Amongst the chaos of every day life with turmoil, uncertainty, and stress, somehow we have to hold on to what we always have with us…with faith, hope, and love. I have admired courage and strength from afar and it has brought me to my knees when I am unsure how
It is getting to be that time of year again….when certain television shows come back for another season and some of just can’t wait for the new season of ___________ (you fill in the blank). My husband and I do not watch that much TV, but that is mostly because we
I am not sure that there is anyone that likes to wait. Whether it be the call that comes for a new job or the test results — either one could change your life forever. Lately, more health concerns seem to be coming to those I know and care about
To love someone is hard enough, but to love them unconditionally is down right difficult. There are people in my family that I will always love because we share blood. We may not always see eye to eye and our relationships may be somewhat non existent, but we are family.
I did not realize how important it was for me to lay out the bread crumbs for all of you to follow so that you can find your way home. It has my attention. Lately, I have been reminded by others what my words have meant to them, but they
In anything? Can any of us define when that moment will come? Do we even select it? No one really knows that answer, but we know it when it comes. The funny thing is that we start to believe things about ourselves when others point it out to us. It
NOTHING. I took life for granted and never really appreciated it and the gift that it continues to give to me every day. I am not sure why. But now, I find myself humbled by its mere existence in some lives and why it is abruptly taken away in others.
You never know what you are going to see. Never. Sometimes what you think you should see or want to see is not what is before you. You can search under rocks not turned over, climb mountains, or even imagine what you long for. But don’t be naive into thinking
My tag line for many years could have been, “The brave may not live for long, but the cautious never really live at all.” Not any more. But being brave is about tackling and overcoming our fears. Fear is fear, and it doesn’t matter what it is. By no means
“Wow!” What would you say if you have the power to affect change? That people would listen or change their behavior because of something you said or did? I am ALWAYS amazed and humbled when I am reminded of this concept when it relates to me. I am not perfect,
Learn what you want and allow yourself to ask for it. That is going to be one of the hardest things you ever do…giving yourself permission to want more…to want different…and to go after it. Not one of us are immune to dreams that gently plant themselves in our soul,
We make choices every day, even without really thinking about some of them. We decide when we go to bed for the night…we decide what to eat for breakfast…we decide how we use our time. Sometimes, the choices we make are much more difficult…whether or not to accept a new
How can you expect things to remain the same when people are in a different place than they were before? In the same regard, you could not expect different things to happen if you remain in the same place. I apologized to someone a few weeks ago about how I
How many of us have stood at doors that stand wide open and yet we are held back by some invisible force that prevents us from walking through that opening? I know I could hold my hand up, maybe in an embarrassed, hope nobody really sees it, kind of way.
This may not just be one moment, but a few where you are forced to take an inventory of where you are and where you want to be. We all need to be reminded that we are more than what we see in the mirror every day. We need those
They exist in everyone. Even when we think they don’t. And heaven forbid anyone ever see them, let alone we admit them to ourselves, even. Some of us just deal with them and admit them for what they are — things or situations that make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
Why is it that people dread Monday but look forward to Friday? Why does the day of week dictate our attitude for that day? I guess I look at it as if I have another DAY…another day to do something with my life. To impact others in a positive way.
I have learned a lot of who I am and who I am not through this journey called life. I have learned what I love to do and what makes me cringe. At a very young age, I also think I learned what I did not want to become, not knowing
If someone asked for help, would you? Would you drop everything and do what you needed to do to get to them as quickly as you could, without any regard for anything you had on your list of things to do? Without expecting anything in return? Yesterday, I answered the
This morning, I was thinking about the way we connect to others that come into our lives. Some people will come in and out so fast that they are like a blip on the radar screen — by the time we barely see them, they are gone. Others, linger for
Do you know what it feels like to be on the verge of something? To not quite be climbing any more and not quite over the top, but almost teeter-tottering right at the edge? I may be there. Do not ask me “What are you on the verge of?” because
What does your instinct tell you to do? At certain times, it may tell you to fight and at other times it may tell you to run. Your gut feeling should be trusted and followed if you can. The old adage, “If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right.”
