I have been thinking about the importance of reading the past few days. As next week is Celebrate Literacy Week in Florida, schools all over the state and in my district are planning activities to engage kids in reading. This makes my soul happy. I wish adults could have a break from the regular work …
Do you listen to music every day? How about multiple times per day? How does it affect your mood? Last week, the music app on my phone popped up and displayed how many hours of music I listened to in 2016. It was an impressive amount. The notice had me thinking about how much I …
Ahh, a New Year…this means a clean slate. New possibilities await. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you set goals at the beginning of a calendar year? I certainly have in the past. Last year I came up with a word for 2016: Mindfulness. Although I must admit, it was well past …
I started a new job this week. My first day consisted of an all-day orientation and training. The words I heard the most for the first two hours were “culture” and “community.” I work for an organization where culture is the thing that is valued most. This is because that culture affects the entire community. …
Will a difference you make OR a space you take? This was a billboard sign I read recently. Wow, that was a powerful question indeed. It truly had me pondering. A few years ago, I would have just dismissed the message without much regard. Now the words matter to me. I have no interest in just taking up …
The world needs more children’s books. And more adults need to read them in this uncertain, disturbing society that we often live in. As I read book after book to my kids today, I heard all the important messages that we adults need to remember. I felt uplifted and hopeful after hearing simple reminders of: …
Over a year ago I wrote about Bee movie and how bees may be small creatures but their contributions to our community make a huge impact. The film I saw with my children was the perfect metaphor to describe how important the contributions are that small businesses make in our economy. Today I had the great …
Our family took its first real vacation in nearly a decade. We traveled to Sevierville, Tennessee (located near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg) with another family–our very good friends. This spring break getaway was the the most relaxed my husband and I have felt in a year or longer. We rented a cabin in the Smoky …
I gave this speech (below) in my Toastmasters group. Actually it was credited as two speeches from the Competent Communicator Manual – with emphasis on vocal variety and visual aids. The total time it took me to deliver this speech was almost fourteen minutes. I received such great feedback from the presentation and I had such …
I enjoyed a lunch meeting with three other ladies on Friday. We met for work purposes but the conversation later turned to personal endeavors and lastly, one of my favorite topics: creativity. I referenced how I recently read the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) to the group. That’s when I …
