All my life I think I’ve been looking for a way to be ok. I’ve pursued innumerable goals and self-improvement plans in an attempt to fulfill the “If I do X, then I’ll be ok/happy/fulfilled/perfect.” I don’t think I’m alone. I think most of us fall into this trap. I believe 2020 is a watershed year, a year that is knocking us out of our comfort zones so that we confront whatever it is we’ve been avoiding. To that end, I’ve been looking for inspiration, a way through, a way out

This morning, for the first time in 10 days, I opened my windows and doors and breathed fresh air. I've never been so happy for cloudy skies and rain. Unprecedented. This is the word I keep hearing applied to any number of events in 2020 —quarantine, wildfires, protests, the life of RBG. No doubt, we are living in unprecedented times. Every day I get through is another unprecedented day. It’s another day I’ve navigated Mother Nature’s curveballs. Another day I’ve survived doo

As I write this, Oregon is experiencing historic wildfires. As if life in quarantine wasn’t stressful enough. As if the fight for social justice wasn’t gut-wrenching enough. As if an upcoming election wasn’t anxiety-producing enough. And it’s September 11, a sobering reminder of how much this country has been through and continues to go through. I keep thinking when is it going to stop? When everything feels out of control, what can you do? If nothing is "normal," what’s the

I receive notification from LinkedIn that someone I spoke to last winter had landed a new job. I was thrilled for him, but also apprehensive because he had said he wanted out of that industry. Below is the message I received from him, and I’m sharing it with you, (yes I got permission; names omitted; edited for brevity) because it shows what happens when you are true to yourself. (I should also mention that add that this person is 3.5 years away from retirement and got exactl