Reader, I know we are supposed to hate change, but do you ever think it would do you good? This week's #ShowUpPositive Spark, RECALIBRATE, is inspired by my seventeen year old daughter. Here's the story. Sarah is a competitive equestrian rider and works on a horse farm. She has a whole circle of people in her life who are unknown to my husband and me. So when one of these folks asked her to stay at there farm and take care of the animals while they were away on vacation, we were a little...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, I've got three words for you: mindset, meaning, and MacGyver. It turns out that MINDSET + MEANING + MACGYVER is the secret to this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark, RESILIENT Let's start with MINDSET and break it down. The first common trait shared by resilient people and companies is their staunch acceptance of reality. Rather than adopting a baseless optimism and being disappointed repeatedly, resilient people accept the reality of their situation, no matter how brutal, while...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Reader, have I got a story for you. I never know what inspiration will strike me. This week, I can't stop talking about the #ShowUpPositive Spark: FRESHEN. At the front of my property, I have a large perennial garden. Each year, the pasque flowers and bulbs bloom, followed by day lilies, calla lilies, crocosmia in a spectacular red, coreopsis, and balloon flowers. Unfortunately, the weeds like to grow, too. Crabgrass, violets, clover, and dandelions constantly seek a home in my garden. And I...
22 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, it's going to be a long eight weeks. This run-up to the election may feel like your own journey through the seven circles of hell. So, this week, I thought it might be helpful to talk about the #ShowUpPositive Spark: TOLERANCE. Tolerance is not acceptance, agreement, or condonment. Consider this definition: a fair, respectful, and permissive attitude or policy toward people whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one’s own or those of the...
29 days ago • 1 min read
Reader, on Saturday, I gave the eulogy at my dad's funeral. He was a good man of deep faith whose life was a lesson in wisdom I'd like to share with you. I hope you are inspired. My Dad taught me the three secrets to a life well lived, and I want to share them with you today: give freely, love deeply, and live fully My Dad called himself a simple farm boy. He was known as one of those Alvis boys up on Colt Ridge. He never liked school because sometimes the education system fails to see and...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Reader, do you like to win? I'm going to tell you something that is the exact opposite of everything you were taught in school. What you know is less important than your willingness to learn something new. This week's #ShowUpPositive Spark is LEARN. This is your invitation to embrace your beginner's mindset and set aside your knowing. Here's why this move is a game-changer: it releases you from unconscious bias it allows someone else to teach and share with you it models openness and...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader,are you a Brene Brown fan? Belonging is a theme incorporated into almost every talk I give. And this is one of my favorite quotes from Brene Brown: “Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader, I bet you can relate to this one. Picture this. I'm in my Dad's bright red pickup truck. I am about to pull onto the interstate, and I see the flashing lights in the rearview mirror. I seriously have no idea why I am being stopped The officer says, "Ma'am, you get one swipe or touch on your cellphone. I saw you touch yours multiple times. I am going to need your license, registration, and proof of insurance." As I waited for him to finish his ticket-writing process, a lot of things...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader, some lessons just smack you in the face, and this is one. When my Dad started chemo, we decided that I would come to stay the week after his treatment to help out. Three weeks ago, I was with him after his second treatment, and his nader (the low point post-chemo) happened exactly one week from his infusion date and lasted two days. Not only did my Dad talk about how tired he was and how little appetite he had, he was very emotional as he prayed for strength. My Dad is not that kind...
2 months ago • 2 min read