Cut the chaos. Start with a solution. Why Emotional Reactions Sabotage Workplace Solutions I work with a manager who’s seen countless examples of conflict in the workplace—and he requires non-medical-emergency conversations to be scheduled at least one hour in advance. Caleb (name changed) notices that when an employee rushes into his office to tell or…
One list. Two 6th-grade girls. 800 miles apart. Three items bought them a priceless 40+ year sisterhood. Pen. Paper. Stamp. Dorine and I met through a pen pal list in a children’s magazine. “Peach”, as her family calls her, was one of the first people who asked if I wanted to be her pen pal….
Slow down. Take smaller bites. Chew your food or you’ll choke. These table manners can be applied to a mindful approach to daily living. I’ve noticed how often I wake in the morning with a sudden flurry of thoughts, tasks and ideas. Within five minutes of semi-consciousness, I’ve loaded my mind with a heavy buffet…
In high school, we played a game called padiddle. A padiddle was a vehicle with one headlight. When we’d pass a padiddle, we’d try to be the first to lightly slug our driver in the shoulder and holler, “padiddle.” The padiddle winner was whoever got the most one-headlight slugs before we reached our destination. Our…
People who visit my house and writing/coaching office often say, “I wish I could have a comfortably decluttered space like yours.” I offer to organize their clutter and lately, due to moves, deaths, or a desire to downscale, more people have enlisted me to help them reduce the extras in their homes and offices. Why…
We have speech courses to teach us how to become effective public speakers. What if we learned to become quiet observers and listeners? Improving listening skills isn’t taught in most schools, yet it’s one of the most valuable abilities we can develop. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, leader, or friend, learning to truly listen can…
Slow and steady wins the race. What is the race? What counts as a win? The race, according to who? A win, according to what standard? Embracing Slow Living as a Christian I’ve noticed that my greatest wins, according to me, have come with embracing slow living as a Christian-a pace that honors both faith…
Unnamed. Unknown. “They said….” “They did…?”“She did…” “She said…” Who are they? Who is she? Have you ever felt like one of them-present, contributing, yet invisible? Who are all those anonymous authors, artists, teachers? Who are those unknown builders and designers? One of those unnamed people appears in Matthew’s biblical account of the Passover meal….
Imagining heaven is a deeply personal spiritual practice. As I prepare to publish my seventh book, I’m sharing a creative reflection on what the afterlife might hold. My next book, Hip Waders: A Naked Version of a Soul, is in the final stages before publication. Similar to Knee Deep: A 9-Month Whirlpool of Handwritten Letters…
I Love Problems! Norman Vincent Peale said, “When I see a problem coming down the road, I’ve learned to holler, ‘Hello problem! Where have you been? I’ve been training for you and now we meet again!’” In Other WordsProblems don’t have to define you. When you greet challenges with faith and gratitude, you step into…