Dear Beauty, Lately, I’ve noticed lots of optimistic statements—platitudes that speak of looking on the bright side, living out-of-the-box, seeing the glass half full.  I quote them myself, but I wonder if I and the others who sing these positive mantras would put them into practice if a devastating crisis came to our door. I’ve always admired my youngest sister, […]
Laura’s Voice: The Flame of Optimism Read More »
Dear Very Cool Woman, Have you seen the latest Star Wars or Hunger Games movies? We’ve seen both and they are certainly worth it. One thing I notice is that the writers have included farewell words of good luck that get repeated—almost like slogans. In Star Wars, everyone says, “May the Force be with you,â€
May the Odds of the Force Protect You Read More »
Good Morning Sunshine, The other day I started thinking about the word ask and realized that I have many questions about this three letter word: Who do IÂ ask when IÂ have a need and what am IÂ asking for? If I ask, am I being dependent upon someone else? Is it better to ask or figure it
Greetings Beautiful, Maybe it’s just me, but I get told to focus, focus, focus my thoughts—often. Sometimes I wish I had a spray that kept my mind from wandering, the way hairspray keeps my locks from blowing in the wind. On the other hand, I wonder if there is value in not being focused. I
Hairspray for the Mind Read More »
Hello Cool Woman, I had an interesting dream the other night. In the dream, I was at the kitchen table sitting across from my body and she began to speak to me. This is what she said: “I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you for some time now. I love this life we’re
Hello Beauty, Have you been thinking about the coming year? Even thought the future is unclear, it’s a great time to anticipate what’s to come as we march into 2016. May we be filled with passion for our lives. The older I get, and the more funerals I attend, the more I realize that I
Seven Characteristics of Passion Read More »
Happy New Year Lovely, We’ve stepped into 2016. Ready or not, January is here again and our journey continues. Since my name is Jan (shortened from Janice many years ago because I always thought Janice sounded like somebody’s mother), I feel like everyone’s talking about me when they use the abbreviation for the month. But
Hello Very Cool Woman, If I had a quarter for every time I heard someone say, “I never expected my life to be like this,†I’d be so rich, I could take all of my readers on a cruise around the world. I’ve said those words myself. I can’t help wonder, why are we surprised
I Never Expected my Life to Be Like This Read More »
Dear Very Cool Woman, Part of personal confidence comes from knowing that we follow through on our promises. When we set a goal and achieve it, confidence increases; when we set a goal and then forget it or fail to reach it, confidence and trust fall over the cliff. Keeping promises builds trust and the
