It was wonderful to wake up to beautiful blue skies and sunshine this morning. My normal behavior on a day like today would be to pull the covers back over my head and stay in bed, but that was not the case this morning. Today marks two years since losing Randy. It is a sad day indeed, one that could send me tumbling right back down the mountain I am working so hard to climb. Today is very different than this date last year. There is more to it than just being distanced from

I am still trying to soak in the wealth of wisdom and the personal growth challenges I received at the Global Leadership Summit earlier this month. It is easy to be inspired by someone who has overcome immense hurdles and persevered against all odds, and even human reason, at times. The difficult part is taking the seeds of inspiration and planting them, so they take root and blossom into life-changing personal transformation. When Bear Grylls, of Man vs. Wild fame, shared hi

Last week I began to have an overwhelmingly anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I haven't been able to shake it. It feels sort of like a combination of too much sugar, caffeine, and adrenaline all rolled into one, except I haven’t gone overboard on any of those lately. It has kept me awake into the wee hours of the last four nights. Amazingly, our bodies have the ability to be aware of and process life before our minds even recognize what's going on. So, what has be

Two weeks ago, I was on vacation with family and friends in Colorado. We went on several hikes in the mountains, but my favorite was the hike to the top of Bridal Veil Falls, in Telluride. The views were incredible, and it was well worth the two-hour uphill trek. I wore my Love Never Gives Up bracelet that day and I snapped a picture of it when we reached the top so that I could send it to my friends in New York. Love Never Gives Up is an organization on a mission “to engage

It is not possible to go through life without experiencing loss in some form. Every one of us will come face-to-face with grief at some point in our life. Loss and pain are inevitable. The only thing in question is what we will choose to do with the grief. Loss can come in many forms, some more devastating than others. Some are temporary, some are permanent. It reminds me of the areas impacted by the recent tornadoes. When you look at the path a tornado takes you see some hom

I had the privilege of sharing my story last night at SouthBrook Christian Church during a seminar on Pain & Suffering led by Randy Creamer. I went there to share some of my experiences in life that have been extremely difficult but came away with a new perspective and even deeper insight on the importance of facing my fears. This Saturday, May 25th, will be one year without Randy. I have been full of dread for the month of May to arrive and it has gripped me tighter each day

In case you were wondering, it is not a typo or a saying from the south, the title is Lessons from "a Fir", not "afar." For those of you who knew Randy's humor, you know he would have repeated this play on words over and over, loudly and proudly chuckling about how funny he is. I thought y'all would appreciate that and I hope heaven is filled with his booming laughter right now! As Christmas draws closer and closer, my spirits continue to decline despite my best efforts. It