Monthly Archives: July 2017

You never realize how little self-control you have until…

“You never realize how little self-control you have until they put chips and salsa in front of you at a Mexican restaurant.”   #truth Having self-control isn’t always easy, as is so brilliantly illustrated in the example of trying not to eat the chips and salsa placed in front  of us…we can all relate to facing […]

Summer is almost over so make the most of the next few weeks!

“Time flies whether you’re having fun or not. The choice is yours.” – unknown This summer is flying by!  It’s hard to believe we are about to start the month of August already and school will be starting again in a few short weeks.  It definitely feels like this summer is going by way too […]

The 80s comeback is finally complete with Atari making a comeback

It seems like everything else from the 80’s has been making a comeback, from music, to pegged pants, off the shoulder tops, and even mom jeans (so wrong)…yes the 80s are back with a vengeance. The only thing missing from the 80s is our beloved Atari gaming systems…but have no fear…the beloved Atari gaming system […]

Less knowledgeable doesn’t mean less valuable

There is a natural tendency when a person gains deep knowledge of a subject to begin to elevate themselves in their own mind as being “better than” or above other people who they feel are less knowledgeable.  What is too often forgotten is that while one may have great expertise in one area, there are […]

“One you have experienced excellence, you will never again be content with mediocrity”

Dr. Charles H. Malik, former Secretary General of the United Nations, once shared: “I respect all men, and it is from disrespect for none that I say there are no great leaders in the world today. In fact, greatness itself is laughed to scorn. You should not be great today—you should sink yourself into the […]

Stay True To Yourself

As a young adult who was trying to take on responsibilities that I felt totally inadequate to take on, I came to learn that in order for me to be able to feel truly confident I needed to stay totally focused on living my life with integrity, as doing so provided me the confidence to […]

Do Parents Have Favorite Children?

I have two children, a 24 year old son and a 21 year old daughter. They are the best of friends until it comes to one particular argument that they have been having for the last 19 years since they were both old enough to debate it….who is Mom’s favorite child? And regardless of how […]

That Moment You Realize That You Are Watching A Video of, Well, Yourself?

Last week we were preparing to host a group of people on our houseboat down at Lake Powell. I was running around like crazy trying to make sure every throw pillow was perfectly positioned and every bit of dust was off the floors so that everything would look absolutely perfect for our guests who were […]

The Energy That Comes From Doing What You Love

“The only great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs Tonight I was asked to give a keynote speech to a group of entrepreneurs at Startup Ignition, a startup Bootcamp program for entrepreneurs. Truth be told as I was driving down to give my speech I was feeling exhausted from having had […]

Stand up for what is right regardless of who is committing the wrong.

“Stand up for what is right regardless of who is committing the wrong.” -Suzy Kassam A dear friend sent me that quote today and it was a much appreciated reminder of the fact that being a person of integrity means you have to be willing to stand by your convictions at all times, and against […]

Without Accountability For Actions There Would Be No Progression

Without accountability for actions there would be no progression in our lives or in our organizations.  And as Tomas Paine expressed when he stated, “…men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” We ought not trust those who are unwilling to be accountable. Each of us has a moral and legal […]

Taking accountability does far more to restore credibility than attempting to cover things up

Last week I spent the week hosting a group of fabulous people on our houseboat at Lake Powell. It is always a ton of work to host a big group for a week but its also incredibly rewarding to spend quality time really getting to know people on a closer level without any technology distractions […]

Thinking “I’m not going to make it”…then realizing you already have…

“Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and think, “I’m not going to make it”, but you laugh inside – remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.”  – Charles Bukowski How often I’ve woken up thinking that exact thing…thinking “I’m not going to make it”…completely overlooking the fact that I have already […]

Waiting for your life to begin

“For a long time it has seemed to me that life was about to begin; Real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me […]

8 things to remember when going through tough times

I found this the other day and absolutely loved it! I have no idea who wrote it but it is awesome! For those who can’t load the image let me repeat the 8 things to remember when going through tough times: 1. Everything can – and will – change 2. You’ve overcome challenges before 3. […]

A quiet conscience makes one strong

“How noble and good everyone could be if, every evening before falling asleep, they were to recall to their minds the events of the whole day and consider exactly what has been good and bad. Then, without realizing it you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve […]

Is the Universe just messing with us?

“Today: had my top on backwards, the pants I’d slept in and looked like Jack Nicholson from the shining. Saw all of the people I know. All. Of. Them!” Isn’t that exactly how it goes?! Those days you feel prepared for anything often nothing seems to happen… and then the days you aren’t prepared at […]

The Power of Jimmy Johns

Today I’ve got a fun guest post from my 21 year-old daughter Ashley to share with you called “The Power of Jimmy Johns”: For those of you who don’t know… I have a borderline OBSESSION with Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches. And when I say obsession… I mean I found 12 Jimmy Johns wrappers in my […]

If parenthood came with a GPS it would mostly just say: RECALCULATING

The other day my son Dalton, whose wife is expecting their first child in August, called me sounding a little stressed and said something to the effect of, “Mom I just realized that I am going to have a kid here soon  that’s going to be with me forever and that I need to parent! […]

Fireworks, Freedom, Fun and Food. Just four of the reasons I love the Fourth of July!

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You […]

One Nation Formed Under God. That is what makes America great

The Declaration of Independence was approved by our Founding Fathers on July 4, 1776.  Today I was contemplating this amazing occurrence and I decided to read from some history books to gain a greater appreciation of the events that took place and the people involved.  Reading of the tremendous faith that these Founding Fathers had […]