When I lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I took part in a program called “Leadership for Five Seasons.” It was one of those year long programs where young leaders could learn about the community with the intention of discovering the volunteer opportunities they’d love. At graduation, we were all given a tag line, and since […]
Can Women Talk About Shoes and Still be Taken Seriously? Read More »
Tuesday, I’m attending a business luncheon where we will be asked to tell about an influential woman from our past. I’ve done this type of thing before, and yet not once did it occur to me to select my own mom—until this year. I LOVE what Deb Guy, Executive Director of the Women’s Exchange in
The Echo of Mom’s Voice Read More »
Writing is personal and tender and scary, and if you’re writing about your own life, you can multiply the fear by 10. There are a million stories you can choose to write, yet I’d recommend not skipping the ones about the struggles in your life. I call them Shark Stories or Mis-Adventures. So why would you
What are your SHARK SHERO Stories? Read More »
I’m really looking forward to presenting my most popular class of 2019 called Writing the Stories of Your Life. I had planned to offer this Story Workshop in the Spring of 2020, but then Covid hit. (sound familiar?) Luckily, our 2021 lets-make-lemonaide-out-of-lemons attitude presented a silver lining. So in March, you can experience the benefits of
Two ways to ZOOM a Writing Class in March Read More »
Happy stories are fun to think about and vital to tell. Using an ocean theme, I call them “Dolphin Stories.” If you’ve ever stood on the deck of a boat on the ocean when all of a sudden a pod of dolphins flank your path—you know how these magical creatures exude joy. When life gets
Count Your Dolphins—Your Happy Stories Read More »
People decide to write books for many reasons, and you might have a few of your own. I remember a woman who was DESPERATE for her husband to write a book. Her husband, a gregarious man and a dead ringer for a famous person, told me that when they attended parties, he told the same
Two Sweet Treats You Can’t Resist Read More »
Your light will show the way for somebody in need. With all my heart, I know this is true. In the darkness, even the smallest light gives the traveler a direction and calls out the way forward. We are single lamps in a garden—illuminating the place we stand. Collectively, we make a difference in this
You are a Light of Hope Read More »
During our three hour writing your life story workshops, we take a deep dive into the past for particular events, and someone’s story always brings me home to a memory or two from my own life. You’ll enjoy this memory, written by L.S., about an event from her young life. As soon as I heard
Poor Girl Wins: How do you spell S-T-O-R-Y? Read More »
May this be a season of joy for you and those you love. May you feel safe and happy, generous and content, with gratitude for your life. And if, like me, sadness visits your heart at unexpected moments, remember to shine a gentle light upon the memories you hold of the cherished ones so
