, one that I frequently recall is the Roadhouse dialogue: “It’s nothing personal.” … Read More
Personality Perils
This post from the archives seems appropriate as I watch my teens and twenty-year-old continue to grow into the men and women they are going to be. The idiosyncrasies. The strengths. The weaknesses… After our Thanksgiving meal a few years back, our family conversation somehow landed on the topic of personality traits. Each of us seems to be bent toward a … Read More
Respite
In my last post, I spoke about finding respite during a busy time of my life. That is one virtue I’ve been trying to teach my teens these past few years: There are times throughout our lives when we must appreciate simple moments of rest and relaxation, for there are stressful periods when we cannot afford the luxury of leisurely … Read More
A Personality Peril
After the Thanksgiving meal, our family conversation somehow landed on the topic of personality traits. Each of us seems to be bent toward a particular action. Caretaker and fixer are the two types our nine members discussed around the dinner table. I have thought often about my inherent nature. What I have discovered is this: I am the problem solver, the fixer. Many a dilemma places me on a path of contemplation … Read More