Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — The next time you’re in a situation where you don’t know exactly what to do, look back. Chances are good that you have an old skill that may be relevant. We all have old skills. We may forget about them because of lack of use, but they’re there. We don’t forget them. Just about them. I’m not sure how young I was when I first shoveled snow with my dad, but I was young. My parents had lightweight shovels specifically so Dave and I could help. Unless the Milwaukee snow was the light-and-fluffy variety, Dad had to follow us with his heavy-duty shovel in order to get down to the cement. As we grew, Dave and I … [Read more...]
Thought Provoking Discussion Starters #4: What Questions Do You Wish Your Parents Would Ask You?
January 27, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Friday, I’ll post thought-provoking discussion starters. — What questions do you wish your parents would ask you? Especially if your parents are older, don’t wait for them to ask. They may never, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to know what you want to tell them. Just tell them. Don’t live with regrets. Just talk. … [Read more...]
Logic Smart Kids May Struggle with Spelling
January 25, 2012 by · 5 Comments
Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do. — Do you know any children who struggle with spelling? I do. I also make spelling errors. Spelling can be confusing if we are logic smart because we think spelling “rules” should work. And, we think one combination of letters should have one sound. Right? Of course. That makes sense! Why don’t break and freak rhyme? Horse and worse? Cord and word? Cow and low? What about comb, tomb, and bomb? Doll and roll? Home and some? Paid and said? (Pay and say rhyme!) The English language is confusing so mistakes will be made. It’s not necessarily because children are not smart. It might be because of … [Read more...]
What is The Purpose of Snow?
January 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — What’s the purpose of snow? Is it something to shovel or something to have fun with? Something to avoid? Something that makes road dangerous and interrupts your plans? All of the above? Your experiences matter. What’s your purpose? Your experiences matter. Growing up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, I learned how to shovel snow at a young age. My dad didn’t purchase a snow blower until my brother and I were long gone. Snow was something to shovel. My family enjoyed going to various sledding hills when Dave and I were young. We built snow forts in our front and back yards and had vicious (but fun) snowball fights with … [Read more...]
Thought Provoking Discussion Starters #3: Are You The Main Character in Your Life’s Story?
January 20, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Friday, I’ll post thought-provoking discussion starters. — Are you the main character in your life’s story or is someone else? Any changes you’d like to make this year? I hope you’ll ponder this, get friends to ponder it, and discuss your answers. If you see people who are playing inappropriate characters in their own stories and/or who need to add characters, what can you do? Will you? … [Read more...]
Being Intentional With Your Social Life
January 18, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do. — Being Intentional With Your Social Life In Monday’s post, I wrote about needing to refill my emotional tank after a people-full and people-busy Christmas break. Doing so was essential to my self-security and ability to belong in healthy ways to others. This same topic is relevant to multiple intelligences. You might be able to relate. I’m people smart so I do most of my best thinking and problem solving when talking with others. Bouncing ideas back and forth and asking and answering questions are keys to my discovering new ideas and becoming more sure of their significance. Therefore, I often … [Read more...]
Keeping Our Emotional and Intellectual Tanks Full
January 16, 2012 by · 1 Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — Keeping Our Emotional and Intellectual Tanks Full Over Christmas and New Year’s, did you expend a lot of emotional energy? I did. I enjoyed lots of great times with great people: my brother, his wife, two nieces, Katie’s boyfriend, one nephew, friends over for dinner more than once, women at a party, golfing, and bowling at a birthday party. Sometimes, I was just with lots of people: large church services, concerts, airports, airplanes, crowded stores, … Honestly, it was exhausting, even though it was wonderful. It took a lot of emotional and mental energy to stay focused at times and engage in … [Read more...]
Thought Provoking Discussion Starters #2: Spice It Up!
January 13, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Friday, I’ll post thought-provoking discussion starters. --- When cooking, I tend to follow recipes closely. Friends know their spices better than I do and enjoy adding a bit of this and a bit of that to enhance their roasts. They’re better than mine. I got to thinking … What about life? What would you like to add to yours this year to enhance its flavor? Something mild or much more bold? A lot of one or a little of many? Spice it up! Add sacrifice, joy, peace, passion, challenge, activity, speed, noise, purpose, security, risk, solitude, fun, seriousness, … What do you want to add? Ask your friends what they’d like to add. With more courage, ask them what they think you could add to your life. Spice it … [Read more...]
Stretching Intelligence with Telestrations: The Game
January 11, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do. — Did you or your family get a new game as a Christmas gift? My brother and his wife did. It’s a tradition and very rare for them to not receive a game. After telling me a bit about it, Debbie commented, “Don’t worry, Kathy. You’ll like it.” That made me nervous. But, Debbie knows me well and I’ve learned I can trust her. She explained that the game involved drawing and added, “But, you’ll be fine.” Debbie knows I’m not very picture smart. Not only don’t I have much ability, but I just don’t have much interest in art. I had a choice – trust Debbie and give the game a … [Read more...]
Living In The Newness of Right Now
January 9, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — Living In The Newness of Right Now It’s a new year. In 12 months, it will be another new year. It happens. It gets celebrated. What if we realized every day is a new day? Every day. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that, …. Really realize it. Live as if each day is new. Really. It shouldn’t take a change in the calendar for us to commit to change a habit. And, change doesn’t necessarily require a big resolution. We can resolve to change every day and actually change every day. Every day. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that. Is there one thing about yourself and your life you want changed? Do you … [Read more...]
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