Don’t just get by, not with a mediocre attitude or somewhat average impact on those around you. You have to “BE GREAT!” But before you can be, you have to believe. You have to realize that you are here for a reason and that reason may not make one iota
Are you listening? Not just trying to ignore the soft hum of words that find themselves echoing repeatedly through your soul, but really listening? I know I don’t always pay attention when I should. But I certainly try when I really listen. Sometimes, I forget and need reminded of what life is
What I mean is, are you dead inside? I have seen (and lived) the life of the “walking dead” — where we wander aimlessly, looking for something that will bring us back to life. And we never find it. NEVER. We go through the motions, staggering through activities and people
They exist, whether we see them or not. Whether we want to see them is probably the bigger issue. Sometimes, we imagine that obstacles are there, and really they only exist in our head. Most of my obstacles like to live there…in my head. But only if I let them.
We all strive for perfection and yet we all can never achieve it. Fleeting moments of perfection is all we could ever hope for and therefore, that should be what we seek. I always thought I could be and should be perfect…all the time. For some time, I never allowed myself
When forced to choose between a well-known, well versed, money laden program, I will ALWAYS root for the underdogs. I think that started back in 1989 or 1990 when Mike and I were first married and March Madness had taken over our tv in our little apartment. Syracuse and the
At least one friend. Sometimes, it can be difficult making friends, but it is more difficult keeping them. Some friends have certain “duties” while others can be anything at any time. Several years ago, I was leaving a friend’s house and gave her a hug goodbye. Now, this was not something
How can we see where we are going if we are facing backwards? Even when I walk backwards up one of two hills on my morning route, I have to turn my head if even for a little bit, to see where I am going. Last night, I was feeling
It is easy to quit, isn’t it? Sure it is. We’ve all done it at one time in our life. It is ok to admit it. You are not alone. But what happens if you keep going? What happens if we believe that we can do more? What happens if
I am amazed at people’s inner strength. In the last week, death has come to people who I know and am reminded of just how precious life is and the people we choose to share it with every day. Where do we find strength? Do others inspire us to keep
people telling me I can’t do something. UGH!! When they tell me something is impossible or negate everything I believe to be true about myself and all that makes me who I am. Yesterday, a young man told me that his parents think he is a “screw up” and I
Are there people’s events and activities that you would just beat yourself up for if you missed being a part of them? Missed sharing that special moment that can never be duplicated again with those people who are your world? We will always have obligations and responsibilities that are required of us,
I have not been one to accept help from people for most of my life. I was (and still consider myself on some occasions) Wonder Woman, after all. But if someone is helping me and I try to rebuff it and dismiss it, all they have to say to make
Last night, Mike and I were going over our schedules for the day and he said, “You have the G.I.F.T.” It kind of made me chuckle. Lately, I have been receiving compliments left and right and not sure how to process them. I simply say, “Thank you.”, but inside it
It is so easy to do nothing. But when you lay it all out there and care for someone other than yourself, it means you make yourself vulnerable and not everyone is willing to pay that price. But you can step up for what you believe in and make sure
People will always be quick to tell you what you cannot do and why. They will discourage you from trying faster than most of us would care to admit. But what if you show them up? What if you show them that they were wrong? Against every odd and statistic,
It is YOURS, isn’t it??? No one else owns it. No one else should and yet we let it just happen. We just give it away. We believe that it is something that kind of happens, on its own, with no responsibility of our own. We stay the course and
We all can imagine the impact an accident has when two moving forces collide, even if we have never experienced it. We have all seen the crash-test dummy clips on TV showing us the safest car and seen numerous abandoned vehicles that are “totalled”. But what happens when people intersect and
I am so loving every minute of it!! I talked to another friend last week who sometimes she is up to her neck in her dream, but she is still loving every minute of it too! It is hard and consumes a lot of time and effort but I am
As I was in line to check out at the grocery store this morning, I was met by a little chubby face on a 13 month old little girl that was playing peek-a-boo with me as she sat patiently in her mom’s cart in front of me. Every time her mom
Yesterday was an ordinary day, but for some reason, I wrote down these words, “When you know where you are going, but don’t know how to get there.” I can’t tell you why or what prompted it. Then, without warning I get a text from KD who is looking for something
