Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Living

Life Lessons

meetup at daves

Building Community, One Pasta Dinner at a Time

In my 2009 interview with social media analyst, Jeremiah Owyang, he noted that building a community has to be done both online and in-person to be effective.  He talked about how he makes time for meetups when he's traveling, as...
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The New Normal

Change is hard. For 14 years, on the first day of school, I've taken pictures of my sons smiling (and not so smiling) on the front porch, after a big breakfast. It was our annual ritual before hopping in the...
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The Power of Awe

If you're like most people, there never seems to be enough time.  Photo by deux-chi But according to new research, people who were primed to feel awe had a stronger belief that there was enough time to get things done....

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

Understanding my life's work continues to be a work in progress.  Just when I think I have a handle on my work, I see a new wrinkle. Lately, I've been pondering and embracing this idea: "Everyone has a story to...
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Be Unreasonable. Be Inspired.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from my friend, George, who teaches entrepreneurship at University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business: "I'm currently out of the country, but if I wasn't, I would be attending an awesome event called...
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Poem As Food for the Soul: The Fat of the Land

A friend emailed me this morning with a poem from The Writer's Almanac about summer family reunions. Photo by djtansey She advised: Click on the link to listen to Garrison Keillor read the poem aloud. It’s much better that way....

Will You Join Me in Chicago on July 19?

I recently sent an email with the subject line, "Will You Join Me in Chicago on July 19?" to people who have attended my webinars and workshops over the last few years. The body of the email detailed a meetup...

100 Days and 5 Minutes To Spread Beauty Across the Miles

I wandered into a treasure trove of beauty today, when I went to this fine art photographer's site, davidleaser.com, and found stunning pictures of flowers.  The best part is that he makes his photographs available as free e-cards! 100 spectacular...

Summer Solstice Virtual Party on June 20

Every year, in honor of the longest day of the year, a friend throws a Summer Solstice party.  It’s a wonderful reason to get together—a backyard celebration with food, music, and good conversation.   And now, in a digital world, where...

Being Well-Used

This morning I had a phone conversation with a college friend.  It's been decades since we lived down the hall from each other in the dorm. Both of our careers have evolved in ways that we couldn't have imagined when...