Living in Brazil the first time, back in 97-98, was a challenge. We’d only been dating for a year when we go there, and it was the first time either of us had lived outside the country. With only one car, once I dropped Blake off at work in the morning, I didn’t have many people to talk to during the day. Although I had a friend, Jenny, an American about my age, she had her own life, and I didn’t want to overwhelm her with my whining. Without the internet to keep me entertained, I got bored once I became accustomed to my surroundings.Read More →

I took this picture back in 2009 while taking my walk around our neighborhood in Brazil. I used it as inspiration for one of my very first blog posts. I wrote, “The menacing sky in the background encouraged me to focus my attention upon the beautiful blossoms right in front of me.  Although I passed these flowers everyday, the intensity of their charm wasn’t truly apparent until I saw them contrasted against the threat of the oncoming storm.” “It was an epiphany!” “Life is going to be hard sometimes, and these challenging times reveal the truth of life. Whether beautiful or scary, what matters at the end ofRead More →

Fortunately, everything turned out alright. Better than alright, actually, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning. Like all stories shared here, this anecdote is 100% true and offered to inspire personal reflection, deep understanding, and conscious conversations. While I would never tell you what to do, or how you should handle this situation were it to happen to you, this is my truth. Let’s go for a walk. It was Cinco de Mayo, and I had just finished chatting on the phone with a new client when my son Garrett suggested we go for our daily walk. It was aRead More →

Have you ever done something big and then immediately started doubting yourself?! Did your thoughts start churning with what-ifs, how-could yous, or who do you think you are!? You’re not alone. As soon as I published this website, my lizard started throwing a temper tantrum. For the next two days, anxious thoughts of fear and potential catastrophe clanged around in my mind. “OMG!! What have you done!?!” “The words aren’t perfect! You haven’t edited enough.” “You wrote too much. People are going read about your anxiety and think you don’t know what you’re talking about. What were you thinking?!.” “You did this for attention. LookRead More →

This post is part of my cornerstone content, written years ago, updated for today and still inspiring wisdom and deep understanding. I believe in the power of love and that God is that power. God is like the entire ocean and we are all drops of water within that ocean. I believe God lives within each one of us. We can let the God within us sparkle and shine, or we can deny it and pretend God doesn’t even exist. That is the gift of Free Will. My Captain, God, Allah, the Universe, the Divine, the Source, the Force, Vishnu, Brahma, the Big Guy inRead More →

Who are you? Who were you taught to be? What kind of a person do you want to be, and what do you need to believe to live a life worth living? These questions take time and energy to answer. No one else can answer these questions for you. However, the analogy in this book is a tool to help you find the answers for yourself. Adjusting my rudder In 2008, I had a spiritual awakening. Overwhelmed with homeschooling my son, I knew something needed to change, but I had no idea where to start. One day on my way out for a walk, IRead More →

This post is part of my cornerstone content, written years ago, updated for today, and still inspiring wisdom and deep understanding. Described by marketing genius Seth Godin, the lizard is  “the voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise. “  Doubt, fear, and anxiety all come from the ancient part of our brain, called the amygdala. It causes us to stop writing, second-guess ourselves, or sit watching television instead of doing the necessary work of getting our project done. The lizard is responsible for the self-sabotaging behaviors keeping our dreams from becoming a reality. The Resistance Steven Pressfield,Read More →

Black & white photo of two little girls wearing t-shirts and shorts

This post is part of my cornerstone content, written years ago, updated for today, and still inspiring wisdom and deep understanding. I remember being taunted on the playground in the first grade. I’d made the mistake of telling a classmate of my recent adoption with my little sister. She shared that little nugget of information with a group of her friends, then during recess, they all proceeded to skip in a circle around me, chanting in a sing-song voice over and over again, “Poor little Pamela…Poor little Pamela.” I don’t know how I responded at the time, but I do remember feeling ashamed, hurt, and absolutelyRead More →

This post is part of my cornerstone content, written years ago, updated for today and still inspiring wisdom and deep understanding. In the beginning I started walking back in ’99, once I realized I was pregnant with my son, Garrett. At first, it was a way to quit craving a cigarette, but then after giving birth, I continued walking, enjoying the fresh air and opportunity to clear my head. It’s also when I’ve come up with my best ideas, including the You’re the Boat analogy. Since then, I make a point to take a walk just about every day. For a long time, my chocolateRead More →

This post is part of my cornerstone content, written years ago, updated for today and still inspiring wisdom and deep understanding. I can still remember like it was yesterday. After living in Brazil for over a year, it was time for us to move back home to Michigan. Everything that didn’t stay with the house had either been packed up, thrown out, or given away. It was early morning as I drank my coffee, thinking about the day ahead. We had at least three separate flights starting in Sao Paulo, going through Houston, and ending in Cleveland, followed by a 4-hour drive to Ortonville, MI. ByRead More →