The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on April 7, 2011. I had breakfast last week with a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. And if someone hadn’t told me she was a nominee, I never would have known it. She doesn’t look like Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, or the Dalai Lama, who are some of the people I think of when I hear the words, “Nobel Peace Prize.” Instead, Stephanie Smith looks like a suburban mom – which, in fact, she is...

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on January 20, 2011. I think I’m on to something here, and I can’t wait to see where it will lead. I’m pretty sure it’s taking me toward better health and habits, and an even more productive beginning and peaceful close to each day. It started with the candle ritual I wrote about in my column last week. After receiving a scented candle as a Christmas gift, I began a tradition of beginning each workday by lighting the candle, making a cup of tea, and sitting at my kitchen table as I organized and prioritized everything I had to do that day...