Archive for February 2010

Since February is the month of “Love” (well, every month is about Love, but if you step into a mall or Hallmark store–you know what I mean!), I wrote a guest post called “What Do You Love?” for my friends at Empoword.

Have you ever noticed how one word can get you into a certain mood? This is the strategy behind Empoword. Their products and services—focused around the ‘words’ in our life—help to strengthen us in our journey.

For example, I have one of their cool window clings up on my bathroom mirror that says “Gratitude.” So when I’m drying my hair each morning and my brain drifts to all kinds of trivial stuff (which it does), the word “Gratitude” always catches me. Instantly, it centers me and helps to remind me how grateful I am to be me, to be healthy, and for the day ahead. Of course, my morning isn’t necessarily always that profound; sometimes the word “Gratitude” simply reminds me to be grateful that I am having a good hair day or that Bill wiped off the counter when he was done. It’s all about the little things!

Back to “Love”: You can check out my post here. Special thanks to Stephanie and Wendy at Empoword for inviting me to write a Love post; but more importantly for helping the world choose positivity by becoming more conscious of the words we use.

What’s the word that helps you stay centered and focused?

Hello! As you can see from the photo above, I’ve been working hard and preoccupied with thoughts of how to make my blog better.

I could use your assistance! What got me thinking about this is a great quote by W. Somerset Maugham which is posted on my business website: “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”

See, I’m not interested in just “having a blog” or “being a blogger.” I’m only in this to make it rock. One of my friends recently said, “Of course you are going for the best—that’s how you roll!” My intention for this blog is that it creates huge ripples in the world! And if you’re not sure about that…well, just stay tuned.

A blog is driven by its readers, and that’s where you come in. Read more »

I’ve always been enamored by the idea of “Life Moments.” Those moments in time where life stands still and you are simply and completely awe-struck. They’re times of celebration; times of pause.

What are those highlights for you?

A few that stand out for me (which all include my husband, Bill!) are:

–Swimming with dolphins in Key Largo as one of the dolphins and her calf repeatedly swam just beneath us—and with us—beckoning us to join them in their underwater play, watching and following our every move.

–Singing “Hey Jude” with Paul McCartney as he led a choir of 20,000 in a packed arena; the house lights were shining brightly on all of us, with many concertgoers in tears (“…na na na na na na na…”). Goosebumps!

–Watching the sun set from Mallory Square in Key West, where thousands gather nightly to Read more »

Today is my birthday and the perfect day for me to honor, celebrate, and revere life. This past week has been one of the most intense weeks I have ever known, prompting me to reflect a great deal on life and the world around me.

All within a matter of hours, my grandpa had a significant heart attack; and my father-in-law went into emergency surgery as a follow-up to heart bypass surgery—landing him directly into the intensive care unit (ICU).

The next few days were incredibly intense and flanked with uncertainty—spending precious time at the two hospitals, talking through options with family members, jumping at each phone call, barely sleeping, dissolving into tears at the drop of a hat, and on and on.

I immediately cancelled all meetings and lunches on my calendar. While these were all scheduled with people I was excited to see, the need for focus was so strong that I didn’t even give it a second thought. I knew that I needed to clear the space—both literally and figuratively—to be ‘here’ for my grandfather, my father-in-law, my family…and myself. Read more »