Last Saturday morning, I poured my coffee, put on some great 80s tunes, and attacked a project I’ve been putting off for years. (As in, my entire life thus far.) It took eight hours to go through all of my books and downsized my library. I started with a trick from Marie Kondo (master organizer extraordinaire), and along the process, I learned two things that you WON'T learn from her...

The human brain thinks 12,000-60,000 thoughts per day. If we don't do something to declutter on a regular basis, the brain can start to slow down and be less efficient. We all have our limits. This is true of computers, hard-drives, and our brain! This week look at cognitive load, how to lighten it and why doing so is imperative if we want to run on all cylinders.

The entire Christian faith is built on the concept of grace, mercy and forgiveness. And if we are followers of Christ then, we all strive to emulate Him. We also know though, that we are called to speak the truth in love, and to steward our blessings well. You can see, then, why the lines between grace and enabling becomes so blurred and complicated!

Some of the most challenging changes to make to our workflow and regular tasks are also the steps that can bring us closest to our goals. (Without us showing up at the finish line panting, exhausted, and out of breath!) In this article, we examine how seeking wise counsel, delegating tasks to others, and mentoring lead to a win-win solution that goes well beyond financial gain!

Somewhere along the years, the word “discipline” has joined ranks of offensive words. If you look up the definition online, it’s now associated with punishment, controlling others, and even abuse. But discipline has been around since the beginning of time and is listed throughout the Bible as something that benefits us and helps us to grow.

And as Miss Stacey from Anne of Green Gables said, “Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes.” But apparently, not everyone is quite ready to jump on board and set New Year Resolutions for the year ahead. 2020 asked an unexpected question: “Why bother setting goals at all?” I can understand the reluctancy to plan for the year ahead! But those who have scrapped the process of making resolutions and goals for 2021 because of this past year, are forgetting something important: There's a difference between making New Year's resolutions and setting goals.

I'm in the business of hope and optimism. Sometimes I help client’s gain hope by helping them change their perspective. Sometimes I hold hope for them until they’re able and ready to hold it on their own. My ability to hold hope and to see the silver lining (or at least the “light at the end of the tunnel” is not because I have never experienced hard times. I’m human. And as I say, no one escapes this life unwounded. In fact, I would argue that a person’s ability to have an optimistic perspective is not despite hard times, but because of them.

There’s an old psychology term that’s being used in a new way recently: “Insinuation Anxiety.” You’ve probably seen this anxiety or perhaps even had bouts of it yourself. If you’re not familiar with the fear, just take a look at some of the conversations out on Facebook and you’ll quickly recognize it lurking there. Lately, I’ve noticed an increase in people’s stress and anxiety in general when someone else disagrees with them or has thoughts different from their own.

Every year in December, I enter the typical hustle and bustle of shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating, and all things preparing for Christmas. In past years, I’ve said more times than I can count, “I love seeing everyone for the Holidays, but it would be so nice to get to slow down just one year and not be constantly on the run!” Careful what you wish for, right?