Every January, in the winter wonderland of northern Michigan that we call home, ski season kicks into high gear for our family. Four to five days a week, we are at the ski hill getting exercise and fresh air.
Our girls love skiing. Our twins, now seven, and our eldest daughter, now ten, have been on skis for the last five years. They’re adventurous and love speeding down the hills.
One of the questions we were asked most often before moving to northern Michigan was “What about the winters?”
What about them? It’s one of our favorite times of the year because we can play in the snow.
We have the opportunity to engage in new and exciting experiences all year long, for which we’re grateful. New experiences are integral to our happiness.
Read More
I hope the first few days of the new year have been wonderful for you. I’ve spent a good portion of my time cleaning, reflecting and planning for the year ahead.
As I reflected over the last year, I realized something that I hadn’t noticed earlier. Last year I started doing things that had been on my bucket list for years. The pandemic awoke in me a sense of urgency. I started to worry that I may get to the end of my life and regret never having tried the things that I wanted to do. Sure, there are trips that I want to take and things I want to experience, but what was really nagging at me was my reluctance to start things that I had a passion for and felt drawn to, such as painting and music.
Read More
As a young comedian, Jerry Seinfeld hung a big calendar on his wall. He began writing jokes every day. After he wrote, he put a big red X over that day.
According to Seinfeld: “After a few days you'll have a chain....Your only job is to not break the chain.”
Seinfeld didn’t resolve to become a great comedian. He challenged himself to write every day.
See the difference? It’s not just semantics.
Challenges are action oriented whereas resolutions are outcome oriented.
With a resolution, you think about who you want to become. With a challenge, you become that person through the consistent action you take.
Read More
As we head into the holidays, during a year in which many traditions and gatherings have been put on pause, it’s easy to fixate on what we’re missing. At times like these, it’s important to find the abundance—kindness, good and happiness—wherever it may lie. It’s there. You just have to look for it.
Read More
You may have heard the parable about the old Cherokee who is teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He went on, “The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson considered this and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”
Read More