Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Living

Life Lessons

11 Great Things to Do In a Down Economy

Make new connections. Invite someone interesting to coffee. Find a networking event that resonates with you. Create your own gathering. Get on Twitter.  Strengthen old connections. Make a list of the people you enjoy. Send a note. Plan a date....

Wisdom Entrepreneurs: Do You Have the 5 P’s?

This blog is about the "how-to" of transforming an idea into a sustainable movement, helping wisdom entrepreneurs achieve success more easily and intentionally. The how-to's don't say anything about personal traits that contribute to success. Enter a few thoughts on...

Turning Point and Change

Change seems to be what's in the world these days. I read it in the papers and I see it in my emails. I am creating it in my businesses and in my life. And still, I resist it. Recently,...

Forget About Hanging On to Your Job: Try Managing Yourself

In this climate where the next layoff or bankruptcy could be just around the corner, there's no better security than to "know thyself." I re-discovered a gem of an article, Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker, while cleaning my office.Long before...

A Question that Matters for 2009

The great thing about de-cluttering is that I run across good stuff I had forgotten about. I recently found a hard copy of an article, on how the questions you ask shape who you are. The electronic version is titled...

Not Jumping Into 2009

This has been a different kind of start to the new year for me. Maybe it's been that way for you as well. Photo by MacJewell I'm not ready to jump into 2009. I groan when I see the New...

Rest and Renewal

I realized this week that work never seems to end if the laptop is open. A little meditation, a little yoga, and two fairy cards later (with titles of "Kick Up Your Heels" and "Peace of Mind,") led me to...

Christmas Eve, 2008

It's 4pm, on Christmas Eve. I have candles burning brightly in my office and a poinsettia plant on my desk. For all living things, there is a time for renewal and rest, before sowing the seeds for the next harvest....

The Real Value of Christmas Cards

Have Christmas cards become obsolete? With e-cards that provide a multimedia experience and scrapbooking services that allow for customized slide shows, sending a card through the mail seems almost quaint. Since my college days, I've considered that Christmas cards were...

What Pears and Rod Blagojevich Have In Common

I cut up two pears, expecting to mix them with cottage cheese for a light lunch. From the outside, they both looked to be a day or two past their prime, with brown spots dotting the yellow skin. When I...