Winning a million dollars isn’t truly a million dollars. First, calculate cash up front brings it down to $500,000, then paying 50% taxes reduces it to $250,000 – no, I wouldn’t quit my job. What I would do – all or some of these until I’ve spent $250,000: 1) Invest half 2) Put a down…
Today seemingly random sequences of events caught my attention and changed my focus. I believe that nothing happens coincidentally. This year, my goal continues to ride every wave no matter how far or deep I need to swim. A thank you letter for a donation in honor of the recently passed Father John P. Daly…
How many favorite family traditions can you think of from the last third of the year? Then, turn the corner into the new year and the barren first months leave us in withdrawals. This year I’m eager to define a fun tradition for my family to implement this spring, in addition to our shamrock shake…
Every Monday, the coffee-time banter repeats, “How was your weekend?” “Great, but too short!” While I’m designing a time-travel machine with settings to speed up work-weeks, or slow down weekends, meanwhile, I’m determined to maximize precious relaxation time. This pep-talk stands to convince me that downtime will even present itself as, today, we split time…
Ever notice that sometimes smart people do stupid things? I’m a recovering Princess who’d joined a triathlon team despite my delicate posterior not gracing a bicycle seat in 27 years! Our first journey traveled near the Rose Bowl castle. I sighed hearing that a lap around the kingdom covered 3-ish miles. Having traveled that distance…
I boldly committed to writing 365 words a day for 365 days, and leapt onto the page, typing enthusiastically until the screeching realization about 10 days into it, that 2012 actually has 366 days! Dang it! I could write 366 words for 366 days, or write 366 words every 4th posting. Perhaps I should blaze…
After trudging through this week, my instinct to find something good in it rose to the top. Today proved to be less about rest, more about the continual transition to our future. I seized the silent moment – between the finish line of the weekend, and the starting line for the next one – to…
In a meeting, a professor lamented, “Don’t parents know if they let their kids study what they want, they’ll be better students?!” My head rotated 360 degrees experiencing emotions from being those college students choosing a major to satisfy everyone, to now holding a higher-up Mom position to the future Presidents! I teach my kids…
At 10pm I received a Monday Challenge (reblogged below) to do something nice for myself. Not one to turn down a dare, I felt ideas boiling immediately. Truthfully, the thought of staring at Alex O’Laughlin for 2 hours made me blush like a crushing schoolgirl but I settled for celebrating the highlights of today, and…
Today’s continuation of 24 hours of doing anything I want, wound up being just what I needed although not from my original list. Slept in: I finally slept in! Songs blared from my iPhone for minutes, but I snored on. I slept so late that I did not get any coffee until 3pm. I didn’t…
My son gave me a Valentine’s Day certificate for a day to do anything I want! I carefully considered my plan, sorting events into two days – with or without kids. This reflects Part I of “My Day” (I go by hours, not calendar date). Picked up before cleaners: The early morning wake up, to…
I’m with Oprah, if you come prepared when opportunity knocks, your dreams come true. In college, although working toward a major, I rarely pursued relationships with my professors. Now, more than ever, workplace successes depend on whom you know so networking counts. Some advice: 1) Find mentors – I regularly learn from every interaction. If…
