Hello there. Right now I am in the midst of a 2 week vacation. And though it feels like I’ve barely started, I’m already 5 days into it. I’m doing my best to prolong the time off—waking up earlier than usual and trying to fill every hour with projects and chores needing attention. So far I’ve made zero progress on the main items on my … Continue reading What’s Important? You.
Ten years ago I took a leave of absence from my 9-5. I was tired of the factory hours and exhausting office drama. I was tired of feeling like my life, my happiness, was inextricably weaved into my j-o-b. I needed to put my energies elsewhere for a while and see what happened. For 5 months I focused full-time on all the things I’d otherwise … Continue reading Little Secret Love Art
Taffeta drapes hang from golden rings. A vinyl sunshade fills the window space. The single pane of glass that softens the sound of the waking world outside. Chirps of birds and caws of crows. An occasional car rolling past. A sprinkler to beat the San Diego heat. A jogger’s soft footstrikes doing the same. The AC kicks on and flutters the frilly ankles of the … Continue reading The Way
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT from my forthcoming book with the working title, With a Good Heart: Kindness Afoot From LA to Brooklyn. At this point in my 2018 walk across America, I am 2500 miles in and weeks away from completion. I’ve grown used to heat and solitude, and for most of each day I’m lost in memories and contemplation. On this particular day, the … Continue reading Hold On
When I said yes to an employment opportunity in Spokane, I wasn’t seeking a reason to move or close my consulting agency. I adored where I lived and my business was doing just fine. Better still, I was happy. I was making money doing what I truly loved to do—training teams, developing people, and brainstorming innovative futures. But after a long-term on-site gig with a … Continue reading Behind My Mask
On January 15, I took a hopper flight from Spokane to Seattle to participate in Belletrist Magazine’s 2020 journal release party at Vermillion in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. As an attending author with work in the new edition, I found myself reading alongside an all-star lineup of fellow writers including David Long, Arlene Naganawa, Greg Jensen, Christopher C. Crew, and more. My piece, Friendly Fire, … Continue reading Friendly Fire
What did you do today that matters? Did you spend time listening? Maybe offer up a complimentary comment to a stranger? Did you remind someone how much you appreciate them? Love them? Did you take a deep breath and feel your lungs inflate, then allow your shoulders to relax as you exhaled? What did you do? If you didn’t do anything yet, there’s still time. … Continue reading Your Story
It’s really hard for me not to mix my business with pleasure. Mostly because my business is customer service, and like everyone else I am constantly frequenting places where customer service should be a priority. On the rare occasion it is, I’ll sing the business’s praises from the highest mountaintop (I am equally happy to share when it’s bad, too). Usually, however, the service I … Continue reading Sorry, There’s Nothing I Can Do For You…
This year I drove to The Running Event (TRE) in Austin, Texas. Amounted to just over 2500 total round trip miles from my home in central North Carolina. Part of the route followed the same stretch I walked earlier this year. And though that was a nostalgic highlight, it’s not what I came here to write about. TRE, per usual, was a giant reunion. I … Continue reading Trust and Authenticity
