Little things can make a BIG difference. Listen in for a few examples of how this can happen, when I tell you about an “erotic goat,” a lady who committed herself to paying for at least one convenience store customer’s bill every week, and my grandpa, who threw...

Sometimes the anticipation of suffering worse than the suffering itself.  Ever seen a 5-year-old start crying before he even gets a shot?  Negative anticipation is powerful. But so is anticipation of joy.  And I’ll bet you have experienced this too—at least on a...

Have you ever had the crazy feeling that you were on the edge of an adventure?  And have you ever heard the phrase, “If everything goes perfectly, it’s not an adventure”? A few years ago, my niece, Becky and her now-husband, Martin, decided to get married in Italy,...

Where do you need some extra boldness this year? I will say that when I’m in need of some courage, I have a little ritual that helps me: I love to take a deep breath and yell, “Towandaaaaa!” in my own head.  It all started when I saw the movie Fried Green Tomatoes....

Back in 2020—you remember that year, right?—Andy Stanley, like the rest of us,  had apparently had a rough go of it, and had that in mind when he wrote this: Sometimes he said, I just want it to stop. Talk of COVID, looting, brutality. (Feel free to insert your own...

This week I have something special for you. If you're listening to this episode when it drops, it's just a few days before Christmas--the time of year that is so very loaded with activity and emotions. And sometimes it's easy to focus on the busyness and the feelings...

Angie Baughman is a trauma and abuse survivor who speaks openly about her ongoing journey toward deeper healing, which she candidly describes as "slow and fast, painful and joyful, clear and confusing, with ups and downs." But, she says, "through all things, I have...

Holidays are upon us, and maybe this year you need a little help in keeping a group of people entertained for the better part of an evening. Often, it’s true, when family or friends or colleagues come together, the presence of free food is enough to keep everyone...

Years ago, I had the privilege of hopping onto a Harley with Elvis. Not the real one (Elvis, that is. It was, indeed, a real Harley.) but an amazing imitation. And it was probably just about the last place many people would expect to see an amazing imitation of...

Few would argue with you about the benefits of having one or more people around to give you emotional and physical support. The challenge for a lot of people—and maybe you’re one of them—is rustling up a willingness to be proactive in calling these people into action...

There’s a lot to be said for spontaneous joy, and keeping yourself open to it. But no less exuberant is an invitation to planned joy. Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful, says Every year we sit down and plan how we’re going to be better people.. In the process, we...

"Hey!" I said to myself one day last summer. "Let's kick off a fun July 4th weekend with a colonoscopy!" Well, okay, it didn’t exactly happen like that. I was due for this treat, we were going to be in town and I wanted to get it over with.  I promise this isn’t the...

There is so much joy in learning a new word. I even have a list of words that I classify as “want to use this some day when the time is right” on a white board in my office—words like excrementitious, fantasmagoria and flibbertigibbet add a jazzy little mojo to life,...

Last May I got an email that changed a corner of my life, and that same email could very well change yours. It was from a former student of mine who said this, in part: As we move through life we meet LOTS of people and sadly some pass away and all we have are...

An artist named Lori Portka did a thing. And this thing turned me inside out with joy and inspiration. I’m betting it’ll have the same effect on you. Lori worked for two years to make 100 paintings to say “thank you” to and for 100 people who had a positive impact on...