Shauna Ahern: Finding “enough”
Shauna Ahern, author of Enough: Notes from a Woman Who Has Finally Found It talks about what it took to leave her […]
Sally Fox: Living more creatively in the 2nd half of life (turn-the-tables interview)
This interview was a wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by my friend and colleague Dana Lynne Andersen about my book-in-progress Meeting the […]
Taking time between time
Now is a time between times, this week between the end of one year and the start of the new one. […]
Finding Lightfulness
‘Tis the season of light in many faiths. But not all of us are feeling jolly. This is also a time of […]
Why you should be dancing
My horses dance. You might say they’re just driven by instinct. But when you see them run into the field on a […]
How to find more light this season
How are you preparing for the holidays? The December holiday season, at least in the United States, requires so much preparation: shopping, […]
Take time out of time during the holidays
It’s officially holiday season in the United States and we’re off to the races! We watch the scorecard tick away telling us how […]
My gift to you: Five minutes, five breaths
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. What could be better than the spirit of giving and thanking? But the week before Thanksgiving Day […]
Weaving community–through stories
Last week, I had the privilege of once again participating in a Story Bridge event in Seattle. A very diverse group came […]
After Me Too
The chorus of voices chanting “Me too” keeps getting louder. Hearing people finally speaking out against sexual harassment has been great, […]
Inviting death back into Halloween
Happy Dia de los Muertos, the end of the three-day festival from Mexico that celebrates the souls of ancestors, friends, and family members who […]
Honoring fall
I love fall with its bittersweet splendor. Months of dark rain lurk just around the corner, yet the leaves today are at […]
Is empathy wearing you out? (And what you can do about it…)
Do you feel exhausted after listening to just ten minutes of news? Last week, as I was driving to the ferry and […]
Cultivate the space for creativity
You know the adage: “The past is the past,” often spoken as if the past is over and no longer a dynamic force […]
When times feel senseless, work artfully
I woke up early Monday morning enjoying that magical moment before the dawn, when the earth lies resting, undisturbed, my mind is […]
When you’re fogged in, follow the markers
There are mornings, here in the Pacific Northwest, when the fog covers the fields in a sheet of gray, and I can […]
Create a world. In six words.
Remember when you were in grade school and you returned from your summer break, knowing that your new teacher would ask you, […]
Do you suffer from email apnea?
When you return from a vacation, does anticipating all those waiting e-mails make your stomach twist? (I’m just back from my staycation.) Or, […]
How to plan a staycation that will make you want to stay home
Update: I wrote this during a summer when the smoke from fires was such we had to stay […]
Working from the vulnerable void
Brené Brown did the world a great service when she shared, from her research and experience, about the importance of being willing […]
Four insights from the solar eclipse
In Seattle, we didn’t see the total eclipse; at 92%, it seemed not even close. Light continued to pour over my property […]
This is not the New Normal
My heart breaks with Charlottesville. I am still grieving Charleston and so many other sites of senseless violence. Hate crimes wound us […]
When “I” Becomes “We:” Letting our stories connect us
I’m looking forward to helping a new friend work on a grant application for his nonprofit. He does critically important work inspiring […]
StoryPros: Jeffrey Davis—Shape/Write/Live Your Story
Jeffrey Davis is a writer, speaker, consultant, and author of four books. Through his firm and consultancy Tracking Wonder, he and […]
Improve your daily game with focus
Last week I wrote about developing your imagination. This week I thought I’d balance things out with a left-brain productivity booster. Normally, […]
When concise can cripple
Get to the point In my business writing class in B-school, I learned to be succinct, concise and make my point quickly. […]
How much is enough?
