This holiday season I hope you’ll take a moment to savor the time you have with your family. We all get wrapped up in the craziness of the holidays and forget that ’tis the season to be jolly! Today I was at Costco, and the lines were crazy – I was 1/3 the length of the store away from check out. I was beginning to get antsy and then I realized that if I wanted to check out that I would have to just deal with it – in that moment, my demeanor changed, I ‘forced’ myself to smile and within a moment, I actually was so much happier. I turned around behind me and complimented a lovely woman wearing gorgeous shades of royal blue. Her lilting Irish accent was so soothing, I tuned out all the clutter/clatter of the store. We got into a conversation about Indian cuisine and before I knew it, it was my turn to check out. We exchanged numbers and promised to connect after the 1st of the year – presumably to cook together! So, in the span of 15 minutes, not only did I change my attitude around, I made a new friend! 

Go ahead – try it! It’s infectious. And oh – it costs you nothing – but earns you so much good will!

S  M  I  L  E! 

Its good for your soul & its good for your world!

May this Joyous Season
bring you peace, health,
and happiness
throughout the coming year 

I have vivid memories of sailing on the big container ships with my Master Mariner father. I have memories that go back to me as a 6 year old…my daughter’s age right now. One of my clearest memories are of standing on the monkey island of the ship looking down into the dark ocean below, mesmerized as I watched the ship cut through the ocean wake. I loved looking up at the stars. They’ve never been as bright and clear as they were those days at sea, surrounded by miles of dark black ocean and barely enough lights to be recognized as a ship sailing through the night sea. My dad taught me about Orion’s Belt, Sirius, The Big Dipper and a few other popular constellations. After all he had trained how to sail ships by navigating the stars; no GPS existed during those days. Those were some of the happiest times in my life. I loved staring at the beautiful constellations and for years and years later, long after I no longer sailed as much, because friends became more important than family (hello, I was a teenager!), whenever my dad was away, I just had to look up at the night sky, pick out Orion’s Belt and immediately feel connected to him. The stars always called me and brought me closer to him.

This morning I went for a run. I literally bounded out of bed at 5:30 am with more energy than I have had in months. The sky was jet black as I left my house, and as I rounded out of my street onto the next one on my route, I looked up at the early morning sky and was instantly transported back to my ‘ship days.’ The stars were crystal clear, beckoning me as they did in years past. This time, it wasn’t to connect me to my dad, who now lives less than 10 minutes from me; no, this time it was to validate the biggest decision of my recent life.

On one of those nights out at sea, I remember setting these three seemingly far off goals in a very vague ‘when I grow up I want to marry Jon Bon Jovi sort of way:’

1. Married by 30 (got married the year I turned 30)
2. First baby by 35 (had my girl at 34)
3. Retired from working for someone else by 40 (40 this year)

I am thrilled to share with you that as of 11/1/13 that goal will become a reality! I am finally walking away from being employed to fulfill someone else’s dreams so that I can work at fulfilling my own dreams.

I have had some INCREDIBLE people in my life lately. People who have helped me come to this decision; who have stood by me with countless conversations and what if scenarios – Thank you Marilyn, Ken, Shannah, Robin, Donna, Mo and most important of all my incredibly supportive husband Jason.

These next few months promise to be exhilarating, terrifying and exciting beyond measure! I am more than up for the challenge.

Today’s star-studded morning sky beckoned me. There is a star out there with my name on it! It’s calling me to reach out and grab it.

I’m on my way. Will you join me?

My family and I are in Palm Desert. We arrived this afternoon – welcomed by 100 degree heat (surprisingly not as unbearable as you would think– but then we didn’t linger in the sun).

After putting the kids to bed, I started to have a real coughing attack– I think the strong air conditioning was causing that. I’ve been sick for a bit — low immunity because I’m not doing good self-care lately (but that’s a post for a different day!). My husband recommended I sit out on the balcony to get out of the AC. It’s overlooking the golf course– off to the right in the light of a gorgeous full moon I can see a glistening little pond. The desert wind is strong right now, but with 85 degree weather, the ‘breeze’ is lovely. All I can hear is the loud rustling of the tall trees around me. I see Orion’s Belt . My sailor dad taught me a few constellations when I was little and whenever I see them in the night sky, till this day- I can visualize myself on one of his ships. I can see the ship’s white wake, cutting through the dark black sea. The night sky would often be awash with the brilliance of countless stars as no city lights were around to dilute their celestial dazzle. I can still see him in his Captain’s Stripes regally In Command on the Bridge and elsewhere on board. And even though I’m glad he retired this year after nearly 50 years at sea, I do miss those days. But I digress. For the moment I’m sitting on a very comfortable chair– the mist of sprinklers from the level below reaching me because of the strong winds nearly making me …dare I say it….cold!

There’s not another single human around. I can hear crickets, sprinklers, rustling trees and gushing wind. And I realize…it has been way way way too long since I sat in nature; since I allowed myself to be soothed by the lullaby tunes of Mother Nature. So as surprising as it is to experience this in a resort surrounded by villas, pools & people, these few moments right now, when I feel like I’m the only person in the world are going to restore my depleted soul, fill my cup and prepare me for the craziest, most hectic, insanely busy, but outstandingly productive final quarter of 2013.

You may not see me much from October to December, but I will be back with a bang in 2014. However– I’m here, present now and haven’t for a long time, felt more in the moment than I’m feeling right now.

I plan to fill my cup and all my backup reserves this week. I’m going to need it as I gear up for a wild ride for Q4 2013. It’s all extraordinarily exciting and I promise to share details as they come unveiled!

Hark! I hear a voice…it’s my husband. Ah—no, I’m not the only person on the planet. But for this past half hour or so, it felt good to feel like I was.