Good grief…I have seen just about as many of these as I wish to see for the rest of my years, however long God allows me to walk on this Earth. I love baseball and we are the perfect family for it also. My husband used to play baseball when
No one can do what you do. No one. But you can make all the difference there is to be made. Everything else can be the same, except you are now there. I was very inspired by this video from Ohio where a runner helps another fallen runner to her
How much can one person endure before they want to give up? What does it take to believe that these horrible circumstances are meant to teach us to still look forward to tomorrow? Just when things start to get a little good and through minor struggles, in the big picture,
Now, those that know me know that I am not a girly-girl. I am far from it. I am a tom-boy and always have been. So for me to use the word, “sparkle” and then speak on it must be pretty big, even if I say so myself. Sometimes, I
I should be out running right now, but my body thought otherwise this morning. That is when some of my best thinking comes, too! Today, I want to evaluate your life and decide if it has meaning…not just to your immediate family and friends, but to people you may never
My dad is going to cringe when he reads how many grammatical corrections need to be made for the title of this post. Sorry, Dad! I will try not to make any in the body of this post, which is where it really matters anyway. Do you tell yourself this
Do you know who you are? Not just think, but KNOW? There is a difference between being told who you are and knowing who you are. HUGE difference. People develop opinions of who you should be, what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, and we allow those opinions to be
Have you ever had someone believe in you so much, it actually propelled into what felt like another dimension and you almost instantly began to do things you never thought possible? Let me tell you…it can happen. Even daily. There is a plaque in my office that stares at me every
We all have skills and talents. But do we use them? For good? Are what you good at something that you love to do? Usually. I love to watch those people who I love most shine. Sometimes, it actually brings tears to my eyes. Yes, I cry…but don’t tell anyone…I have
Do I want a taste of my own medicine? Nope. Do I need it? Yep. Life surprised me yesterday with something that I never, ever saw coming and as much as I was literally a taken back by it, I had to ask some close friends for advice. I wanted their
I recently shared with a co-worker how I injured (attacked is not the right word) by our neighbor’s dog when I was four years old that required about 60 stitches on two sides of my face and at least two surgeries to help minimize the reminders of that day. I
This world does not revolve around you but that does not mean that your impact on this world is not great. You are but a small ripple in a wide lake reaching far beyond what you actually see. We all are. This life is not a competition against anyone else,
KS is a good friend and she suggested that I needed to post something about relationships. We all have them…different kinds, but they exist in every one of our lives. There are co-workers that we absolutely cannot stand, but make the polite chit-chat to get through another day. We have teammates
I was driving in the car the other day and I heard the DJ say, “If someone who has been kicked and chooses to get up, they have earned the right to be heard.” WOW! That got my attention. Don’t you agree with that? I sure do! For those of us
Yesterday, I watched a commercial on TV and came up with this…”Going your own way doesn’t mean going alone.” It just means you are not willing to follow what everyone else is doing. It also means that you have people who will support you in whatever you decide to do. I
So, I was watching a moving the other day and came across a couple of words that made me think I needed to expand on them and share them with you here. I have talked a lot about choices and how we can choose our attitude and how we can
I saw this as part of a Facebook posting by one of my friends and needed to borrow it to share with you here. Someone else once said, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, “I’m Possible!” Isn’t it ironic how we let others dictate what we can or can’t do?
Do you ever get that feeling that as you are mosing through life that things are just routine? You do something that you always do, but you end up talking to someone who you have known for years, but never really shared before, and then your life changes forever. “Once in
Have you ever been homesick? Kids off to college for the first time actually missing mom’s cooking and dad’s love of ESPN? Ever moved far from the one place you never thought you would leave as you thought that was the only place that ever existed? How about a different kind
It’s hard to do. It is one of those things I do not do very well, either. But we cannot do everything all of the time. Believe me, I tried. It is ok to ask for help. One of my favorite quotes is, “I will be whatever you need, for as
I have received some really nice compliments this week and on my walk this morning, I kept thinking that this responsibility was HUGE and I didn’t know if I could handle it. But everything that has come my way, has come for a reason and I have to trust that reason.