This week I‘m having a blast designing a business storytelling class for a client, interspersed with writing my blog. Working on two […]
Dare to ask a bigger question
Several years ago, when I started to reinvent my business, I faced a sea of unknowns and many questions. I wondered: What was […]
Story Pros: David Hutchens–Creating knowledge through stories
David Hutchens, organizational story expert and best-selling author of Circle of the 9 Muses talks about how companies can create knowledge more […]
Freedom! Let’s get the job done…
My fifteen-year old granddaughter and her BFF cousin spent last week with us (such joy) and entertained us by singing most of the songs […]
When One is More than Enough
Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, and it was to his brother? Throughout Van Gogh’s […]
When a Story Becomes a Game-Changer
If you ever needed proof of the power of story to set a direction for an industry, take a look at The […]
Story Pros: Vanessa Chase Lockshin–The storytelling nonprofit
Vanessa Chase Lockshin is an international non-profit consultant, thought leader, trainer, and speaker. She’s part of the next generation of […]
Is this it?
Sometimes I open the door to my mind to write and there’s nothing there. Depending on how I’m sitting (or what I’m hoping to do), […]
Are you rolling the rock uphill? (Or Sisyphus in the garden)
Do you ever feel like you’re just rolling the rock uphill? As I face that huge to-do list of things-that-have-to-be-done, I’ve been […]
What is your creative work?
What does it mean to work creatively, and to know that you are doing the creative work that is uniquely yours to […]
8 reasons not to tell stories (a warning for consultants and trainers.)
“Storytelling is dangerous.” I wrote this in my chapter in Sakile Camara’s book for trainers Communication Training and Development (Kendall Hunt Publishers, 2017) that […]
How to (not) Play Squirrel
Some years ago, I was walking my beloved Springer Spaniel, Lady, to the dog park. She was pretty well trained to heel […]
A chance to live dangerously
Since you’re going to get older, why not get a bit bolder? I heard those words last week from Dr. Bill Thomas […]
Spring for some new reading
Spring is hitting the northwest, almost in time for summer. We broke Seattle’s rainfall record for April, But now it’s oh-so-beautiful, as the […]
Finding the essential in aerospace and art
I recently had an opportunity to tour Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ privately-funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company. Tucked in an industrial area […]
How to Birth a Dream—Gently
Before a dream can be transformed into a project in the world, it has to be born. We talk about “making” dreams come true, but […]
Why Some Meetings Fail Before They Begin
If you work in an organization or business, or volunteer regularly in the community, how many hours do you spend weekly in […]
A Manifesto for Disruptors and Manifesto-makers
Recently, I had an opportunity to interview two cool, world-class disruptors who are challenging society’s beliefs about aging: Dr. Bill Thomas, author […]
3rd Act: Ashton Applewhite—Saying “No” to Ageism
Ashton Applewhite is a force. This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism accelerated a big conversation about how ageism pervades our culture. The PBS […]
The Soul of an Old Machine
Tracy Kidder once wrote about the soul of a new machine, describing a breath-taking computer development process. Today I want to […]
3rd Act: Dr. Bill Thomas—Disrupting the Story Around Aging
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Dr. Bill Thomas is changing the story about moving from adulthood into elderhood. He’s an […]
Finding an Anchor in Changing Seas
In a couple of months, I’ll be going to a gathering where the theme is “Sea Change.” The title reflects the […]
Ten Leadership Lessons to Steal from Springsteen
Creative Commons photo by GabboT Steal if you want to, but I think Springsteen would let you drive away with any insight you’d like from his […]
The Subversive Pile Next to My Bed
Words can be dangerous, sentences subversive. At a time when many of us are asking, “What can I do,” I’m starting a very undercover […]
Four Words to Help You Bridge Divides
Have you noticed how the fault lines between our values in the United States are becoming chasms? The distances separating conservatives […]
Structuring Your Time Without Killing Your Muse
As a creative entrepreneur, I often wrestle with how to manage my time, get things done, and nurture my creative zeal. I […]
Comfort Yourself in a Warm Blanket of Words
Sometimes I like to wrap wisdom around me like a blanket when it’s dank and sleeting outside. When the news makes me cold […]
Why Music is Subversive
As I was mid-way through the Women’s March Olympia, (capitol of the other Washington), a woman near me burst into song: “This little […]
Story Pros: Geoff Mead—Narrative Leadership
Geoff Mead is a skilled organizational storyteller who combines the artistry of a traditional storyteller with years of experience with leadership development. He […]
Story Pros: Karen Dietz—The Dynamics of Business Storytelling
Karen is the top curator globally on the subject of business storytelling (www.scoop.it/t/juststory-it) and the owner of Just Story It. She is […]
Is It Time to Dare More Greatly?
