OK, here’s a confession. Sometimes I wish I was less ambitious. I wish I didn’t have a million ideas and interests circling in my head. I wish I could find contentment in the status quo. And I don’t mean the status quo with a negative connotation. I mean, I really wish everyday life felt like enough for me. And, truly, sometimes it does. When things are going smoothly and I’m busy but not too busy and the kids are thriving, life is great. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn’t last.

My usual existence finds me striving for something more. Not necessarily more material things although I have gone through that phase, too. The “more” I’m talking about has to do with adventure, excitement, newness, learning. It translates into a nagging feeling that I’m missing out or not doing enough or running out of time.

Maybe that’s why I was attracted to coaching others. As my clients make changes and create new experiences, I get to be a witness which is absolutely amazing. The only downside is that as these remarkable women take risks and explore options, it usually makes me inspired to do the same (which is a good thing except when it leaves me yearning for things that aren’t feasible or leads me to bite off more than I can chew).

I’m working on being content with what is. And as the economy is currently rocking our financial world, I’m definitely regretting not being more happy with the status quo of a couple of years ago. Hindsight is 20/20 but my goal for today is to focus on what’s great right now. And there really is plenty to look at. (If only I can remember to do it.)



I officially have summer fever. I don’t know if it’s a verified condition in the medical world but here are my symptoms:

1. A lack of motivation regarding some parts of my work and other assorted tasks like laundry, dusting and vacuuming.
2. A strong desire to spend the few hours my kids are away sitting on the deck and reading as many books and magazines as possible.
3. The inclination to eat only yummy salads for both lunch and dinner. And to follow that up with ice cream. Lots of ice cream.
4. An aversion to the hair dryer and flat iron (which, by the way, are not optional when you have thick, wavy-in-places hair that becomes huge when not seriously tamed).
5. A barely manageable longing to book airfare to a warm destination where we can play and lounge around all day long and pretend we don't have bills to be paid.
6. An overly optimistic wish that my kids will keep themselved amused with fun summer activities so that I can relinquish my role as entertainment director.
7. In the absence of number 6, an unacceptable urge to allow for unlimited amounts of video game playing and movie watching so that I can read all of those books and magazines even when the kids are home.

If anybody has a cure for this curious condition, I’m open to all remedies, natural or not. Until then, I’m off to reward myself for doing some work by checking the mail. (I’m hopeful some great magazine will be delivered since my kids are both gone until 2.)



So, it’s time for my June report card but I’d like to challenge the fact that June actually occured. I’m not convinced it did. I remember Father’s day and the last day of school for my son, but beyond that, it seems like maybe three other days went by and now it is suddenly July.

I’ll wait for an official ruling on whether or not June really happened but in the meantime, here’s my report card:

I work out 4-5 days a week: Shoot! I went away to Arizona and got out of my routine. Now, I’m having a hard time getting back into it. My sore triceps tell me that I did work out recently but I’m hoping July will be kinder to me so that I can regularly fit this in again.

I meditate for 15 minutes at least 3 days a week: I’m going to sit down to meditate when I have a bit of extra time here and there but I’m not going to continue to beat myself up about not doing it. I’ve discovered that I’m better at meditation when I’m doing something like walking, vacuuming or making beds and I think it gives me similar benefits so for now, that’s my meditation practice. (I’ll add this to the long list of things I think I’ll be able to do once S starts Kindergarten.)

I spend one night a week hanging out with M once the kids go to bed: We could do a better job. Since we both work for ourselves, we often end up back at the laptops at 9 PM. We did play Scrabble one night which was really fun even though I got killed. I should have known how it was going to turn out when M got the 50 point bonus for using all of his letters (including a “z”) on his first turn.

I spend money based on what’s important to me rather than making impulse purchases: I spend money on food, toilet paper and birthday gifts for other people’s kids. I’m not sure those are the things that are most important to me but those are the facts for right now.

I’m off to update my list for July and since it’s summer, I think I’ll include things like relax, play, laugh and drink margaritas. The funny (and not-so-funny) part is that relaxing is one of the things I’m not very good at so it really will be a stretch for me. Wish me luck and enjoy July!



There is nothing like an enduring female friendship. Multiply that by 10 and you have something incredibly special. I recently read The Girls from Ames and I noticed that even though I don’t know these women personally, I was deeply touched. I related to their struggles, their triumphs and the everyday ho hum details of their lives. I also couldn’t help but think about the similarities within my own friendships.

Maintaining friendships is one of the things at the top of my list. Studies show that women who have strong female friendships also have stronger immune systems, are better able to deal with stress and even have higher self-esteem. Those reasons are more than enough to justify a monthly or even weekly night out with friends. Add in the laughter, shared experience and a bit of wine and it becomes a no-brainer to get together with your friends regularly.

Here are the traits I noticed in the friendships of the women in The Girls from Ames that I also strive for in my own friendships:

• Genuine admiration for each other
• The ability to note and acknowledge differences and then accept them
• Either a shared history, an unspoken understanding or, even better, both
• Loyalty even through differences of opinion
• Increased individual confidence which is bolstered by being a part of a group who knows and loves you
• Increased self-awareness and self-acceptance

As I read this book, I realized that since I’m lucky enough to have similar deep and long-lasting friendships, I really want to do a great job of nurturing them. The Girls from Ames gives me a blueprint to work from and inspires me to keep those relationships going. There is research that says if women are still friends at age 40, there’s a strong likelihood they’ll be lifelong friends. If that’s true, things are looking good for me!

If you struggle to find the time to hang with your girlfriends, reread the benefits above and then get out your calendar right now to schedule a get together.

Last week I went to Arizona with my mom. We were gone for 4 days and during that time, I only really sat down to look through and answer emails one time. I did a quick check on my phone a few times but I was really just skimming through to see if anything looked personal and/or important. I didn’t stop to read the ones that weren’t which accounted for the vast majority of them. For those 4 days, I also didn’t really chat on the phone. I didn’t watch TV or read newspapers. I also didn’t get on Twitter or Facebook (OK, just once but only to gloat about the weather in Arizona and complain about having to head back to the gray Seattle days).

So, what was my vacation from technology and the news like? It was nice. It was more than nice. It was just the thing I needed even though I hadn’t known it. I check my email about 80 times a day. It’s probably my worst habit, actually. So, to take a break from that was eye opening. And I really liked it.

I came to the realization that I don’t need to know about every sale Banana Republic has. I don’t need to know about the zoo’s meerkat naming contest. And, though I love Real Simple magazine, I don’t need an email about their weekly projects because I’m never going to assemble keepsake shadow boxes. I’m now on a mission to unsubscribe. I’m on a mission to check email only 3 times a day. And I’m on a mission to reclaim some technology-free hours or maybe even days. I’m on a mission. Join me?