11 Upside-Down New Year’s Resolutions
I love New Year's Resolutions. Writing down my wide-eyed dreams for the next 365 days gives me great hope. But then, I hate New Year's Resolutions. Because around the middle of April I realize just how pie-in-the-sky they really were. Take my recurring a ...
Finding Courage for the Scariest Step in Tough Conversations
“Would anyone like to role play a tough conversation?” I ask. By their response, it looks like I’ve asked if anyone would like their hair pulled out one strand at a time. They look down at the table, then sneak wide-eyed looks at each other. I had just ...
10 Upside-Down New Years Resolutions
I love New Year's Resolutions. Writing down my wide-eyed dreams for the next 365 days gives me great hope. But then, I hate New Year's Resolutions. Because around the middle of April I realize just how pie-in-the-sky they really were. Take my recurring ...
Holiday Surprise in a Duffle Bag
It's 9:30 at night. Cold. Snow on the ground. We've driven 12 hours for this moment. We turn our lights off, pull over to the side of the road and park. Sneak down the street with a big, black duffle bag. I realize we look quite suspicious, but I as ...
Just Say No to Snapping Turtles
A few nights ago, a neighbor boy gave a box turtle to one of my sons. I suppose his mom said he couldn’t keep him and he figured my son would have more luck at our house, The House of Many Pets. However, contrary to popular opinion, I DO NOT keep ...
When You Feel Abandoned
Have you ever felt like you’ve been abandoned? Sure that no one gave a rip about you Convinced you didn’t belong Unloved On your own… A few weeks ago, our cat, Witty, thought he had been abandoned …again. Wait. Before you say, “Oh, come on, Heidi, I do ...
9 Ways to Stop Singing the “Lava” Song
Right now, my husband is playing the "Lava" song on his computer. And my son has learned to play it on the piano. Just to torment me. The song has been stuck in my head for weeks. I wake up in the night with it in my head, I eat breakfast with it in my he ...
Inside Out- A Movie Review
I am one of the few people in the world who does not like movies. After too many times of feeling trapped in the middle of a packed theater watching something I didn’t want to watch, I finally decided I couldn't trust that a moviemaker will take me somewh ...
Embarrassing Moments: Have Plant, Will Travel
Like many of us, I have a “mobile office.” That means I might meet a client at a coffee shop to design a killer keynote, in his or her office to rehearse a presentation, or on Skype from home to work on improving communication skills. But when I have a pa ...
How do Tough Conversations Make You Feel?
I have always been terrified of tough conversations. Well, I say ALWAYS, but honestly, I don’t think any of us are terrified of tough conversations as kids, because we don’t yet know what a “tough conversation” is. Which is why my kids can very confidentl ...