My heart is full today as I think of the blessings that have come into my life thanks to the life and work of Louise Hay, writer, teacher, and founder of Hay House.

My basic understanding of how my world worked was challenged by her groundbreaking book, “You Can Heal Your Life” which led to studying her work and discovering the power of affirmations. I spent hours in the car listening to my “Louise tapes” (remember cassettes?)  to hear her soothing voice tell me how to love myself. I knew I was supposed to love everyone else, but love myself?  I’d never heard of anything like that before.

Exploring her “mirror work,” use of affirmations, and understanding the power of my thoughts deepened my knowledge of myself and the world I’d created. My life was forever changed by her teachings and the authors I was introduced to through her Hay House publishing company.

In April 2012, my sister and I traveled to Atlanta for what would be...

There have been many tributes this week to the TV broadcasting legend that was Willard Scott, who passed away over the weekend in his Virginia farm not far from my house. He had an unconventional career and worked for 65 years with NBC, over 30 of those years as the weatherman for the TODAY Show.

I saw him for the first time as a young child and remember sitting on his lap when he was working as Bozo the Clown. He was also the original TV Ronald McDonald. He’s co-hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, traveled the world on assignment for NBC, once delivered the weather dressed as Carmen Miranda (known as the Brazilian Bombshell), was the White House Santa for multiple Presidents, and kissed a pig on camera. People loved him.  President George W. Bush even named his cat after him.

I told you his career was unconventional.

So was he.

In the early 1990’s while working at the Fauquier County Public Library in Community Relations, I created a comic...

Life constantly provides beautiful lessons…you just need to pay attention. That’s what happened for me just a few days ago.

On the way to my weekly visit with my four-year-old grandson, Emory, I had noticed a slight tug as I sat down in the driver’s seat of my car. I realized I’d stepped through a spider web as I opened my door.

“Sorry, buddy!” I said out loud as I started the car and drove away.

Driving happily along a busy two-lane road at 55mph, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something moving outside my left window. I glanced quickly to see a large brown spider with yellow striped legs clinging to what was left of his web, connected to my side mirror and vigorously flapping in the wind beside me.

I screamed.

And instantly felt ridiculous.

Here was this tiny spider, tiny compared to me, outside my closed window struggling to stay connected to a thread in what must have felt like hurricane winds. What was I afraid of?

And yet my first...

I wasn’t the bravest kid in school. I was the “good girl” who followed directions but seldom rocked the boat. I don’t enjoy rough waves, disagreeable conversations or being in unpleasant situations.

But here I am.

While it’s easy to talk “love and light” to my “spiritual” friends, I have noticed my reluctance to be around those who think differently. Or those who – often loudly – spout ideas I find frightening. And I realized something.

That’s not love. At least not the kind of love I’m here to live.

The Oneness I believe in includes everyone. Every. One. Those of all beliefs, opinions, viewpoints, perspectives, spiritual practices, and individual preferences.

Everyone.

How can I teach the virtues of Oneness and hide from what my ego fears could be unpleasant encounters? I can’t.

So I’ve committed to stay in conversation with family, friends, colleagues, everyone who comes into my world. Not to...

A year ago last week, my dear friend passed away. 

I still miss him and tear up at times when I remember I'll never see him again in this lifetime.

And...

I feel his presence. He was dedicated to spreading the message of unconditional love and I feel his influence in my work. This week I wanted to honor his memory by reposting this blog for one reason.

Each one of us is a unique light in this world. We each affect one another in ways we will never know. You are important. What you do matters. My friend Tremayne impacted me and so many others who were blessed to know him.

He taught us an important lesson: smile, spread joy and live a life of love.

My original blog is below....

Tremayne Johnson thought about you, prayed for you and sent you love. To you, me, everyone whether he knew you or not. He beamed love to the world through deep meditations, energy healing and his sparkling smile. He was a quiet soul with a big heart that was always open to help others....

I ask a lot of questions. A LOT. At least my family seems to think so.

My curious mind has led me to understand how to live in more peace, harmony, and joy than any other time in my life. And I’m grateful.

Part of the reason for that has been understanding of the power of questions. Specifically, how to shift the focus of my internal questions from what I don’t want, to what I do.

Let me explain…

In years past my questions would be typically focused on understanding why I’d done something, hadn’t done it, or why life wasn’t happening according to my plan. The dialogue in my head on any given day could sound something like:

“How could I be that stupid?”

“What was I thinking?”

“Why doesn’t anything ever work out for me?”

“Why did I think he/she/they would do the right thing?”

“Why can’t I ever get this right?”

Everything changed when I started asking different questions.

Many...

You’ve probably learned that your thinking creates your experience. I believe it. I’ve seen countless times how the energy of my thoughts not only crafted my life experience, but affected everything around me.

Several years ago, I was learning to scuba dive in the Bahamas. On the second day with my instructor, I was still awestruck by the beauty at the bottom of the ocean. The beautiful coral, the spectacular array of sea creatures, and the vastness of the sea - it was just incredible. And I could see it all because I was breathing under water! It was unbelievable. I remembered my childhood television hero, Jacques Cousteau, and could hear his beautiful French accent as his melodic voice played in my head eloquently describing the breathtaking underwater scene that enveloped me.

We were diving near a large coral reef when a brightly colored school of fish silently glided by, followed by a trio of six-to-eight-foot reef sharks. I watched with amazement and noted the group...

So I bet you’d rather NOT get an invitation from “chaos,” even if it is to remember love.

But it happens. And it’s happening now.

While 2021 feels different than the chaos of 2020, there’s no doubt we’re all still facing much uncertainty. At home. At work. And in the world.

We’ve seen the recent global upheaval challenge institutions, tear open social wounds and force businesses to rethink the way they do everything. And it’s done something else.

Chaos brings with it an invitation to remember that which never changes.

The spiritual truth of universal love, compassion, kindness and recognizing oneness can anchor us to feelings of peace within, even when the winds of change are howling. That truth is felt deep inside when we allow the Divine wisdom of our own heart to comfort and guide us to love.

How can we do that? By remembering universal spiritual principles that lead us back to the truth.

#1 Love unites, fear separates.

The outside...

I often talk to clients who are interested in getting advanced degrees, certifications or work experience that will label them a “good leader.”

After studying the traits of high achievers, reading biographies of leaders admired by millions and watching interviews of influencers I trust, I’ve noticed something.

Few mentioned advanced degrees, certifications or work experience as forming the foundation of their success.

While those things absolutely contributed, I’ve been struck by something else. Many leaders talk about:

• the support of family members during pivotal personal growth periods
• appreciation for the compassion and generosity of others they met along the way
• their response to transformative life events such as a serious accident, illness or death of a loved one
• feeling “in the flow” when they knew deep in their soul that they were on the right track
• an understanding of a greater purpose for their life than the one they’d been living...

Every so often I catch myself wondering when things will "calm down."  In those times I remember that my perspective of life is what can "calm down," not necessarily the events that occur.  And when I can remember that my thoughts create my experience, I get it. I'm able to see Divine Perfection amid my perceived chaos. Much of the time at least. Here’s an example I remember from a few years ago.

I decided to go to IKEA about 50 miles from home on a Friday afternoon and talked my strong son into coming (someone had to lift those boxes). My plan was simple: drive an hour, grab something to eat, quickly locate what I needed, check out and be back home before the afternoon rush hour began. I’d have plenty of time to go home, change and attend the visitation at the local funeral home that evening. All was good. Or so I thought.

But Life happened. We were late leaving the house, there was a problem with lunch, I couldn’t find all the items I wanted,...