“My favorite color is October.” — Unknown ” October has always held a special place in my heart. There is something magical about watching Mother Nature paint the world in brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, and gold. Each leaf seems to have its own story to tell, its own unique color to contribute to the magnificent masterpiece unfolding before our eyes. And perhaps that is one of October's greatest lessons. We are all different colors, carrying different stories, yet

“If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it.” Michael Jordan I’m not particularly good at climbing, but I am pretty good at not giving up. That perseverance has served me well throughout my lifetime. There’s a saying where I come from in the Appalachian mountains that we would use whenever someone told us we couldn’t do something: “Hide and watch!” Those two little words carry a lot of attitude. They mean, “You may not believe I can do

"Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel, but it is the hole in the center that allows the wheel to function. We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful. We fashion wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable. We work with the substantial, but the emptiness is what we use." Tao Te Ching, chapter 11 When I read these words today, they seemed to jump off the page and swirl around in my head. Lao Tzu used su

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” Franklin D. Roosevelt I have heard this saying my whole life. It is one of those phrases that becomes part of our vocabulary without us ever stopping to wonder where it came from. Whether Franklin D. Roosevelt actually originated these exact words is uncertain, but the sentiment certainly reflects something he knew well: perseverance. Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921 at the age of 39. The illness left h

"If you look at how long the Earth has been here, we're living in the blink of an eye. So, whatever it is you want to do, you go out and do it." - Jamie Foxx Isn’t it interesting that we are each given the same twenty-four hours in a day, the same seven days in a week, and the same twelve months in a year, yet somehow time seems to move faster and faster? I have always loved the saying, “The faster I go, the behinder I get.” It makes me smile, but there is also a lot of wis

“Those who don’t look forward stay behind.” Basque Wisdom There is something powerful about having something to look forward to. It doesn’t have to be a huge dream or a life-changing event. It can be a trip you are planning, a new project, a gathering with people you love, a quiet day in nature, or simply the possibility that tomorrow might bring something beautiful you cannot yet see. Setting goals can sometimes feel intimidating because almost immediately that little voi

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.”—Bessie Anderson Stanley I was sharing some stories recently about my sister, Nola, who has just transitioned from her human body. She walked this earth for 92 years, and when I think about her life, these words seem especially fitting. She was a gentle, kind and loving soul. Her family was everything to her, and when it came to her children, she protected them like a mountain lioness. Her faith w

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” —Ella Wheeler Wilcox I am pretty stubborn and that is just one fact about me. I accept it. I own it. It has worked well for me many times in life. When it comes to manifesting what we desire, I think it is a good trait. It certainly helps when there is a need to focus on whatever it is that is a goal. Many teachers of spiritual principles of manifesting talk about non

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Les Brown I was fortunate enough to attend a one-day seminar in Florida where Les Brown was one of the speakers. If you have ever heard Les speak, you know that he has a wonderful way of combining motivation, wisdom and humor. He can have you laughing one minute and examining your entire life the next. During the seminar, he shared a story that has stayed with me. He was rushing to catch a plane and, in

"Be Water, My Friend. Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."— Bruce Lee There is something mesmerizing about watching water. It does not argue with the shape of the riverbank. It does not resist the rocks placed in its path. It simply finds a way. Sometimes i