In today's post, I explore Prompt #3 from #WEverb11: "Learn. What lesson did you learn in 2011 from 'The School of Life' rather than a classroom?" What I learned through life in 2011 is that risk can lead to rewards. What lesson did your 2011 life experience teach you? Leave a comment here, or connect with me on twitter. Read more →

Six months ago today, my 86-year-old grandpa died at home on a beautiful early-Spring afternoon. During Grandpa's last ten days, I came to understand that death, just like life, is a miracle. Over and over, I have replayed the simple, now-sacred moments I had spent with Gramps during those last days. Though my grief has lightened, I don’t know that it will ever go away. Read more →

Generosity outside the box: as a tool for success at work (and in relationships), as a strategy for world peace, as a means toward one's own happiness, as a prescription for well-being. Where have you seen generosity in action? Read more →

What's more important: quality time or quantity time? My conclusion is that quality time sprouts in "quantity time" fields. Without a vast field that can foster spontaneous moments of pure quality, quality time (think a day's visit to an adventure park) looks like a potted plant sitting alone on a shelf. A potted plant might be nice to look at, but it's disconnected, needing only a little water now and then. A field, on the other hand, requires vigorous tending: sowing, weeding, watering, fertilizing. Read more →

In the last chapter of Patti Digh's book Life Is a Verb, Digh tells about a young mother whose final months with cancer were documented by Oprah. After the woman's death, the family was invited to appear on the show. In answer to Oprah’s question about favorite memories, the little... Read more →