BROWSE MY LIST OF ARTICLES AT THE TOP AND Find a list of Qualities of Greatness to print and use, too !

An Argument FOR Arguing

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:24:07 -0800

Arg!! Why can’t I get my kid to stop arguing with me? Why must they challenge every simple request?? I have heard this lament many times (Oh, I think it was out of my own mouth! ) What does an arguing kid mean? That they don’t respect our authority? That they don’t like our rules? That they want power and choice? That they feel we are dictators of their freedom and choice? And how can I prepare them to handle authority figures in life if they are always arguing with every rule and guideline

Glass Half-full? Hey, At Least You Have a GLASS!

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT? How good are you at welcoming the vibrant challenges of your life? In church last week, an opportunity was offered to attend a wonderful presentation on Monday. My cousin complained that she had to work. I smiled and reminded her that that wasn’t a problem. She GOT to work. She HAS a job – and man, did she get that! It was such a true reminder that perspective in life is everything when it comes to handling stress. What might it take to see every experience

Starting A Strong September Attitude of Gratitude!

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Yippee! It’s Another School Year! Even as I type the date, I shake my head in amazement. What? Again? It happened again? Wasn’t I just writing my encouraging column on promotion of summer learning? Weren’t we just saying goodbye to our graduates and hello to our swimsuits? Whiplashed again by the speed of time, I just want to s l o w the darn clock down. In fact, many students have often hear me tell them to not rush life. I joke that, “Us adults are sick of being adults,” as a way to poke

Forget the Guilt of Failed New Year’s Resolutions: Focus on the NEW DAY!

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Today’s a New Day. So what are your New Year’s Resolutions? Each year as we struggle to remember to write the correct year on our documents, to start to think about organizing our papers for taxes, to try NOT to think about the next long vacation, and recover from the long holiday, we are prompted to ‘begin fresh’ with resolve to change something in a positive way. ) Ironically, this comes from an assumption that we are messing up, which in itself doesn’t seem like a strong start for anythi

Thank Goodness They Break the Rules!

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Parents set boundaries. Kids test them. Parents create rules. Kids break them. One of the most dramatic (re)revelations I had as a parent recently, related to this simple checks and balances of parenting life. As a parent of two teenage daughters, I am constantly being tested by my Nurtured Heart roots, to be firm, consistent, and also positive. The first two are easy when the boundaries are tested, the rules broken. But how do you stay positive in that moment? As we step into the certainty