To Inspire: I’m reading a fascinating book right now that I highly recommend: The Power of Moments, by Chip and Dan Heath. Researchers at Stanford and Duke, the brothers share their findings that certain experiences in our lives have extraordinary impact – some very positive and some very negative. For example, in the book they […]

To Inspire:   “Ellie, why don’t we consider traveling around the world in 80 days when we’re 80?” said Sandy Hazelip to her dear friend Ellie Hamby. Ellie leaped at the idea. While the pandemic delayed the trip, and the two were actually 81 years old during their adventures, they did visit all seven continents […]

To Inspire: Despite the television and movie cliché of the grumpy old person there’s a fair amount of research that shows people get happier as they age. Laura Carstensen from the Stanford Center on Longevity says, “As we age, our time horizons grow shorter and our goals change. When we recognize that we don’t have […]

To Inspire: Parker J. Palmer (no relation) is an author and founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal. He recently reflected on his life as he gets older and leaves his professional work behind. Regardless of age, what he shares below are some pearls of great wisdom for all of us: In recent years […]

To Inspire:   Rosie Grant picked up an unusual hobby during the COVID lockdown in 2020, one that she’s still doing and it’s bringing her some viral fame. Grant bakes recipes found on gravestones. Grant was studying library science and a class had her create a social media account to learn how networks work. At […]

To Inspire: Last Tuesday, I was privileged to host a group of our women clients and friends for a day at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. We spent that day with 40 women, many of whom have been incarcerated for many years. They are part of a program called Embark, offered in that […]

To Inspire: “The ‘personal vocation’ is, in fact, the secret of unity and integration at the heart of a whole life.”  – Father Herbert Alphonso, S.J What is a vocation? Many people assume that their vocation resides solely in their profession. Scott Waalkes dissects the idea that work equals vocation in his paper, Rethinking Work […]

To Inspire:   Allisen Corpuz found herself on the biggest and most beautiful stage in women’s golf last weekend and made it look like a stroll on the beach. Never mind that she had never won on the LPGA Tour or that she had heard all week about the historic occasion of the U.S. Women’s Open […]

To Inspire: What really makes you happy? Through a series of stories, Shauna Niequist’s book Present Over Perfect tries to help you identify what is really important and how you can live a simpler yet fuller and more honest life. So many of us are hardwired to want to do and have it all – […]

To Inspire: As we step into this 4th of July weekend, it may be tempting to focus on the tremendous problems we face as a nation: growing violence, deep division; staggering poverty; and the continued breakdown of the family. But lest we move too far towards despair, I much prefer to shift our thinking to […]