LIFE
Little Changes
“It’s kind of weird how I spend most of my childhood at school.” Ivy made note of this one morning while checking the clock to be sure she wouldn’t be late for choir practice. It’s true. Kids spend a huge amount of time at school. When we embark on our family travels,...
The Falsehood of Definitions
Instead of being invested in what job a kid will work toward, how about focusing on what really matters? How about letting kids know that when they grow up, what we really want them to BE is happy, healthy, and kind?
Adult(ish)
When I was a kid, I used to think that being an adult involved having lots of plans. Because adults always seemed to know what was going to happen next. Adults fill kids on the plans as it’s time to put them into action. Plans just seemed very adultish. So when I...
Family Camp
We have many friends who would love to attend Couples Camp (and whom we’d love to have join us), but they have young children whom they aren’t comfortable leaving with other caretakers. So we began researching US-based locations for Family Camp. And of course, we want to go big. We’re talking pool, hot tub, water slide, ping-pong, video games, pool table, horseshoes, electronic dart board, a tennis court, all adjacent to a river for kayaking, inner tubes, and paddleboards.
We’re Going to Camp
Mike and I are four days back from our four weeks in Mexico. We were there, in part, for warmth and to escape the Idaho winter. Our main objective was to visit friends and family – and to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday (Jesus wasn’t the only one born on...
Compounding Benefits
The biggest benefit to focusing on my physical health is, hands down, the benefit to my mental and emotional health. Exercising in the morning sets the rest of the day up to be both positive and productive. Taking a break (at least a few weeks) from unhealthy products, whether that’s alcohol and/or sugar and/or processed foods, is liberating and rejuvenating.
The Sweet Life Retreats
When we decided to organize killer retreats, one for couples and one for writers (but both designed for positive, growth mindset-type people), we knew what we were getting into. Sort of. We know how to exceed expectations. We know the town of Todos Santos and how best...
The Trials of Travel
Part of it is respecting the fact that everyone needs their own time and space. Not just the adults, but also the kids. My twelve-year-old deserves an hour to read by herself just as much as I do.
LEGACY
Record Keeping
My daughters periodically ask me to tell them stories about themselves when they were younger. I have a few favorites, like when we came home from a camping trip and Ivy, having grown accustomed to peeing in the wild, dropped her pants to urinate on our front lawn....
Living a Better Story is Easier than Most Realize
When you are not living a good story, you spend a lot of time wondering and hoping you find your purpose, your passion, something meaningful beyond your job, your circumstances. It’s like you feel deep inside you were destined for something more or something bigger, but you just can’t figure out which door to open and which door to shut.
Exit the Road of Regret
After the last real estate crash, I had to rebuild financially. But slowly, I built my real estate business up to a level where it was thriving. I could see the next 10 years. I was in a good spot. I could have stayed on that road, hit cruise control, and had a pretty...
Veterans Day, 2019
On the 4th of July, he was in his final days. My sister and I later learned that we’d both been hoping he would pass then, because he probably would’ve wanted it that way.
Who Are the Heroes in the Room?
Recently we held our quarterly ImpactClub event. We have 230 members (who need not be present to participate). Each donates $100. We hear from 3 charities for 5 minutes each. Then the members at the event vote and the winning charity takes home the pot. 230 members x...
What Stands in a Storm
Why was I so impacted by this book? I’m aware of the fact that things like death and terror and tragedy are always present in the world, but those facts don’t put me in tears. And then I realized that that’s the power of Story.
What Is ImpactClub?
In its first two years, ImpactClub Boise donated almost $200,000 to the following organizations: Women’s and Children’s AllianceChrysalis Transitional LivingCreate Common GoodInterfaith SanctuaryWyakin FoundationThe Speedy FoundationWilderness Science EducationBoise...
Trust the Process
I wrote one word at a time, one sentence, one paragraph, one page, one chapter. Eventually, I had a manuscript. I had worked through the process.
LIVELIHOOD
Two Birds, One Stone
We all know the phrase, “Kill two birds with one stone.” (Also, don’t throw stones at birds, that’s really a jerk thing to do.) But in general, efficiency is a good thing and we can all look for ways to accomplish multiple goals with one action in various aspects of...
Tag-Team Parenting
By trading off the parental duties, we each allow the other the time and space needed to stay productive.
On Work
I’ve had a lot of jobs in the past thirty years. Some are fairly typical: babysitter, hostess, waitress, office-type work with its accompanying office politics. The less common employment includes Bingo the Clown, farmhand on a farm in West Virginia, a short stint...
If You Build It, They Will Come… Not Actually True
I see a lot of people publish their books and then not understand why everyone they know isn’t scrambling to buy a copy. That’s just not how it works. And when writers fail to understand this(and accept it), they turn bitter.
No Such Thing As Stuck
Last year we helped our daughters start a business. They’re The Sugar Sisters. They make and sell cotton candy for birthday parties and other events. We also had pop-up cotton candy sales downtown on a few Saturdays. That was one hell of a sales lesson for my girls....
Compounding Benefits
The biggest benefit to focusing on my physical health is, hands down, the benefit to my mental and emotional health. Exercising in the morning sets the rest of the day up to be both positive and productive. Taking a break (at least a few weeks) from unhealthy products, whether that’s alcohol and/or sugar and/or processed foods, is liberating and rejuvenating.
All Figured Out
I’m a born planner, so I’d like nothing more than to have everything all figured out. When I was ten I wrote out what my budget would be in my adult life. (Don’t worry, I accounted for inflation.) I listed my projected salary as a cartoonist and then deducted...
In Pursuit of Dreams
If you can shift your mindset to find pleasure in the pursuit, you end up making bigger strides. Not fantasizing about the end goal, but taking each necessary step to get there, being present along the journey and finding joy in the slog.