Have you met your inner critic? Let me assure you, she’s there. She’s the little demon on your shoulder, the whisper in your ear, the voice of shame and self-judgment that gets in your face, especially on hard days. Your house will never look that good, no matter what you do. Why would she want…
We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We’re probably all well aware that this is a false statement. We’ve been hurt by the power of someone else’s words, carelessly spewed from unkind lips. A more complete and accurate statement about the power of words…
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California-San Diego revealed the following: “Through mobile phones, online entertainment services, the Internet, electronic mail, television, radio, newspapers, books, social media etc. people receive every day about 105,000 words or 23 words per second in half a day (12 hours) (during awake hours). Although people can…
I am an eternal optimist. I can find the bright side in almost any situation. I’ve been known to say “If it doesn’t kill you, it makes a great story later.” As a writer and a speaker, I love turning difficult and emotional events into funny anecdotes. I essentially have a Ph.D. in minimizing the…
The other day I went on a first-grade field trip. We loaded up those iconic yellow buses full of energetic children and drove into the country, bound for a day full of adventures. Between me and the teacher, we had eighteen of those wild things in our care. We dragged nets through the lake looking…
“How do you forgive yourself?” A few seconds passed. No one moved to answer. My mind was forming a response. Talking in front of a group is not an activity I relish, but I knew I was going to speak up this time. I didn’t have all the answers, but I had hope and my…