Author name: Jan Whalen

Dear Heart, I’ve always loved the words:“When you’re down, reach up. When you’re up, reach down.†This phrase reflects the fact that we need each other. We need each other because we all experience the mountain-top and dark-valley days of life—and it’s lonely at the top and the bottom (and in between too). We have many opportunities

Hello My Friend, We all know that life is a full contact sport, yet I have to admit, I’m allergic to anything extreme (my story, and I’m stickin’ to it). However, there are women who inspire us to step out of the comfort zone to physically test themselves. Today I am honored to share a

Hello Cool Woman, Rock Solid Confidence has nothing to do with what others think of us. True confidence comes from the trust we have in ourselves to decide what we want, and to step-up to touch our goals. The other day I was telling a friend about my challenging day (imagine the whining), not knowing

Dear Beautiful Woman, We adore stories. It’s in our nature. Often, we resonate with the stories others tell because they bring us closer to our own. When we sit down to record the events of our lives, we usually make some unexpected personal discovery. In fact, author Joan Didion says, “I don’t know what I think

Hello my friend, Confidence is something most people crave. Confidence is an illusive ‘character’ who resides in the mind, yet there are specific ways to show it and grow it. The other day while unpacking my books, I came across one I didn’t recognize. It was a book of poems by several college students, including

Hello Beautiful, We have a million reasons to love our friends: they understand us, they support us and they know just what to say when we’re having an off day. Through the years my friends have helped me understand that there’s always a new day and a new way to look at a bleak situation.

Hello Beautiful, Imagine getting a call from a friend. She tells you about her frustration at work and wants to quit, then asks, “What should I do?†Unlike the Super Bowl, where several referees, line judges and armchair quarterbacks determine the outcome, our personal choices are not always objective decisions. Making decisions is a part of

Hello Beauty, Have you ever noticed that events seem to come in threes? This might be the way the Divine gets our attention. My trio of recent events involved two visits from friends of my past and the unfortunate passing of a third friend. Through these meetings and especially through the lens of death, we pay

Hello my friend, This is a happy week for our Whalen family as nephew David is graduating from Fire Academy. It’s been a long journey, yet he’s made it! As you may know, we have a huge family and his mom, sister, aunts and uncles will fly in from around the country, with fierce pride,