Dr. Martin Luther King dared to believe. His words still offer truths that are bold and aspirational to guide us in political times that […]
Sonia Thompson—Helping business thrive
How do you help businesses avoid the heartache that getting started and managing often requires? Sonia Thompson is a creative dynamo […]
Dreaming Big: Daring to want what you want
A friend of mine recently confided that she hasn’t been able to do the artistic work that fills her spirit because of […]
Why Positive Thinking Can Have Negative Results (and what to do about it)
In last week’s post I wrote: “Wishful thinking actually decreases our possibility of meaningful action,” as I explored why dedicating ourselves to what […]
Story Pros: Jean Storlie
Jean Storlie: Using story for innovation and problem solving Jean is a business storyteller who uses story combined with creative problem solving […]
Forget New Year’s Resolutions…try this instead
The fact that resolutions are made by Congress should make them suspect. (I wouldn’t choose Congress as a role-model of effectiveness …) The […]
Seven Great Last Minute Gift Ideas—for those who are broke or tired of buying stuff
With Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa on the near horizon, I want to offer some support in case you, like me, suffer from seasonal I-don’t-know-what-to […]
Music for Times That Need to Change
Dylan in 1963, Public domain photo. This year the Nobel Committee gave the prestigious Prize for Literature to Bob Dylan, the first prize ever […]
A Secret Bullies Will Never Know
Illustration from a video by Association Jean Vanier. My head is foggy with a bad cold this week, so I have to keep […]
Stepping back and moving on
What a November it was! For those of us caught in an emotional whirlwind after the elections, I wrote this triptych: Navigating Your Way […]
Story Pros: Lynnaea Lumbard—Creating the New Stories
Lynnaea Lumbard, PhD, is finding and sharing the new stories about aging, community, the environment and the planet that can support positive change. Using the patterns in how change occurs in nature and mythology, she gives us insights into how we can relate to these times of massive change.
What Makes You Feel Abundant?
The classic Thanksgiving feast, in the United States, is a table of abundance, overflowing with food that beckons family and community together. But […]
Finding Your Purpose at Any Age with Dr. Christine Whelan
Whether you're at the start of the career or see retirement on the horizon, Christine Whelan's work on finding and acting upon your purpose will be valuable.
You Can Do This Hard Thing
During this time of recovery and even trauma, I chose poetry over punditry, philosophers and theologians over politicians. Listening to the meaning-makers who speak through their hearts helps me to heal and to stand in my deeper values and higher self rather than in my spite and reactions.
Navigating Your Way Across Grief
Today, the morning after the elections, I woke up in deep grief, needing some comfort – to just keep going. Chop wood. […]
Launching a website (or take that Russian trolls!)
Today I launch my website 2.0. New. Pared down. Beautiful (I hope). Designed to be useful. But perfect. No. It should have been […]
When you want to explode, maybe don’t
We see so much fear and anger playing out on the national scene this fall. It’s led to some pretty ugly diatribes. […]
Rich Feller, Ph.D. Our Two Stories of Life: Finding Possibilities with a HEROIC Mindset
The key is to retire to something not from something," says Dr. Rich Feller, who has helped thousands of people around the world to find purpose and re-invent their careers with his HEROIC mindset. Rich talks about how to navigate a lifetime of transitions in a world that is changing all the time.
