LIFE
Find a Way
At no point throughout this debacle did we think that a little detail like lack of shoes would stop us from completing a challenge that we’d committed to. We have will, so we’ll always find a way.
The Trials of Travel
The other day I wrote about tag-team parenting and how important it is to trade off the parenting duties, especially when we travel. Otherwise, we might just go crazy. Right now we’re in Mexico living in a tiny space – two bedrooms and a bathroom that we share with...
Traveling Minors
At the ages of 10 and 12, it’s time my daughters take a greater role in navigating the logistics of airline travel. We’ll work on one little piece at a time, and eventually we’ll have it all covered, from using airplane mode to filling out customs and immigration forms.
The Discomfort Zone
I’m currently in Mexico with my husband and two daughters. Ivy, my ten-year-old, has spent a considerable part of this trip in her discomfort zone. It started with a girls-only bike ride. Ivy was by far the youngest participant in our group of nine bikers, organized...
The Active Mindset
In relationships, I can see that I have the active mindset when it comes to those closest to me, but I’ve been passive in other relationships. I see this with family members whom I don’t see regularly and know there is more that I could do to stay connected.
Our Experience With The GRIT Challenge
Amanda and I are in the middle of our 5th month of doing GRIT, which is prescribed daily workouts that differ each day of the week. When we first started them, we didn’t think our bodies would be able to handle everyday workouts, and we were super worried about the...
Mom, Is Santa Real?
When she learned the truth, she felt like she was the last to know. We’ve all been there and it’s not a great feeling. We talked about it more on the way to school and I did my best to remind her that, in fact, she’s not the last to know. “Now it’s your job to keep that magic alive for all the younger kids,” I said.
LEGACY
What Stands in a Storm
Mike and I recently returned from a conference/mastermind group in Orlando. I spent the majority of our flights home in that awkward state where you’re trying to cry as quietly as possible. No, I wasn’t sad to leave Florida. I wasn’t afraid the plane would plummet...
Do It Anyway
It’s not easy to put yourself out there, especially if it’s not something you naturally love to do. But sometimes you have to do it anyway.
Trust the Process
I’m a firm believer in process. This is the means by which you approach any significant undertaking and break it down into manageable pieces. My first understanding of process in action came in relation to writing. I learned the hard way, over many years. Because......
Getting More Than You Give
And as far as volunteering, I thought that those people must be a better type of person than I was. They were special or super human and I was just normal. You had to be special (or court-ordered) to put time and effort into volunteering. Because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why you’d do it. I didn’t understand.
The Gospel of Story
I attended a Writers Guild luncheon yesterday and had the honor of introducing screenwriter and novelist Samantha Silva. She detailed her journey from screenwriter to novelist and all of the pitfalls she experienced along the way. Nearing the end of her talk, she...
Talent Craves Dedication
Like any worthwhile endeavor, writing requires practice and dedication. There are no overnight successes. You don’t sign up for your first marathon and expect to win, or decide to take up French and think you’ll be fluent tomorrow.
My Dream Office
My environment has a huge impact on my productivity and the quality of the work I do. Because of this there have been times when I’ve tried to create the perfect office. I wanted to optimize my environment. You have to have the right desk. And lighting. What about...
Letters to My Daughters
This is how I create legacy. It takes very little of my time to create something in which my daughters will find great value.
LIVELIHOOD
Duration has Nothing to Do with Intensity
I used to think working for 15 hours a day meant I was applying more intensity to my work and therefore expected better results from my efforts. But when I really examined where and how I spent each hour, I realized there was a lot of unproductive time mixed in. And...
True Fans
There are the obvious benefits to true fans. We gain evangelists, we produce revenue, and let’s not discount the fact that it just plain feels good. There’s a secondary level of benefits when it comes to gaining true fans that’s less acknowledged: True fans make you want to be a better person.
In Pursuit of Dreams
There’s a saying… Writers hate to write but love to have written. This is a great example of what separates those who pursue their dreams versus those who do not. The key difference between the doers and the talkers is how they approach the pursuit. Lots of people...
The Gambler & the Investor
As writers, we often get in the way of our own progress because we struggle with the monotony of small gains, day after day. We don’t want to make the investment. Instead of embracing the effort required and creating in ourselves the necessary discipline, we get in our own heads and start questioning what we’re doing. Why am I wasting time trying to craft these words that might never get published/read/liked/fill-in-the-blank?
Your Team Matters
In my mid-thirties, I looked into joining a soccer team. My kids were little and I wanted something to keep me active, but also an outlet outside of my home. I’d played soccer as a kid and teenager, and had always loved the game. The local adult league had an...
The Active Mindset
In relationships, I can see that I have the active mindset when it comes to those closest to me, but I’ve been passive in other relationships. I see this with family members whom I don’t see regularly and know there is more that I could do to stay connected.
On Stopping to Think
Yesterday morning I decided to drive our youngest daughter to school. We only live a few blocks away and she typically rides her bike, but it was bitterly cold and windy. Checking the time also told me that if she rode her bike, she’d be late. I decided to take a few...
StoryAthlete
There’s your Heroic Self and there’s your Lesser Self. The Lesser Self says, “I’ll get in shape starting Monday.” The Heroic Self doesn’t say anything, because she’s too busy working out. You get the idea.