Get a Smaller Glass — Your Life Is Already Full
Get a Smaller Glass Ever since I got rid of all my stuff, I’ve said that some people see the glass half empty. Some people see the glass half full. Me? I just got a smaller glass. Now it’s full. That’s honestly how I’ve tried to live my life since 2017. I own like seven […]
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 […]
The 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. […]