Writing Off the Grid

It’s rare for me to get sick, or at least sick enough to call in to work to say I’m staying home. The last time it happened was during the pandemic when COVID finally caught up to me. And I can ‘easily’ deal with a head cold, but when I recently contracted viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu), I got knocked down for the count. Despite what I thought I knew, despite what I expected of myself, I had to acquiesce to it. [Read more…] about Acquiesce

The past ten months have taught me a powerful lesson: change is hard. Even if you committed to doing what was necessary—what you knew would make a difference—a bad decision can change everything. It sends you back to your comfort zone, back to the bad habits that keep you stuck. And it’s not, then, that change is hard, but that it also feels impossible. Until you realize that the obstacle is the way.¹ [Read more…] about Move Past the Obstacle

1. Holiday, R. (2014, 2024). The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, Portfolio/Penguin. [↩]

I thrive on routine. A routine grounds me and creates the momentum that keeps me focused on my goals. Over the past few years, though, my routine has been disrupted—completely upended and turned in on itself. For many years, I woke up around 3:00 am to write and run. It was the one time of day, in that stillness, where I felt most at peace. I could hear myself think and focus for an extended period. Now, staying focused is a daily battle that I don’t always win. [Read more…] about The Focus Conundrum

Over the course of my life, the lyrics to one of Kenny Rogers’s hit songs, “The Gambler,” often pops into my mind when challenges arise. And, lately, the chorus to that song has played on repeat in my head: “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” Walking away isn’t always easy. It’s downright freakin’ hard. But when you do what’s right, it can change your life. [Read more…] about Do What’s Right

It isn’t always clear…getting to the heart of your why. Because maybe it isn’t even your why. Unbeknownst to you (or perhaps you do realize), you’re still trying to live up to other people’s expectations. Voluntarily or not, you’ve let go of your dreams, your ambitions, your raison d’être. And now it feels like you’re living in the shadows—you’re living everybody else’s life but your own. Welcome to my world. [Read more…] about Why