Unabashedly Authentic

“The irony is that we disown our difficult stories to appear more whole or more acceptable, but our wholeness—even our wholeheartedness—actually depends on the integrations of all our experiences, including the falls.” —Brene Brown

Experiencing, in totality, and accepting all of ourselves, —yup, the good, the bad, and the ugly: this is the toughest, and the most important, work of all. I was denied Early Decision from Trinity College in December of 1984. The envelope, although of nice card st…

Let's get started.

Source: Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon  

The red “Sorry” player piece had been hidden somewhere in our grandmother’s living room. My heart would beat faster with anticipation and thrill every time my cousin Jennifer said, “You’re getting warmer. Ooh, warmer still. You’re burning up. You are on fire!” “You’re getting cooler,” had the opposite effect and I’d feel my mood slump a bit as I pivoted toward another area of the room.

Living an auth…

“It’s not the real Liberty Bell. You know, the one in Philadelphia.” Mary exclaimed with utmost conviction. “Sure it is,” said Dave. “It’s not the real Liberty Bell.” Then Mary laid out THE three words—loudly. “NO! I’M RIGHT.” (Aka my ego challenges your ego. Bring it. ) I retreated to the kitchen sink to let the two of them go at it. Dave had summoned Google, and Mary was yelling at Siri to get her the answer she needed to settle this. While loading the dishwasher, I wondered: When does health…

Source: Compass Education Group This recent post by Bruce Reed of Compass Education Group, sheds light on the role of the PSAT. I'll admit, I had no clue of this test prep firm, prior to filing my LLC with the state of New Jersey. However, I do like their name (as well as ours). "A few million high school juniors and sophomores took the PSAT last week. It gave them an early glimpse at the SAT along with some low-stakes first-hand experience with college admission testing in general. While PSAT …

Who remembers these swanky soles? There were 26 kids in my fourth grade class, and I am pretty sure that Adam G. and I were the only ones without GASS Earth Shoes when we started school that September. Mom would ask, “Why do you need a pair of those? You have sneakers. And a pair of clogs.” “I’m can’t wear the clogs to school; they are made out of wood. Grandma brought them back from Holland. They’re a decoration.” “How will you play football at recess if you wear dress shoes?” “They’re not dre…

What’s that tune you can’t stop singing to yourself?

We’ve all got one; in fact, I feel pretty safe in saying we’ve all got more than one. We’ve got a whole chorus of tiny voices demanding our attention, but here’s the thing: Some of our internal voices empower us, reinforce our authentic selves, and feed the greater good. Too often, though, they are the roadblocks that spring from our deepest fears about ourselves. And, they are remarkably good at keeping us stuck, especially when we don’t eve…

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift

and the rational mind is a faithful servant.

We have created a society that honors 

the servant and has forgotten the gift. 

—Albert Einstein

This holds a prominent place in our kitchen. I wouldn't want anyone to get any crazy ideas. In August, we attended a family reunion in Ocean City, New Jersey. To prove that we were all in the same place at one time, we took the group shots. I also managed to get a few of my nuclear family — that I didn't have to take! But some things remained the same: Aaron poked Mary. Mary squealed. My husband’s hand squeezed my shoulder, and I felt Bryn aiming to bolt. Through a quickly fading smile, I plead…