This Week's Simple Tip I'll admit it!  I am one of those people who gets quite irritated when I have technology issues!  I also get annoyed when a prescription refill is supposed to be ready only to find that they had to order it, and the truck has not come in. But what about all those things that go right everyday?  There are hundreds of them but do we even take the time to notice and appreciate them?  Think about how many days our car starts, we have food to eat, our internet is working,  our water is clean and running. What about the caring friends in our lives, and the fact you can breathe clean air outside? The list is endless! These are things we take for granted that others in the w

This Week's Simple Tip I am the type of person who makes TO DO lists. I LOVE to cross off the items as I complete them, even to the point that if I do something that is not on the list, I'll add it just for the satisfaction of crossing it off!  :) But I've learned an interesting lesson in life: at times there are things that take priority that will never be on a TO DO list!  I recently experienced another one of those times.  Having completed a course to learn the process behind getting published in magazines and blogs, I was pumped to put my new knowledge to work. I started working my TO DO list to get a good jump start before our new grand-daughter was to arrive in late August.  Not far

This Week's Simple Tip: Each time I walk down the stairs to the basement, I smile when I see these adorable fingerprints of my two sons from 28 years ago ... These little fingerprints were all over windows, furniture and walls at one time. As my sons grew up, they all faded away. Unlike fingerprints, heartprints are here to stay. By performing deliberate acts of kindness, we touch others and leave impressions on their hearts. Look around and you can see unlimited opportunities to touch hearts:  a lonely neighbor, someone you know is sad, anxious new parents, a dear friend, someone new to the area, etc. As Maya Angelou said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will for

This Week's Simple Tip With all the stuff going on in the world, it is easy to feel stressed, worried, or overwhelmed.  My gift to you on this Labor Day is a set of three quick and easy ways to find calm when you find yourself unsettled. Keep these handy ... they actually are helpful and enjoyable for people of all ages! OPTION 1 - Belly Breathing Deep belly breathing is simple but effective. To quickly experience more calm, just repeat 5 times anywhere, while sitting, standing up, or lying down. Just relax your tummy and place one hand just beneath the ribs. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose to the count of 4, and you'll notice your hand rising, like a balloon inflating. Then b

This Week's Simple Tip I came across this image awhile back, and put it aside because I found it intriguing. I knew at some point it would come in handy and now the time seems appropriate. Learning grace has never been more important. Tension is high right now as a result of the pandemic, the protesting and the political bantering. This causes some people to be short-tempered, and say and/or do things to others that can be hurtful. What is important to understand is that it is very natural for people who are in pain themselves to cause pain for others, thinking it will help them feel better. This is why it isn't worthwhile to waste your energy and emotions on taking their actions personally.

This Week's Simple Tip I've always been fascinated by "Before and After" pictures, be it room renovations, furniture restorations, facial makeovers, etc.  Seeing the transformation is truly amazing.  Some changes are much less obvious. Take for example a person who experiences the loss of a loved one. While they may look the same externally, a person is not the same person they were before losing a loved one;  they are internally broken. This is important to keep in mind in our approach to someone who has lost a  loved one in life. In this heartbreaking and hilarious talk, Nora McInemy explains that "A grieving person is going to laugh again and smile again. They're going to move forward. B

This Week's Simple Tip I came across this thought the other day that really hit me ... "Our minds are like a search engine – you type in a word and it gives you other words related to it. So, if we think about positive things, that leads to more positivity." While I've never thought about my mind being like Google or DuckDuckGo, it makes perfect sense. If we put worry into our minds, it stirs more worry; if we put negative thoughts in our minds, it perpetuates more negativity; etc. So I tried it the next day, and it really worked!!!! Very simply, what we put in our minds is what we get out. That sure makes it obvious to begin each day consciously choosing your "search bar" outlook for the d

This Week's Simple Tip The more challenging times in life present us with the ultimate test of "mind over matter," especially when endurance is required. Take for instance a child or teen who is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Without a cure, diabetes can pose life-threatening complications, so children must learn to take control and better manage their diabetes to reduce the risk of these difficulties. Or check out this clip where Amy Bockerstette, a golfer who has Down's syndrome, plays and pars a hole with pro golfer Gary Woodland. Regardless of all she has had to deal with in life, her amazing attitude and mantra "You've got this" inspired Woodland to win the U.S. Open. So what can we l