The Art of Vacationing in Your Mind

We recently returned from a four-week trip to New Zealand. We’d arranged our air fare, car rental, and lodging in advance, but had intentionally planned nothing else. We’ve discovered on these longer trips a distinct freedom in going with no set expectations. There were certain things we hoped to see while we were there, and...

Happiest of Holidays

There are at least 11 major holidays celebrated in December around the world (and several more). As someone who loves to travel and learn about other cultures, I want to wish everyone peace and happiness this holiday season as you celebrate with your friends and loved ones. As we move into a new year, may...

Do Less and Give More

On his podcast, Your Own Best Company, my friend Franklin Taggart invited us to reframe this busy season as a time of abundance. To remember that all this chaos is really proof of a bountiful harvest. That our focus on friendships, jobs, and families has paid off, and we are surrounded by people and things we...

You Are Not

I’ve been reading a book called Real: The Inside-Out Guide to Being Yourself by Clare Diamond. In Part One, Diamond deconstructs “self” by telling us all the things we are not. We are not our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or even our past. It’s quite the liberating feeling to realize all the things you think you...

Being the Best

The other day, I experienced a little disappointment in my business. A contest I expected to place in, and didn’t. It wasn’t a big deal, really, but for some reason, it got me down. In trying to figure out why I felt so bad, I had a realization. I told my husband, “When I was...

Finding Brilliance in Your Ordinary Life

I’ve been working on my branding and the messaging for my new website. In running through various exercises to arrive at what I do best, I realized there is a consistent theme in my life’s work. Everything I’ve done—from my books and other writings, to my speaking and presentations, to my community work and activism—has...