Breaking the Spell
Is our country under a spell? After the last presidential debate, I felt the need to wash away a residual toxicity, so I […]
“Tell Me Your Story.” How to Elicit GREAT Stories From Your Clients (and Friends)
Many years ago, I was sitting in a doctor’s private office, waiting to meet a holistic practitioner who had been highly recommended […]
7 Questions to Ask When Challenged by Evidence
Last week, I heard a chilling term for a world where facts get distorted, taken out of context, and manipulated at will: “The […]
Improvising your Third Act with Christine McHugh
I met Christine in the Santa Fe airport, when I was returning from a performance workshop, and she was flying off to […]
Isn’t it time to share your story?
Your story matters. Or more accurately, your stories. I know because I’ve been working on a project this summer, helping dozens of nurses […]
Are You Counting What Counts?
So God just sent his chief publicist down to help Jesus and he says, “You’re doing good work, Jesus, but I’m worried about your counts. […]
Finding the space for spaciousness
This week I’ve been working on deadline, caught between two big projects I love, primed, a bit more than I’d like to […]
9 Steps to Take When Your On-line Software Stops Liking You
Do you ever start treating your cool online software programs like a friend you can’t live without? They are so uber-friendly, with […]
Five books to match your summer moods
Summer’s passing – too fast, I’m afraid, but hopefully you still have time to take a vacation or a few extra moments […]
Gloria Burgess; Transforming How We Lead and Live through the Arts
Dr. Gloria Burgess is an author, and gifted speaker who has presented keynotes to tens of thousands of people in nearly 30 […]
What You Said: Celebrating Aging Your Way
Last week I posed the question, “What does aging mean to you?” and listened to what you told me. It was […]
Does Your Age Mean Something to You?
This week I did it! OMG. I finally made it to Medicare – in one piece – and I’m celebrating! And even […]
The Perils of Working from Passion
Do you ever get so excited by a project that you can’t wait to work on it? You bounce out of […]
Discover Your Stuff-Handling Personality with This Free Test
It’s fashionable these days to talk about giving away stuff, thanks in part to the wisdom of Japanese tidying fanatic, Marie Kondo. […]
Honoring our true colors in a violent world
Black lives matter. White lives matter. Pantone* shade 316 – 6C lives matter. *a system printers use for matching colors Like you, I’m […]
Keith Carlson: The New Story about Nurses
Keith Carlson is helping shape the conversation today about nurses and the nursing profession for tens of thousands of his listeners and readers. […]
Don’t create your legacy – claim it
Near the end of the movie Schindler’s List, there’s a gut-wrenching moment when the Jews who’ve been kept alive by Oskar Schindler […]
Make meetings memorable with graphic facilitation
An alternative to death-by-meeting If you’ve worked in organizations, you probably know the drill: You drive to a conference site, arrive […]
Rebecca Crichton: Creative aging – a fresh perspective
As we baby boomers move into our 60’s, there’s a big conversation going on about how to age gracefully, creatively, and avoid […]
8 new words that will open up your world (warning: they’re more than 2 syllables)
I heard recently that on-line copywriters should write at a third grade level. That’s five grades down from the 8th grade level recommended to […]
What to do when an opponent labels you?
Do you remember hearing, “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me?” Maybe your Mom, like mine, […]
Are we rating ourselves crazy?
It’s a sad day when a presidential candidate publicly rates women on a scale of 1 to 10. Are we really […]
Try a magic wand that can shift your perspective
Despite calling myself, at times, a “change agent,” I still stumble on one irrefutable fact: most of life is outside of my […]
Chris Farrell: Creating a new story about un-retirement
We live within stories, some personal, some cultural. One of those stories is about retirement – that supposedly magical time of life […]
Rethinking our thinking with Nancy Kline
Nancy Kline is a woman on a mission to prevent the greatest crime – the waste of a single human mind…and her commitment is to help people think independently for themselves. She has spent most of her adult life asking the question: " How do we help people to think for themselves, with rigor, imagination, and grace?
Restore Thinking to Her Place of Honor
My friend Thinking is one of the world’s great unsung heroes and a good friend of mine. But she’s been looking depressed recently. […]
