Columns – Page 57 – FindYourBuriedTreasure

Forget about a balanced life. Harmony sounds much better.

Balance. It’s what many people today wish for, work toward, and try to achieve. Most of us would like to have more balance in our lives. But life is busier than ever, there are many demands on our time and energy, and we spend much of our time being pulled in many directions. Few of us ever seem to achieve the balance we’re looking for. Maybe we’re looking for the wrong thing. Say the word “balance,” and I picture an old circus act in which [...]

By bettyliedtke|April 5th, 2013|Coaching, Columns|2 Comments

The perfect gift for a special friend

I’ve been going crazy trying to come up with an appropriate birthday gift for a friend of mine – especially since we’ve agreed not to buy each other gifts anymore. I’m not breaking our agreement by doing this, because we didn’t outlaw birthday gifts. Just buying them. She and I have been friends ever since we took a writing class together long ago. We stayed close even after my family moved – twice – to different and distant parts of the country. In the years [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 29th, 2013|Buried Treasure, Columns|2 Comments

Something lost is found – and profound

I finally found it. It’s something that was missing for quite a while. At first I searched frantically for it, but then I just let it go. I knew it would turn up eventually. I also knew that when it did, finding it would represent an accomplishment in itself – and the information it contained would probably be even more relevant and timely than it would have been earlier. The missing item was an envelope containing a list of my professional dreams and goals for [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 22nd, 2013|Accountability, Columns, Organizing|4 Comments

Inspiration, innovation, and hope for the world

There are some days – as I’m reading about the latest scandal, shooting spree, or stalemate in Washington, for instance – when I wonder if and how we as a nation and a society are going to survive. On days like this, I truly worry about the fate of our country and the world. There are other days when I see such exciting signs of promise and potential that it’s all I can do not to jump up and cheer out loud. Last Friday was [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 15th, 2013|Accountability, Columns, Values|Comments Off

Feed your soul to taste life at its best

“You’ve got to feed your soul.” This observation came from a neighbor I was talking to not long ago. He had just commented on a few of my recent columns, and asked about my work in Uganda. His company has sponsored some projects and programs in Africa, and we were talking about how satisfying and fulfilling it can be to take part in such activities. We also talked about how people can be drawn to different types of projects or problems or missions or cultures, [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 8th, 2013|Columns, Health and Well-being|2 Comments

Still going strong – and seeing great results

The stacks of books are gone from the end table next to the sofa. So are the magazines, mail, and other papers that used to live and grow on my kitchen counter. The desk in the kitchen is so empty and inviting that I actually sit down and work there. And several shelves, drawers, and cabinets in my home and office look like the “after” photo in a before-and-after makeover. Which, of course, is exactly what they are. My New Year’s Resolution this year was [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 1st, 2013|Accountability, Columns, Holidays|Comments Off

A doctor’s question is something to cheer about

“Were you ever a dancer?” my doctor asked during my annual physical a few weeks ago. I was surprised – and flattered – by the question. “No,” I said. “But thanks for asking.” “A cheerleader?” he continued. That one made me laugh. I’ve never been particularly athletic or coordinated, and the closest I ever came to being a cheerleader was when I was in the marching band in high school. I wondered what made him ask about dancing and cheerleading, and he explained that as [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 22nd, 2013|Columns, Health and Well-being|Comments Off

To Get the Best Start, Start Writing the End

“Write the ending.” That was the point I took away from a blog post I read recently, by a writer whose work I greatly admire. And it’s the type of advice I especially love – simple to understand, easy to do, and it helps me not only in my writing but in other work I’m doing, and in my life in general. In this particular post, the writer said she had just written the ending of the novel she’s been working on. She pointed out [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 15th, 2013|Columns, Family, Writing|Comments Off

Seeing a sign is not the same as understanding it

Have you ever felt confused or ambivalent about something you were working on, and asked God for a sign? Something that would show you what you were supposed to do, or at least let you know that you were on the right track. I know several people who are very prayerful and who occasionally – or regularly – ask God for such a sign. And they usually get one. I’m not in the habit of asking God for signs. It’s not because I don’t think [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 8th, 2013|Columns, Faith|2 Comments

Warm thoughts come from a cold encounter

“I can see I’m at the right house,” the man said when I answered the doorbell wearing a winter jacket and scarf. Our furnace went out last week, on the day the temperature was expected to get down to fifteen below zero. The good news is that a repairman was able to come over fairly quickly, and he spotted the problem immediately. The bad news is that fixing it required a part he didn’t have, and couldn’t locate anywhere in the area. It had to [...]

By bettyliedtke|January 31st, 2013|Columns, Family|Comments Off

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