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Putting an End to Disasters and Diseases

It’s kind of ironic. We’re finally past all the end-of-the-world predictions and fears that had to do with the Mayan calendar, and now we’re hit with this flu epidemic. I haven’t heard any predictions that the flu is going to wipe out civilization as we know it, but I’ve read enough novels and watched enough disaster movies – where a medical research project goes awry, or a virulent strain of something-or-other gets out into the general public – that I’ve at least considered a “What [...]

By |January 18th, 2013|Accountability, Columns, Health and Well-being, Respect|Comments Off on Putting an End to Disasters and Diseases

A positive experience outshines negative ads

“Quiet on the set!” Yes, they really do say that. At least, they did last Sunday when I was in St. Paul for a taping of the show, “It’s a Woman’s World” for SPNN – the St. Paul Neighborhood Network. But they – meaning the producer of the show – said it just once, when two of the people in the room were having a whispered conversation on the side and didn’t realize that an individual recording of one of the show’s participants was about [...]

By |November 9th, 2012|Columns, Respect, Writing|Comments Off on A positive experience outshines negative ads

Betty’s Beliefs: Sharing a few of her guidelines for life

“What have we learned from this?” My husband used to say that to our kids every so often as they were growing up. They hated hearing it at the time, but since then it’s become somewhat of a family joke. And it’s something we all still say to each other from time to time. It occurred to me recently that there are several other pearls of wisdom and advice that I treasure. I believe in them, I try to live by them, and I regularly [...]

By |January 27th, 2012|Columns, Family, Quotes and Sayings, Respect, Values|Comments Off on Betty’s Beliefs: Sharing a few of her guidelines for life

A hope and a plea for happy holidays

You don’t say Happy Birthday to others when it’s your birthday. You wish them a Happy Birthday when the birthday is theirs. And you don’t tell someone Happy Anniversary on the date of your own wedding anniversary, unless the person you’re saying it to happens to be your spouse. I bring this up with the hope of diffusing what I see as a dangerous and ugly holiday tradition. And we’ve had plenty of those over the years. The most recent one is the alarming Black [...]

By |December 3rd, 2011|Columns, Family, Holidays, Respect, Values|Comments Off on A hope and a plea for happy holidays

Up or down, left or right, we can always get there from here

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on July 28, 2011. My husband and I went up north last weekend. Except we had to drive south to get there. We spent the weekend with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who live in the Chicago area but recently bought a cabin at Fox Lake, which is about a two-hour drive north from their house. From ours, it’s a six-hour drive in the other direction. It was a great weekend, and other than the time we spent riding out the storms....

By |July 29th, 2011|Columns, Family, Respect, Values|Comments Off on Up or down, left or right, we can always get there from here

Secrets for solving crisis can be found in two places

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on July 7, 2011. It’s no secret to anyone who knows me personally – or to regular readers of my column or other writings – that two of the things I’m most passionate about are Toastmasters and Dream Coaching. And as naïve and idealistic as this may sound, I truly believe that the world would be a much better place if every person in it spent some time taking part in Toastmasters meetings and working with a Dream Coach....

It’s a night to celebrate Survivors

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on May 19, 2011. It’s doubtful that anyone would ever mistake me for a sports star or a rock star. But I was treated like both last weekend. And I enjoyed how it felt. It was at the Eastern Carver County Relay for Life, where I was one of the speakers at the Opening Ceremony, and a participant in the event. But it wasn’t for either of these roles that I was given the star treatment. It was in my role as a cancer survivor...

By |May 20th, 2011|Columns, Respect|Comments Off on It’s a night to celebrate Survivors

Feeling secure is more important than feeling comfortable

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on February 3, 2011. My husband and I flew to Chicago last weekend. It was the first time I’ve been on a plane since full body scanners were installed at the airport and the controversy began over the pat-down of passengers who refused to go through full-body scans. A number of people have complained – and even initiated lawsuits – over the pat-downs they describe as an aggressive and humiliating violation of their rights and their privacy. For several years now, I’ve had to go through the full pat-down every time I travel by air. Not because of any issues over a full-body scan, but because I’ve had a pacemaker implanted due to heart damage caused by chemotherapy years ago...

By |February 4th, 2011|Accountability, Columns, Family, Respect, Uncategorized, Values|Comments Off on Feeling secure is more important than feeling comfortable

Join me on a treasure hunt

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on January 6, 2011. I am embarking on a year-long, worldwide hunt for buried treasure, and I’m hoping you’ll join me. You don’t have to take a leave of absence from your job or family. You won’t need a passport, visa, or malaria shot. And you don’t need to purchase a telescope, gyroscope, metal detector, or any other equipment or supplies. The kind of treasure I’m looking for is any talent, trait, gift, or skill that can be of value in some way to the person who possesses it. It is buried treasure if the person who has it doesn’t recognize it, doesn’t know or believe it has value, or doesn’t realize what it is truly worth...

By |January 7th, 2011|Buried Treasure, Coaching, Columns, Professional Speaking, Respect, Values|Comments Off on Join me on a treasure hunt

A quiet request brings a joyful response

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on December 16, 2010. A friend and I went to a nearby restaurant last week for a breakfast meeting to discuss some plans and projects we want to get started on. She and I have very similar values and beliefs, but very different skills and talents. We complement each other well, and have already worked on several projects together. We had a lot to talk about and a lot of catching up to do, in both our personal and our professional lives. It was one of those conversations in which we had to keep making notes about other things that came up, so we could keep track of things we wanted or needed to talk about later...

By |December 17th, 2010|Accountability, Columns, Holidays, Respect, Values|Comments Off on A quiet request brings a joyful response