The Time I Worked for Santa: A Spirited Story
Guest Post by Kelly Silay Each of us has something we admire about the holiday season – the lights, the carols, or even the snow. For me, I have always admired the “little” things about the season, literally. I have always been drawn to Santa’s elves. Maybe it’s their work ethic to make toys for children…
You Are Born to Be Brave – Can You Sustain It?
“You are born to be brave.” The words seemed to flow so easily from Brené Brown but they did not just pass by. They stuck, resonating deeply. “You are born to be brave.” What simplicity. What power. What truth. For us Boomers or Gen Xers, when we think back to our early days, we were…
The Pluralist Generation: Going Beyond the Bedtime Story
Guest Post by Kelly Silay I am a planner. I love a detailed “to-do” list and my functionality for the day depends on the organization of my calendar. Organization is a strength of mine that has led me to be a planner through and through. I am also, however, a dreamer. My plans are often…
Do You Need to Aspire to Inspire?
To aspire is to rise up to a great plan, an abundant hope of fulfilling a worthwhile mission. To inspire is to convey a feeling of joining a higher cause, influencing soulful action. Simply defined, aspire is an individual effort while inspire brings others into the mix. How do they impact the way we lead?…
Follow / Unfollow – Making Relationships Work
Since the beginning of time, individuals have been in relationships. From good to bad, and everything in between, relationships have lifted people up as well as held them down. Relationships are a tricky thing. We want them badly. We discard them quickly. We pursue them with all our heart. We run away from them with…
Conscious Capitalism: Established and Progressive
After reading Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business by the Co-CEOs of Whole Foods Market, John Mackey and Raj Sisodia, I am left with a reaffirming confidence in what business really can be and, in many cases, is. In the past decade or so, it seems many businesses have lost their way –…
Challenge Your Status Quo
This simple sentence published by Ali Davies in Google+ stuck with me. “Being willing to challenge your own status quo is an essential part of getting on the path to creating change.” A very true statement and a very challenging one, too. Personal change can only happen if a person wants to change. Leaders can…
Perseverance – No Matter How You Spell It
Perseverance is one of those words I always need to think twice about when spelling it. Which is it? Preseverance, Perseverance, or Perservence The beginning and middle get confusing. As I was struggling with “perseverance” the other day, my spelling skirmish struck me with the value of the differences. In my confusion, clarity glimmered. To…
Live an Unlife Life
I will live an unlife life. I will unwrap what has kept my spirit wrapped in knots. I will undo what has kept me from doing the better thing. I will unleash what has kept me on a leash of restraint. I will unlisten to the unfruitful whispers of the past. I will live…
Creating an Unlife Life
Our lives contain an interesting mix of past and present. We carry forward a legacy from our parents, our experiences, and our communities. Many of these elements can be good, as they form a foundation from which we can build. Some can be bad, as they can hold us back or carry forward unhealthy habits…
What Are Your Numbers in Life?
We count things in life. Number of cars. Number of kids. Number of bedrooms. Number of jobs. Number in our paycheck. All numbers are not bad. They may reflect a consistency, an accomplishment, or positive years forward. For me, it is a year of numbers. My dad turned 80 years old. My mom is 75….
Real Life Choices: We Have Gifts and Challenges
It hit me. Our real life struggle. It is a fight between our gifts and our challenges. The winning one dominates us. Which one ends up on top drives the outcome of our life – good or bad. This is a real life choice. We all have gifts. Each of us has gifts. We may…