Monthly Archives: January 2013

A Not-So-Gentle Reminder: Why We’re Lucky

Posted on January 31, 2013 by

Today I’m joining in with the IndiesForward Blog-A-Thon to write about Julie Forward DeMayo. She was an independent author—known as an indie—who lost her battle with cancer in 2009 at age 37. Julie was a creative writing major at Colorado … Continue reading →

Posted in Being a Hero In Your Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Surprise NASA Landing in the Galilee: How’s that for Hope?

Posted on January 30, 2013 by

HereIt isn’t every day that you get to meet the head of NASA…And I did this past Monday. Get the article in The Huffington Post here or keep reading: The head administrator of NASA, Charles Bolden, Jr., made a surprise landing … Continue reading →

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Tool For Tuesday: Get Better or Get Bitter.

Posted on January 29, 2013 by

Less than two years before my friend—I’ll call her Tracy—died, she found out that her husband was cheating on her. She was furious, obviously. He moved out. A while later, we met for lunch. I told her I was amazed at … Continue reading →

Posted in Self-Talk, Tool For Tuesday, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Self-Publishing No-No’s: You Can Tell A Book By Its Cover.

Posted on January 27, 2013 by

You can’t tell a book by its cover. Oh, yeah? I do, all the time. I don’t buy a book unless I like the cover. I loved the cover of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild—a worn hiking boot—and that was the reason … Continue reading →

Posted in self-printing, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

7 Easy RulesTo Write Your Best Chapter. (Rule 1: Write Your Worst Chapter.)

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

Got an email from a friend who confessed she was wondering why she was writing. What was the point of it all? Having been there and felt these feelings time and time again, I thought I’d share seven easy rules … Continue reading →

Posted in Writers, Writing, Your Best Chapter | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Tool for Tuesday: Name It. Frame It. Tame It.

Posted on January 22, 2013 by

So, my friend Janet is on a safari in the Serengeti when I thought about my Tool for Tuesday. I was pondering the way I replay certain themes in my head—like a song from the radio you can’t stop humming. … Continue reading →

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On Benjamin Franklin’s Birthday: That Guy Had Sparkalation.

Posted on January 17, 2013 by

So what if he had a funny hairdo? The guy was a genius. Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin stove, bifocals, the odometer. He had sparkalation. (That is me, totally inspired, and inventing a new word.) He was the founder of America’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Be Less You To Be More You, How to Change Your Life, Your Best Chapter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tool For Tuesday: You Can Pick Your Friends and You Can Pick Your…Word. (And I Did.)

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

So, when we last met, we were rummaging around our brain cells and heart veins and soul spaces for that word of the year. My friend, Anne, wrote, “My best word forever and ever is love. Such an easy one … Continue reading →

Posted in Tool For Tuesday, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

One Really Smart Thing To Do This Year: Choose a Word

Posted on January 13, 2013 by

My freshman roommate from Cornell, Mary Eldred, whom I’ve written about in The New York Times here, picks a word each year to focus on. In the past, she’s chosen the following words: connections, balance, center, grace, faith, open, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Acceptance, Thought For The Day, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Most Helpful Hint From Cave Men (And Cave Women) On Making Decisions

Posted on January 10, 2013 by

One of my daughters was struggling with what to do next with her life. She was overwhelmed with limitless options. I told her: be like a cavewoman. Gather. Gather all the information you need. Don’t do anything else. Just gather … Continue reading →

Posted in Decisions, How to Change Your Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments