A Plan for Success Comes from New Year’s Revelation
As always, I spent some time thinking about what my New Year’s Resolution/s would be this year. Part of this process was reviewing my resolutions from the last few years – which is easy for me to do since I devote a column every year to the subject. It’s become a stroll down Memory Lane for me, as well as a good analytical tool. I can see which resolutions became habits and routines that I still follow today, as well [...]
“Home for the holidays” can be anywhere in the world
I was at a holiday outing last week with a number of people I usually see just once or twice a year, and some that I was just meeting for the first time. So some of the conversations were the getting-acquainted kind, while others were more of the catching-up variety. Yet almost all of them included some discussion of holiday plans. Since few of the people at the event have lived here in Minnesota their entire lives – which is [...]
The answer to a prayer makes a perfect holiday story
A friend of mine posted the details of a recent experience she had, and the story was so heartwarming and uplifting – not to mention perfect during the holiday season – I knew I had to share it with others. I told her I wanted to write about it, and she graciously gave me her permission. The story ended with someone’s prayer being answered. And it started a few miles away from a home improvement store. That’s where my friend [...]
Speaking of dreams, a familiar one returns
It happened again. I taught a class one evening this week, and it was a presentation I’ve been preparing for and looking forward to for quite a while. But two nights before the program, I had a dream in which the class was about to begin, and I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any of my notes or materials with me. In a moment of panic, I briefly considered driving home and returning with everything I needed, but I [...]
The choice is yours – this winter and always
“Choose. It’s all up to you, so choose.” That was the bottom line to a conversation I had with a friend recently. The conversation was a seasonal one, and a typical one. It had to do with the coming of winter – the snow, the cold, the wind, and the darkness that comes earlier and earlier every day. Plus the crowded stores, the rush and crush of the holiday season, and the endless messages, everywhere you turn, to buy, buy, [...]
Seeing your life in categories can make you more grateful
If you were asked to list some of the different areas of your life, what categories would you use to describe them? They could be as basic as “personal” and “professional.” Or you might include family, friends, and faith. Leisure activities, hobbies, or travel. Or health and well-being – physically, financially, mentally, or spiritually. There’s really no end to the number or names of categories you can choose to catalog the events and activities of your life. This exercise is [...]