As we move officially into autumn, my Canadian mind is still focused on colder weather (even though where I live, it gets cool but not really downright cold).

So this quote really caught my attention:

“One kind word can warm three winter months.”
- Japanese Proverb

It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget to be kind to others. But spreading around warm fuzzies actually brings good feelings to you, the giver, as well.

So how can you make a difference to others?

>>> CONTINUE READING How to Breed Warm Fuzzies…

Earlier tonight, I was out at the local July 4 fireworks display with my family.

I’m not American, but I live in the U.S., my husband is American, and our son is half American (half Canadian).

So rather than look at freedom from the stance of why Independence Day is celebrated, I have my own interpretation of what freedom means to me:

Freedom to live
Without limits.

Freedom to love
Without boundaries.

Freedom to laugh
Without reason.

And freedom to enjoy family togetherness without restriction.

Happy Independence Day!

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

How often have you taken the people in your life for granted, while you focused on business, or  your own goals, or keeping the house clean, or any other number of things that can get in the way of what truly matters?

As I just wrote in an article on the LWL Worldwide blog:

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re into personal development — working on yourself from the inside out, and becoming the best “YOU” that you can be while living in this world.

But all the personal work doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if you don’t have rich relationships with other people. It’s like trying to live in a void, a vacuum, or a hermit cave, without accessing the things that form the core value of human experience: a full range of heart-based emotions and feelings, as well as the clearest mirrors possible for your own behavior.

To find out how to turn around your limiting patterns and bad habits, read my full article and download the accompanying free report: Reverse Your Relationship Problems.

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

We all find ourselves in situations where we say the wrong thing.

It could be to your co-worker, your friend, or somebody in your family…

But the worst thing is when it’s with your spouse or partner.

Did you know that most couples don’t know the mistakes they’re making when they communicate?

And of those who do know, most don’t know how to say the right thing… they just know when they’re saying the wrong thing?

I just posted an article on the LWL Worldwide blog that talks about exactly that, with a quality resource that has been really valuable to me — and can hopefully help you out, too.

Read the rest of my article here: Change Your Life With Magic Words

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

Happy birthday to Theodor Seuss Geisel, who brought us 44 imaginative and inspirational children’s stories in his 87 years.

Some were written as Theo LeSieg, but of course the best-loved ones were penned under the name of Dr. Seuss.

Needless to say, thinking about his rhymes brings fond memories of childhood.

But many of them were valuable to adults as well.

For example, Barry brought my attention to this quote, appropriately from Seuss’s Happy Birthday to You! book, which reminds us all to embrace our uniqueness:

“Today you are true! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

And what about the graduation classic, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!…

>>> CONTINUE READING There is No One Alive Who is You-er Than YOU!…

Education is meant to advance us, but what if it achieves the exact opposite?

Questions about it have been raised for years, but there’s some fascinating and shocking evidence that education is actually squelching the creativity, and even the life force, from kids.

For more, read my entire article on the LWL Worldwide blog: You Are What You Know?

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

When you go “all in”, you’re giving everything — whether we’re talking about poker or life.

And as we get older, it’s natural to think about what lies ahead, and wonder if we’re giving enough appreciative energy to being alive.

They say “you only live once.”

And while that may or may not be technically true (I believe in an afterlife and reincarnation, but that’s a discussion for another day), the point is that in this life — this time around, as the people we are today — we only have one chance to make a difference, inspire and serve others, and leave our marks…

>>> CONTINUE READING Going All In For Life…

Last night Konan went to bed a one-year-old, and woke up a two-year-old.

It’s the only time in our lives we can double our ages overnight.

Here he is enjoying his 2nd birthday cake, mastering the use of a fork (unlike last year when it was all about fists and fingers).

They call this the “terrible twos,” but I’ve been advised by moms who have been there that it’s actually a wonderful year when kids finally learn about their independence and discover how to stand in their own truths.

So happy birthday and happy independence day, Konan… and many, many more years of learning, growing and developing through this thing we call “life”.

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

Today, October 10th, 2010, is our wedding anniversary: 10-10-10.

Until now, we haven’t seemed to share the date with many couples.

After all, traditionally people get married in the summer, and according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Hallmark says August is now the number one month for weddings, followed by June, July, September… and October in 5th place.

But when Barry and I got married two years ago, we liked the 10-10 date. It had the symbolism of making the wedding and the marriage a perfect 10.

Now, it seems, thousands of couples agree with us, as they rush to the altar today (and aim for the 10:10 a.m. time — which happens to be exactly when I’m writing this — to get a full 10-10-10-10-10).

>>> CONTINUE READING 10-10-10: The Perfect Anniversary…

Children naturally want to be creative.

And it’s one of their most amazing desires, because it also benefits them in many ways.

In my latest article for Small World Toys, I wrote:

“Imagination is the highest kite one can fly,” actress Lauren Bacall once said. Most children have an active imagination, and have no qualms about expressing themselves creatively.

Unfortunately, as they grow older, we often unconsciously squelch it from them, or fail to encourage imaginative thinking. Instead of letting kids dream about the possibilities in life, we tell them not to get their hopes up, or to be realistic.

So what’s the solution?

There are lots of inspiring ways to foster your child’s creativity and help him think outside the box.

Read my full article for more: Raise a Creative Genius.

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!