In this episode, Vicki Atkinson and I talk with one of our favorite repeat guests, blogger and author, Mark Petruska, about how to be the new guy. Mark tells us the fascinating story of his new job. We talk about Mark’s great willingness to lean in to change. We learn from Mark about living life … More Episode 65: How to Be the New Guy with Mark Petruska
When I was 19, the boy I was dating leaned in for a kiss, and I pulled away because I couldn’t stop thinking about how his teeth were too small for his head. When I was 21, a young man took me out on a first date to a strip club with his friends as … More Leaning Into Alignment
As we continue to focus on ‘change’ this month, I started thinking about the word from a progress and repeating patterns point of view. When we take a step in a certain direction, are we committing to our path, or do we give ourselves the grace of u-turns and do-overs– without branding our efforts as … More Sunny Sonny 🌞
A teaser for the online event that Vicki and Wynne are doing with Revel Eleven. What if one small thing – a story, a conversation, a person, an adventure – could change your life for the better? … More One Change Away
Some people embrace change. Others fear it. Me? I chase after it like a kid in hot pursuit of an ice cream truck on a scorching summer afternoon. (On a side note: RIP, Choco Taco. You are missed.) The last time I had a Choco Taco was my first day as a Wisconsin resident: Aug. … More The world is my Moo Goo Gai Pan.
The most stressful days of my childhood were “free dress” days. My parochial elementary school required a uniform, which made life easy. However, once per month, we had the opportunity to wear appropriate street clothes after a successful fire drill. As an indecisive child with a tactile sensory disorder, long monkey arms, and a wardrobe … More The Opportunity To Change For The Better
To start the year off light, I wanted to do a list post. I think this beginning-of-the-year period always makes me a bit leery. Leery because my default is not, “I can’t wait to see what this year brings!!” Nope, I’m more like, “Oh God, what is this year going to bring?!” So, writing a cute little list post gives me a satisfying feeling of cozy comfort as I face all the uncertainty of 2024. … More 4 Changes That Don’t Freak Me Out
Our theme this month at Heart of the Matter is change. As I mulled this topic over the past few days, I was drawn in by two quotes. Both are well-known…a Chinese proverb about planting trees…. now….and a Seneca quote about beginnings and endings. (Both are snipped into the graphic above. I love them – … More Dancing With Change
Teaching my kids about the value of money has always come with the moment when they’ve had to let go of two quarters in order to get a dollar bill. Or trade five $1 bills for one $5 bill. There’s a conceptual hurdle that has to be overcome and it isn’t instinctive to let go. … More Letting Go and the Value of Change
When I was young, I believed that courage was sitting still for my tetanus shot, whispering “trick-or-treat” to a stranger, or climbing to the next highest branch on the biggest tree. As I’ve gotten older, my understanding of courage has shifted dramatically. The etymological origin of the word “courage” is the twelfth century French word … More Courage Is Not The Abnormal
The Heart of the Matter 