My daughter and I played a game called Rummikub the other night.  If you have never heard of it, you’re not alone.  The games I remember playing as a kid are Monopoly, Life, and maybe an occasional card game of Go Fish or Gin Rummy. Rummikub is kind of like Rummy, except instead of cards…

Every day when I pull into my garage, my headlights illuminate a box of solar garden lanterns my father bought for me for Christmas a few years ago.  Every time I see them I am reminded that I need to set them up.  But something stops me.  I don’t know what it is, really.  Maybe…

After our kids finished school for the summer, we decided to take a last minute road trip to California.  It was late in the afternoon, and we needed to leave right away if we didn’t want to be driving into the wee hours of the morning. I wasn’t packed and the house was a mess. …

Have you ever noticed that some businesses, stores, restaurants, and people make you feel good simply by virtue of coming into contact with them? Well, I have. There’s a little coffee shop around the corner called Carmels that I adore. The owner is a guy named Pat. He remembers my name, and looks me (and…

Sometimes life’s greatest lessons come to us in simple, yet profound ways.  This week’s video is about an insight that hit me during a rather lame attempt I made with gardening.  I hope you enjoy it!       Here’s what I said in the video: See this? I bought it two weeks ago. I was…

The lights are dimming and the crowd begins to hush. Music blares from all corners of the dark, expansive room. A spotlight illuminates the stage and cuts a circle in the red velvet curtain that falls from the ceiling above. In front of that curtain are proud parents and antsy siblings squirming in their seats,…

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a lousy place, just not sure how to pull yourself back up?  When we get that way, often times we tend to focus on things that will just bring us further down – evidence that supports why we have good reason to feel lousy.  But every once in awhile, we…

  Have you ever bought a piece of exercise equipment that ultimately became a place to hang your laundry? How about fresh vegetables that rotted at the bottom of your refrigerator while you ended up consuming fast food instead? Do you have any “how to” or personal/professional development books on your shelves that you never actually…

The other day in karate class, our sensei (instructor) began by explaining that 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. A year of wealth and financial prosperity. “So none of us need to worry,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. He then proceeded to tell us a Zen story – one that I…

Over the history of time, there have been among us people who dared to dream big and ended up creating something magnificent as a result. What they had in common was not their station in life, their family inheritance or even necessarily a solid education. Many rose up despite odds that would suggest their lives…