The Estate Sale Sermon (and the Dog That Broke My Fall)
A short story about resilience, leadership, and turning obstacles into opportunities For the last two weeks I’ve been in Oakland handling my Uncle Johnny’s affairs after he passed, which is a strange sentence to even write. Not exactly corporate keynote speaker material… but sometimes leadership shows up in unexpected places. I don’t really have a […]
The BIG Power of Two Small Words
I think most people like to be happy. Me too. The problem is… we often wait for big things to make that happen. But sometimes… you can create a little happy right in the middle of the ordinary. One of my favorite ways to do that is walking back up to the counter at a […]
he Unexpected Secret My Paralyzed Smile Taught Me About Finding Real Joy
I Actually Do. No Really… Like Medically. Most people say they have a good side when it comes to photos. Me? I actually do. No really. Like… medically. Because of my brain injury, I can’t control the left side of my face. Which makes smiling for pictures… interesting. Sometimes when people hear I was paralyzed […]
When You’re Not Trusted—and You’ve Done Nothing to Deserve It
When You’re Not Trusted—and You’ve Done Nothing to Deserve It How fear can outweigh evidence—and quietly destroy something good I did everything I knew how to do. I showed up.I told the truth.I stayed when it was uncomfortable.I repaired when things cracked instead of disappearing. And still… I wasn’t trusted. Not loudly.Not angrily.Just quietly—through hesitation, […]
Practicing Gratitude in Daily Life: A Powerful 15-Minute Method
Practicing Gratitude in Daily Life: The 15-Minute Glove Lesson Practicing gratitude in daily life isn’t always about the big wins; sometimes, it’s about a red knit glove and a snowy morning in Syracuse. There was a snowstorm today in upstate New York. The kind that doesn’t ask your opinion. And no—this wasn’t “oh, it’s chilly” […]
What a Five-Year-Old Taught Me About Gratitude (and Steak)
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What If That “God Thing” Was Actually Just… A Thing?
I’ve never really liked the phrase, “that’s such a God thing.”Not because I don’t believe in God — I do. Deeply.I just think the phrase is… well… kind of silly. People usually say it when something good happens to them: • You got the job? “God thing!”• A tree branch fell on your car […]
Be the Light
The Power of Our Words: Be the Light One of the things I’ve learned—living paralyzed on one side after a random brain injury—is this: you don’t need everything working perfectly to make a difference. I may only move half my body, but my words still work. And wow, do they carry power. Here’s the crazy […]
Every “ER” Matters
People love to say, “You can do anything you put your mind to!” And while that sounds great on a T-shirt or tattooed on your forearm… let’s just be real for a minute: I will never dunk a basketball. I will never fly (without a ticket and a neck pillow). Heck, I will never juggle. […]
Love the Mug: Learn from Grandpa
OK, pilgrims, let’s be real — I’d like to call myself a “writer,” but honestly? I’m still struggling to hit an occasional blog post. Why? Fear. Fear of failing. Fear of being bad at it. Fear of people not thinking I’m cool. But let me be crystal clear: that fear is trash. We don’t have […]