At the request of someone much more important than me at work, I have been helping a young man get an opportunity to play baseball. Now, this was asked of me because of our family’s years of being around the diamond and it was hoped that I might be able
You know the saying, “Bring it!” So, do you? Do you bring your heart every day? Do you let it guide you as to how you should live? Most of us don’t. Even if we were painfully honest with ourselves, we couldn’t do it or want to admit it —
I was very sure that this post was going to come in the next couple of days and even told CB it would. I did not think it would be something that needed to get done now. But it does. This post comes because of a chance talk that came
My knees are a little sore, but my spirit is great. I ran my first half-marathon on Sunday and was able to successfully complete the goals I had in mind as well. I was nervous pretty much the whole time — thinking to myself, “Can I really do this?” I
I love to give. And then what does that do? It makes me want to give more. And more. Sometimes, I forget to think about others but ultimately, my center is grounded when I put others first. Yesterday, I was very surprised by the card that was given to me
Yesterday, I went to watch my husband’s 9-year-old select baseball team play and was quietly smiling to myself as these two boys were just playing catch in between innings caught my attention. One was the pitcher and the other was the catcher. The pitcher believed he was the greatest and the
I have talked about how we change our lives by taking one small step towards something different and then I get inspired by something said to me by our 15-year-old son. He hears a line in a song and passes it on to me…”The first step is the one you
I am one to push myself to be better and do more than I had done previously, but had get motivated by different things and people at different times. Sometimes, I don’t understand it because it just seems to happen. It happened a few years ago when I picked up
If there is one thing I can learn every day, several times a day, it is perspective. Regardless of what it pertains to or what is relative, perspectives can change and therefore, our thinking can change. Sometimes, it is difficult, if not impossible, for others to see your perspective. Someone
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in the middle? Maybe because you were unsure of which way you needed to go, so you didn’t decide anything? Me? I just feel like I am stuck in the middle of who I am and who I could be. Kind of
We all become selfish at times for various reasons. Some we are not even sure why they showed up, but we fear being forgotten and not missed. That we have become so insignificant that we feel like we do more or want more, but it never seems like it is
Where does grace come from? Is it easy or hard to find? When we find it, do we know that that is what it is? When we think of grace, we usually think of something bigger than us and how it means to give more for others. I find grace
I never know it and even when I am told, it still makes me speechless. Last week, RE sent me a nice text that included how someone else might benefit from coming to the G.I.F.T. and she thinks that I am the best person to help this someone else. RE
When good things came my way, I always tried to dismiss them as insignificant or meaningless. Even if I had worked hard or dedicated a lot of time, I still never believed that I deserved it. Over the last couple of days, we have had a lot of good news
Someone I have known for a few years has this tattooed on his arm as a reminder about his life motto – You Only Live Once. TK has had his share of ups and downs and even had a few medical scares in his short 20 years but he certainly has
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind and as much as I was kind of surprised at my nervousness of the little thing I am doing tomorrow (in front of people), I think I am more excited about it than anything. I have no expectations and no worries…ok,
Yesterday, I head into work with nothing really exciting planned, other than it is Fun Dip Wednesday and plan on it being a normal, average day. By 9am, everything went haywire…but in an exciting, fun way. Without letting the secret out, I shared a new website with a co-worker as
Life is precious. There is not a price you can put on someone’s life and yet we forget that among all things, life is most important. I wear two wristbands that remind me of special people who are fighting to keep their lives. I have written about both of them before
“No man can walk out on his own story.” I heard this line in a movie I recently watched and as most quotes do, got me thinking….What is your story? Would people be surprised at what you would say? I attended a benefit for a wonderful woman over the weekend
Sometimes, until we see it, we will not believe it. Even when we feel it, we want to dismiss it as unreal. I know as that is how I once lived. I never saw it, therefore it didn’t exist. It stopped me in my tracks even when I could feel
When you do the unexpected, people pay attention. When you decide to break out of the every day mold that everyone else conforms to and holds on to because it keeps them safe. I totally get that…more than you know. When people follow their heads and do what is sensible
Today, on my walk, it seemed like the theme of the songs was HOPE and that got me thinking…yes, again. Where do you find hope? Does it come where you think it will or unexpected places and people? Mine comes from places I probably never would have picked or seen years
In our last G.I.F.T. meeting, I asked the group where they find energy and some of these lovely ladies were surprised by their answers. I think one of them just starting talking about her new job and then we got samples afterwards so it then we were VERY energized!! Thanks,
No reward comes without taking chances. Yesterday, I took a big step forward in moving this dream forward in a much bigger way. I cannot tell you what prompted me to send an inquiry yesterday…I mean, why yesterday? But, I did and received a very positive reply that was very
I never knew how to do that before. Love fearlessly. To truly give my heart away without a moment’s hesitation that it could be smashed to bits without any warning, without any provocation, without a way to protect it. But now that I have learned to love fearlessly, I thought
It is getting to be one of my favorite times of the year…when I watch the sun come up during my morning ritual. It ABSOLUTELY makes my day. It reminds me of so many things…of everything that happened yesterday and the promise of right now with the future yet undecided.
Michelle captivates audiences using simple ideas to make real-life changes every day. She brings personal stories, humor, and insight to every presentation.
