Life Outside the Box is the Only Life for Me! I can remember the exact moment when I first heard the expression "living life outside the box." It was 2005 and I was ready to change my life completely. I asked friends and family members if they knew anyone who had completely changed their life. To my surprise, they did know people who had left jobs and careers, moves across the country, and created lifestyles that made more sense for them. One couple had left the corporate world and … [Read more...]
Spiritual Retreat Vacations
Spiritual Retreat Vacations: Nurturing Creativity and Well-being for Writers and Business Owners In the demanding worlds of writing and business, finding time for self-care and rejuvenation can often take a backseat. However, investing in your spiritual well-being is essential for maintaining creativity, productivity, and overall well-being. Spiritual retreat vacations offer a transformative experience that combines relaxation, introspection, and spiritual practices to help writers and … [Read more...]
Being on the Same Wavelength in Life and Business
What Does It Mean to Be on the Same Wavelength as Another Person? Being "on the same wavelength" as another person means that you both share a similar understanding, perspective, or way of thinking about a particular topic or situation. It implies a sense of mutual understanding and agreement, as if your thoughts and ideas are in sync, leading to effective communication and rapport between individuals. I've experienced this with various people throughout my lifetime, but the feeling always … [Read more...]
Parallel Universes
Parallel Universes As Augmented Reality A recent conversation with a friend and colleague took an interesting turn. At some point, he said that he thought he needed to be more realistic about his expectations for his life, and that he now felt that he had wasted many years going after dreams that did not pan out. This thinking came at a time when he was quite vulnerable, as his nephew had recently drowned in a boating accident and the family was grieving this devastating loss. My … [Read more...]
Storytelling As a Strategy: Tracy Chapman Fast Car
Tracy Chapman made her debut as a singer/songwriter in 1988 with the release of "Fast Car". This heartfelt song is described as one that tells a grittily realistic story of a poor working woman trying to escape the cycle of poverty, set to folk rock music. I thought it would make an excellent Case Study for you, whether or not you have already embraced storytelling as a strategy to connect with your audience. We all have stories to tell. This is also how we are able to connect with others in … [Read more...]
Compartmentalization As an Art Form
The Power of Resilience by Separating Out the Parts of Your Life Compartmentalizing is the act of dividing something into sections or categories. While I worked as a classroom teacher over a twenty year period, while also running a real estate business on a part-time basis from home, I was forced to start using compartmentalization as an art form for each of these work scenarios on a daily basis. I also had a personal life, and it was always a challenge to keep from thinking about or … [Read more...]
How to Boost Your Confidence
How to Boost Your Confidence When Life is Trying to Keep You Down No matter who you are, where you live, or what you’ve chosen as a career, life is stressful. Even the most successful people in the world have endured tough situations and they made the conscious decision to take control of their lives, take advantage of every opportunity given to them, and change their stories into ones of success. Building up that confidence to tackle challenges and grab opportunities is a trait we should all … [Read more...]
Conditional Love and the White Canvas Shoes
The shoes were unlike any I'd ever had. I gently placed them on the windowsill next to the bunk bed, turning them slightly to the right so the sunlight would fall on them and create a shadow. We didn't have curtains on any of the windows. Privacy was to be avoided at all times, but I didn't give that much thought back then. I had the bed on the bottom. I'd wanted a top bunk but had been afraid to ask for one. A little girl named Marguerite was above me. She didn't say much, just pushed the … [Read more...]
Entrepreneurship From an Expert Perspective
Working with newer online entrepreneurs, marketers, and authors is a source of great joy for me. If not for the people who helped me get my business off the ground in 2006, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be where I am today. While this business is not rocket science, there are many moving pieces and steps that take time setting in place. Here, I'll share my thoughts on entrepreneurship from an expert perspective. I had been a teacher for twenty years, yet my life was one filled with lack, regret, … [Read more...]
The Picket Line
It was May in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, so it might as well have been the middle of August anywhere else. The dog days of summer start before most of us have had enough springtime. I looked down at my Timex watch with the faux leather band, shading my eyes from the sun with one hand and hoisting the wooden sign with the handwritten message, written in block letters on a piece of poster board, over my shoulder with the other. The picket line went south all the way to the … [Read more...]