Where are you from? Close your eyes and think back to your childhood home or somewhere you felt safe as a child – picture yourself there – think about what you are doing, seeing, and hearing. What toys are you playing with?  What will you be eating for dinner?  What sounds do you hear? I […]

The sight of the wildflowers in the Wasatch Mountains in July is breathtaking.  Fields of purple lupine, golden daisies, and Indian paintbrushes in orange, pinks, and reds, line our path.  We make a fast ascent, scrambling up the steep incline, dislodging the occasional rock or scree with our feet and hiking poles.  We are wary […]

We have all garnered skills, character traits, and pearls of wisdom during our experiences, successes, and challenges in life.  We all possess valuable truths inside of us.  No matter what our job, background, or social status, our knowledge and truths are important.  I believe it is vital to share our truths with others and as […]

I watched a young boy with bare feet run in the dirt, dragging behind him a simple handmade toy.  It was fashioned from an empty milk carton, a piece of string, and scrap-wood spindles and wheels.  It resembled a dump truck – the carton lying on its back with the top side removed and its […]

Busy, people, moving, purposeful, hustle, bustle, fast-paced, energy, rat race, concrete-jungle, green parks (an oasis), homelessness, innovation – these are some of the words I jotted in my journal when I spent time in a city I love, San Francisco, this summer.  Whilst in this vibrant, cosmopolitan city I experienced many sights, sounds, smells, and tastes, that […]

Over the past several months I have been involved as coach and board member of a positive youth development program called Girls on the Run (GOTR).  It has been a wonderful experience and the celebratory 5k run to culminate the 12-week program was the icing on the cake.  As I watched the girls and their […]

With my recent birthday and becoming a year older (well only really a day older, but for anyone above a toddler we record our age in years), it has got me thinking about the topic of living a healthy lifestyle.  A few good friends have also just had birthdays and look fabulous for their age […]

My heart goes out to all those affected by the events in Boston yesterday.  News reports state that about 2:50 p.m. (EST), while thousands of runners and spectators at the Boston Marathon were on the streets, two bombs exploded 100 yards and 10 seconds apart near the course’s end in the city’s crowded Back Bay […]

The beautiful Hawaiian island of O’ahu was the destination of a recent trip of mine.  Amongst the memories created there, one day in particular stood out and I want to share it with you.  The morning began in anticipation, with my husband and I planning to tour the island in our rental car.  The previous […]

I spent the past few days doing one of my favorite things, which is spending time with loved ones. Well I did several of my favorite things actually, as I also traveled, went for walks and felt the sunshine on my skin, cuddled my nephew, laughed over old pictures and memories, took photos, baked cakes, […]

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Derek Parra last week, Olympic gold and silver medalist in speed skating from the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He is author of the autobiography Reflections In The Ice.  We met in an intimate setting at my friend’s house (she had bid at an auction for […]

Last evening I watched the movie The Cove.  It is a 2009 documentary film directed by Louie Psihoyos, which analyzes and questions Japan’s dolphin hunting culture.  The film was awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010.   I had heard from friends that it is thought-provoking and worth watching.  I knew little more […]

I recently had the opportunity to do a service project abroad – at a shelter for girls in Jamaica.  I was very excited at the prospect.  I have helped with service in my local communities before, such as visiting the elderly, fundraising events, and so on.  But until this point I had never done something […]

I have a new hobby, it’s called Merikan Missiling.  Or to those not au fait with the term, really its sledding.  We came across the Merikan Missile sleds on a recent hike.  We were tromping our way up a trail on our snowshoes when we heard whoops and yells emitting from ahead. The raucousness got […]

“Neighbors, Everybody needs good neighbors …” goes the opening theme tune to the only soap opera I was allowed to watch in my youth.  It took a while for my parents to agree to it.  They were under the impression that soap operas were trashy and exemplified – and therefore encouraged – bad language and […]

Happy Valentine’s Day.  Today I did something that I do not usually do, I went for a … manicure.  Not that out of the ordinary you might think, but I only treat myself once or twice a year, so it is a special occasion for me.  Sometimes I’ll paint my own nails, but most often […]

We are bombarded with subliminal messages every day.  Advertising companies use them to persuade us to buy their products through clever use of colors, words, images, sounds, and product placement.  Any communication that skips our conscious thought, but enters our subconscious mind, is known as a subliminal message.   As the conscious mind doesn’t have time […]

I recently read a quote from the Chinese classic text, The Tao Te Ching, “The giant pine tree grows from a tiny sprout.” I pondered these lines and their meaning to me.  I reflected on the literal sense, the wondrousness in nature of a seedling becoming a tree, or a baby mammal, with its small […]

When I woke up this morning I noticed the scars under my left eye – several small pink slivers running in parallel lines.  Sometimes they look more apparent when I first awaken, when my skin is paler from sleep and under the harsh lights of the bathroom mirror.  They seem to fade as they day […]

Have you noticed that when you first start dating someone you are showered with compliments, and yet as time passes so too does the praise?  I suspect in most relationships an inverse correlation between time and appreciation – as one goes up the other goes down.  But this does not need to be the case. […]

Visualization is a powerful thing.  Conjuring up images in your mind’s eye.  Seeing certain outcomes and eventualities.  A combination of hope, desire, drive, and ambition towards a goal.  But is this powerful tool underused by many of us? Successful business people, orators, sportsmen and women, often reveal that they use visualization in achieving their goals.  […]

Today is the start of a new journey for me, a journey of discovery, growth, and fulfillment.  Today I leave behind uncertainty, my tendency towards worry, and pushing my own needs to the back of the line.  Today is empowering, exciting, and filled with endless possibilities.  Today I am strong, I am powerful, and I […]