Teeth Come in Even Numbers, So How Did I End Up With a Prime Number of Teeth? When Nancy grinned widely at the other kids in class, she exposed the secret she had waited all weekend to show to her classmates. She had lost a tooth and couldn't wait to share the details with her teacher and friends. The tooth in question had been loose for two weeks and the anticipation had been almost more than she could bear. When the same thing happened to me recently, I finally realized something that … [Read more...]
Winnie the Pooh and the 9-11 Tragedy
This is the story of how Winnie the Pooh made a difference in my life, and in the lives of my family members a few weeks before and directly after the 9-11 tragedy on September 11th, 2001. Once upon a time there was a woman who had enriched her life by embracing extended family members on two continents. Every day, she thought of them and about how she could stay connected with them and get to know them better. One day she found out that a new baby was expected by a family member over in … [Read more...]
The War at Home
It was 1964 and I was coming of age during the height of the Vietnam War. In August, Congress had passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving then President Lyndon Johnson broad authority to step up American military presence. He promptly deployed combat units for the first time and increased troop levels to more than 180,00. It would be more than two years before the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara would express his doubt as to whether or not we could emerge victorious in this … [Read more...]
Overcoming Life’s Challenges
Overcoming Life's Challenges in the Face of Adversity I have long held the belief that we are accountable to ourselves, first and foremost. Sometimes we don't feel like living up to our self-directed expectations or challenges, but that will never be a reason or excuse not to move forward. Instead, make a schedule, add your tasks and activities to it, and then focus on accomplishing your goals every single day. I find that three or four items work best for my daily to-do list. This is just … [Read more...]
The Courage to Begin…Again
Life is a miracle. Yet, no one makes it out alive. When the going gets tough we must make it a priority to become resilient and to develop mental toughness. This enables us to not only survive, but to thrive under any and all circumstances. What does it mean to be resilient and have mental toughness? In order to strengthen resilience, it’s important to understand the concept in depth. Resilience is the ability to move forward by growing through every part of life’s process. Struggling is a … [Read more...]
My Walk on the Wild Side
It was the final week of a year that almost broke many people around the world. I was one of the lucky ones in 2020, or so it felt to me. My health was good. My business was growing. My family was happy. But something was still missing in my life. Three days before Christmas I had a call with Hannah, the young woman with whom I would be working in January. She is the adult daughter of my close friends. I've known her for more than five years but we had never had a serious conversation. She … [Read more...]
Randy – The Boy Who Made Us Smile
When the social worker popped open her trunk, the stench of the smoke was almost more than we could stand. It was emitting from the two large trash bags that contained Randy's clothes. There was also a small bicycle and a pair of cowboy boots. Together she and I dragged everything over to my car and jammed it into my trunk. Then we said our goodbyes. They shook hands without him looking up and he didn't watch as she drove out of the parking lot. We got into my car without either of us saying a … [Read more...]
Maintaining Your Sense of Humor During a Pandemic
Why Maintaining Your Sense of Humor During a Pandemic is So Essential Visualizing into the future is an effective way to deal with the present and to find a way to carry on in the face of adversity and hopelessness. Making sense of the year 2020 is something we will all benefit from doing, I believe. Engaging in mental gymnastics that stretch our imaginations and paint pictures we are able to insert ourselves into will give nourishment to the hollow recesses of our minds. Filling in the empty … [Read more...]
Positive Thinking with a Creative Twist
How Positive Thinking with a Creative Twist Changes Everything Positive thinking saved my life. I went from being someone who thought of myself as a victim and not capable of achieving any of the goals I dreamed about to becoming a confident person who was capable of anything. Then I learned the secret of how anyone can do the same and now I share these principles and concepts with everyone I possibly can, through my written and spoken words. The secret (lean in closer to get the full effect … [Read more...]
How the Hell’s Angels Saved My Real Estate Deal
I had been in real estate for several years before becoming a classroom teacher. It was while watching the Space Shuttle Challenger launch with some of the other agents in my office in front of a tiny, black and white television set on January 28th, 1986 that I made the decision to return to school to earn a teaching credential. So it makes sense that these two careers would forever be intertwined. When Emi Yamamoto came to me at recess and closed the classroom door facing the play yard … [Read more...]