Living – Page 2 – Writer, Author, Speaker

Purpose

Someone in the audience asked, "How do you know you're living your life's purpose?" Good question! How DO we know? Here were the answers from others in the room: "No other place I'd rather be." "I'm happy." "I'm in a state of flow." "It feels like I'm being me." The women's group in our neighborhood met to share business ideas and to talk about ourselves. Our SELVES. What do we fear? What do we seek? What do we need to feel like we are living our life's purpose? How do we say "no"? As in NO. How do we protect...

Children,Control,Death,Future,Life,Living,Time

Temporary

We just dropped off our twenty-year-old son at the airport. He is so, well, twenty. After raising two boys to manhood, I know that Kahlil Gibran was probably right: Our children are only on loan to us. I had heard it, but I didn’t have a clue of what that meant. When they were little, I fooled myself into thinking they were mine. But now I’m not so sure they ever were. Yes, they pretty much did what they were told—most of the time— because they didn’t know any better. However, those times didn’t last. And the boys often made...

Finishing,Learning,Living,Lucky,Starting

Starting

Oh, my goodness. I had this fine idea that everyone is great at starting projects and that finishing is the problem. I forgot that many times people fail to start because they fear they will never finish. So finishing is still a huge challenge, no doubt about it, but the more pernicious problem is that a finely honed track record of non-finishing keeps people from the unbridled giddiness that comes from starting something. That, and fear of looking really dumb. I hope you can take the first step. Whatever it is, try something new this week. It doesn't have to be huge. You can...

Authors and Writing,Bucket Lists,Fear,Hacking,Life,Living

Published!

This published book, Giving My Self to the Wind, is a way to say ‘I was here.’ I stole that idea from Thomas Kail, the director of Hamilton. I hope he doesn't mind if I borrow it because it's true. A headstone doesn’t do it, and I cannot hold my kids responsible for substantiating my existence. My 298-page (!) book opens with a quote by Gustave Flaubert that also explains why I wrote and published Giving My Self to the Wind (GMSTTW): “The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” Isn’t that why most people write? The collection's title...

Life,Living

HIbernate to Old, Please

How I wish I could hibernate for the next thirty years — no make that twenty — so I could suddenly wake up feeling old and being okay with it. Gray hair: check. Wrinkles everywhere: check. White eyelashes: check. Liver spots (ugh): check. I’m all here, but I’m calm in my old age and not fighting to be a young old person coloring my hair, wearing ingénue clothes, working at breakneck speed to keep up with a race for new technology that I cannot win. [caption id="attachment_2146" align="alignleft" width="223"] THE PATH[/caption] And there I would be, coming out into the...

Life,Living

Flamenco Recital

Con El Alma Dance Recital The night before a recital. Flamenco practice done. The dancers are ready. Their hair in buns. Their feet are sore From practicing every night. Excited and happy, Their goal is to delight. Filled with elation. Full of anticipation. Feeling exhilaration. There’s never a temptation To back away. No way, no way. Attack. Stay. Dance. Sway. Sweat ‘til you’re wet. Don’t forget. Don’t forget! Smile. Grimace. Spin. Keep the beat. More heart. More heart. Feel the passion! Meet your art. The newbies in awe Watch the seasoned dancers dance. With hope, with work, We may have...