How often have you heard or said any of these lines? I’m too busy. I’m too old. It’s too much work. It costs too much. It’s too risky I’m too tired. It takes too much time. It’s too confusing. It’s too pointless It’s too much to think about. All of these are basically mental shields. But instead of protecting you from harm, they may prevent you from helping yourself. We all think this way at some point. But if you find yourself thinking this way more often than not, it may be time to unlock your mental block. Here are
Read more →I hope you had a fabulous holiday and have started the New Year with a smile and some bubbles. While many people spend the holidays making their gift list and checking it twice, others focus more attention on their New Year’s resolution list. I am one of those people. As a New Year’s baby, I’ve always taken my resolution making seriously. Each year I bring out my special New Year’s diary and write down 10 resolutions for the year. It has always been 10 resolution plus 10 things I am grateful for. I’ve been doing this same ritual since 1989. Did you know only only 8%
Read more →“Do Your Best, and Then Let Go” So reads one of the 13 chapters- and morsels- of kitchen wisdom in Alana Chernila‘s new cookbook, “The Homemade Kitchen.” This is a book whose message is as much about how to approach life at a slow, measured and pleasurable pace as it is about about cooking with the same intentions. “Start Where You Are.” “Feed Yourself.” “Put Your Hands in the Earth.” “Do the Work.” “Slow Down.” Alana has these phrases and others taped to her refrigerator. I do the same thing on mine with inspirational quotations such as: “Just as the
Read more →The text from a friend in New York came in at 11:25 a.m. on July 16. “Did you hear about the shooting in Chattanooga? It’s at a naval facility. It’s still happening. Thought you’d want to check in with your mom.” I was at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street in New Orleans attending Tales of the Cocktail. The crowd was lively as you would expect at a massive cocktail conference. I read the text and felt strangely disoriented. I stepped into a small courtyard to make a phone call to my mother and check breaking news in Chattanooga.
Read more →Do women apologize too much? According to several articles including one recently in The New York Times by Sloane Crosley (June 23, 2015), women say “I’m sorry” more than they need to and far more than men do. Excuse me for asking (whoops!), but why is that? One study reports that “men apologize less frequently than women because they have a higher threshold for what constitutes offensive behavior.” So men can be boorish where women are polite to the point of being overly apologetic. I agree that many of us apologize too often for reasons that don’t really matter. As in “I’m sorry to bother you.”
Read more →Pride has been a word on everyone’s lips this week and for several reasons. In a landmark decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees a national right to same-sex marriage. The rainbow colors of pride, equality and acceptance have flooded Facebook and national monuments. The flag has been waved proudly in marches throughout the country on Gay Pride Day. I’m happy for my friends whose lives are positively impacted. I am also respectful of those whose personal or religious beliefs cannot accept it. We live in a nation of freedom of speech and – more now than ever- freedom of choice. This
Read more →“The optimist sees the glass half full. The pessimist sees it half empty. The opportunist drinks the water.”- Unknown Some people are entrepreneurs who create and build businesses. Some people are infopreneurs who produce and traffic news and information. I’m an opportuneur. My definition of an opportuneur is someone who takes advantage of opportunities and turns them into something meaningful. Here is another definition from business consultant Gary Brown: “Opportuneurs seek purpose and want to create change. They follow their passions and look for opportunities where they can use their talents to create this change.” An opportuneur is a bit different from an
Read more →I like to help people transform their “Now What?” into their “Do It Now!” Many people live in a state of Now What? and can’t seem to cross the border into new horizons. Often what is holding them back is the energy that can propel them forward: fear. Fear is an amazing energy source that can jump start any action, good or bad, if channeled properly. Fear can give birth to purpose. It can change the course of your life for the better. It can give you more clarity for what really matters. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I learned to
Read more →I used to say that when it was snowing the “the angels were brushing their hair.” This year, the angels have really let their hair down, giving much of the country a cold shoulder. If hell actually froze over it may have been this winter. Like many living in the icy parts of the country I had my cold snap this past week. In my winter meltdown I wailed to my husband….and to the snow angels, “I’ve had enough! As God is my witness, I want to go home to Tara!” In reality, my “Tara” in Chattanooga, Tennessee, received a
Read more →Two loving mothers and talented Tastemakers share their stories on http://www.W4WN.com. ! January 19, 9-9:50pm ET. Restaurant Consultant Karine Bakhoum is the only person to have her palate insured by Lloyd’s of London. Her remarkable palate and extensive knowledge of food earned her a spot as a frequent judge on Iron Chef America, which led to the creation of her moniker, the Iron Palate™. As Founder/Owner of KB Network News she advises restaurant, food and hospitality clients on building their brands. Her clients read like a “Who’s Who”of dining. In addition to her frequent appearances on Iron Chef America, Karine has also
Read more →If anything comes between me and my husband, David, it will be a cell phone. It is interesting how something that is intended to connect two people can actually distance them because someone is spending more time posting comments and photos than looking into your eyes and holding a conversation. It’s not just him. We are both guilty of socially isolating ourselves to the point where I check in with him and up on his whereabouts on Facebook. He documents my life and whereabouts his phone (Yikes! That Slutty Mrs. Santa photo is viral!) Why? Because we live in a society
Read more →A grown man approaches his elderly mother and punches her in the face. He grabs his sister by the throat and chokes her. He kicks his daughter in the stomach. Then he goes out for a night with the guys. Shocking! Yes. Disgusting! Yes, Abuse of any kind is wrong, be against women, children or animals, and we are hearing our fair share of stories about abuse in the news. I wonder: Why would men who probably wouldn’t think of punching or kicking their own mothers appear to have no problem leveling their wives or girlfriends? How can a man who holds his young
Read more →