Back to school this year, is something we could never have imagined or expected, and here we are, a Pandemic, I feel like we are in the eye of the storm, but we don’t know what lies ahead. We are in the middle of a Pandemic, something this country has not seen in over 100 years, we can agree it is an unprecedented time—to that end, it takes unprecedented action.

This should apply to life at all times, but this particular time that we are in, it is important to “Stop and Smell the Roses”, as my Dad would say about enjoy the simplicity and beauty in moments of your day. I was sharing with my coach that I miss my schedule, going to Yoga, hitting Starbucks and feeling more free to just be out and about—I think we all miss that sense of freedom and our Fall routine. I work from home and love doing so, but if I don’t get out, I can go a little stir crazy (I think we all know this feeling from Pandemic).

No matter how much work we do on our mind and body, inevitably there will be times that our natural instinct, our temper, our reaction will prevail—it’s real, its life, it’s us. To do the work on the Mind & Body helps mitigate so much, we learn not to sweat the small stuff, it truly helps us on our journey on becoming a better version of ourselves.

You heard it here first, it is time to create your Joy List—a simple list of the things that bring you JOY! Life is hard, emotions at this time run deep and/or negative as we deal with a time that challenges our ability to cope, stay positive and sane. I always talk about the hamster wheel of life, it is something we all find ourselves on, going through the motions, perhaps letting the day manage us rather than us managing the day.

We have all been thrown off track in a big way with a Global Pandemic, it has impacted so many and as we begin a new season, we do not know exactly what to expect, and many are left in the abyss of the unknown, it is not a comforting place to be.

A metaphor we all use, we usually reach this point when we need to create change in our life—it is a constant evolution of getting out of the day to day and into a vision of what works best for us. We all have our “line in the sand” moments, some of us give thought to it over and over again until we finally decide to just take action.

This one is for all the parents that are sending their kids off to college, especially this year, a time of uncertainty, anxiety, and the “new normal” of Campus & Covid living. I know it is just not those of us that are doing this now, it is those that have done it (you did it, perhaps not a Pandemic, but certainly an important time in your life),

While we are not traveling these days due to COVID, I am reminded how travel is such a gift, and I will admit, I miss that opportunity to just plan a trip and to get away. I am going to be honest, while I love to travel, it also wreaks havoc with my anxiety.

I have joked about the COVID 15, the 15, 10, or 5 pounds that many of us have gained during the months of being home, not as active and eating or drinking more than we normally do. I would argue the majority feel this way, perhaps silently or even so sharing our woes of how we put on those extra pounds. Let's be clear, there are major issues far more important when it comes to this virus, so in no way does this compare to the real challenges, so let's remove that thought, and get into what is weighing on (literally) people’s minds, including my own.

For each of my kids, I have a video made for their graduation from high school, this one was easy as Kaili did it for me and for her younger brother Cam.

While we are not sheltered in place like we were a few months ago, we are still not venturing out as we had in summer’s past. I miss the freedom to roam, I miss going out without a mask on, I miss planning for my summer vacation and I miss the ease of life as we know it.

Equal partnership is so important in marriage, life, and business. This is a time when we all need to pitch in, take on our share, and be in this together as a partnership and embrace teamwork. All families work differently, and all couples have a different dynamic, so this is not a one size fits all sort of topic, but it is an opportunity to realize you are not in this alone. Nor should you be.

Never has there been a time in our country (at least in decades) that we have been continually in search of the silver lining. By definition, it is the light and the sun behind the cloud, and in some cases, the storm.

Sunday rituals have been helping me stay on track for years. I typically use Sundays as a day to prepare for the week ahead. Downtime is most important, so oddly enough, it is a day of rest, restoration, reflection and planning. Some Sundays are full, and I just don’t hit half of the things I like to do, but today, the Sunday rituals I use are in every day as we hunker down, and learn to live in a more present place.