Tag Archives: inspiration

Smile, You’re It!

In the wake of the holidays, I get all fired up to find ways to keep on giving without buying—or spending—a thing. You and I both know that a farmgirl’s greatest gifts rarely come with a price tag anyway. (And who would dare put a dollar value on a hug or, say, a smile?) This brings me to my latest discovery …

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New Year “Feel Good” Story

Appearing this past week in our local newspaper was yet another version of the 10,000 book library that readers of my magazine built for …

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Simplify: one resolution at a time

With the New Year rushing in on the heels of the holiday season, we always end up resolving to start fresh at a time when we’re also trying to decompress from the hectic pace of the holidays. We’re eager to wind down, but we can’t help but imagine what might be achieved in the coming months. There’s so much unspoiled territory ahead. Imagining the possibilities and resolving to meet them is exciting, but also a little overwhelming. Sometimes those ambitious midnight declarations dawn on us the next morning with unexpected weight—did I really mean I’d go for all that glory …

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Finding Money

Gratitude can grab you in the simplest, silliest, and most unexpected places. Take, for instance, the recesses of a pocket, or deep down in a crevice between couch cushions, (that’s where those keys are!) Or, maybe, gratitude will get ya when you’re …

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Creating a Business

For those of you who couldn’t attend either of The Creative Connection Events in Minneapolis/St. Paul, below is my keynote speech from 2010. Amy Butler was also a keynote speaker that first year. And Ree Drummond was on stage during lunch for a question/answer session. This year’s keynote was Christina Ferrare, chef on Oprah’s OWN.

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different kind of legal system

“It is said that in the Baemba tribe of South Africa, when a person acts irresponsibly or unjustly, he is placed in the center of the village, alone and unfettered. All work ceases, and every man, woman and child in the village gathers in a large circle around the accused individual. Then each person in the tribe …

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blessings to you!

Aside from all the wonderful food activities tomorrow, I hope you feel …

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What’s the shortest distance between two people?

The answer is gonna put a smile on your face.

The shortest distance between two people is …

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Gratitude in Hard Times

I thought this letter by Erin Barnett, Director of Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org), was a good read for Thanksgiving gratitude.

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Rachel’s Wish

By the time she reached her 9th birthday, Rachel Beckwith had already taken steps to change the world. This young lady was, by all appearances, a regular kid living in Issaquah, Washington. But behind her sweet smile, Rachel was determined. Brimming with generosity, she wanted more than anything to help improve other people’s lives, and she was using all of her girl gumption to get it done.

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