Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 53
In 2012, Giving Tuesday was born out of the need to counteract the outrageous spending after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is an important date as we have an opportunity to honor the value of generosity in giving back. This global movement is now celebrated across more than 85 countries. I am very grateful to have a day like "Giving Tuesday." But also believe it shouldn't be just one day. We should be generous with what we have been given all year. The day after Thanksgiving, a day... Full story
Thanksgiving is behind us, and we are gearing up for Christmas. This year, I have realized that not everyone enjoys or even celebrates the holidays. Perhaps, it may be challenging for some who may have lost their job or a loved one, are going through a difficult separation or divorce, are emotionally distant from their family, are dealing with an unexpected illness or injury, are separated by miles, or they may be lonely, single, or hurting. There is a myriad of reasons that may be out of their... Full story
"You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you." ~Alexander Den Heijer This quote is accurate, especially during the holiday season. In preparing for the festivities over the next five weeks, I often hear people say, "I'm tired, I'm too busy, or I'm overwhelmed." But what sparks a light in you? Are you operating in your passion, gifts, and purpose? Do you do something because you think it is what others think you should... Full story
Several years ago, I saw a post about a gratitude jar. Each day throughout the year, you write down what you are grateful for that day and drop it in the jar. At the end of the year, you open and read each gratitude. I loved the idea, so we adopted it about five years ago. My husband and I will take turns opening and reading each note. We do this on December 31st or January 1st. When our granddaughters visit, we have them write down what they are grateful for and drop it in the jar. They love... Full story
On my growth journey, I, like many of you, may have tried to discover your gifts and talents. You may have had the same questions I have had over many years. What gifts and talents do I have to offer to anyone? It wasn’t until I started to embrace comments from others that I was gifted in many areas. I would brush it off and view those comments as this is just who I am…never seeing any of my gifts. I didn’t think I had any; they were buried. I would hear and read comments such as you have such a gift in hospitality; you are engaging with our p... Full story
A “friend,” according to the dictionary, is “a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.” It comes from the Old English freond, of Germanic origin, and is related to Dutch vriend and German Freund, from an Indo-European root meaning “ to love,” shared by “free.” C.S. Lewis says friendship is less valued in modern times than it was viewed in earlier times. What makes it distinctive to the degree that it has suffered this devaluation? He states that, first and foremost, the o...
I am in a season of life where I frequently ask myself, “What are God’s plans and purpose for my life? I am reminded of the familiar verse…. “For I know the plans I have for you.” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV I have even more questions when I think about and dissect this verse. I often wonder if I am correctly hearing God’s plans for my life. Life… is like Swiss cheese, a metaphor that resembles the battles we often face. The holes are the struggles, ch... Full story
How often do we ask ourselves this question: Who am I? Am I authentically me, or am I who I think I should be? Have you identified with what you do for a living and believe that is who you are? I thought that what I did for a living was who I was. What I have learned... is not who I am. Being a flight attendant has the unspoken label of a so-called “glamorous life.” This is how most of us in this particular field have identified ourselves. We have allowed what we do to become our identity. To think otherwise somehow triggers a grieving pro... Full story
For everything, there is a purpose. Timing is divine if we allow it. We will be anchored if we can push through those times that don’t go as planned. In writing my book, I had many setbacks and roadblocks until the day before my “big” public launch. But that did not deter me from pushing through, as I knew only good things were coming my way on the other side of those setbacks. You see, sometimes our well-thought-out plans are not necessarily God’s plans. As I was preparing, planning, and getting ready for the big launch day I had so methodical... Full story
If there is one thing I learned from my Dad, it is always to write a personal thank you note to those who gave you a gift or someone who has done something kind or extraordinary for you. He always told me that a verbal thank you is never enough. I will always embrace that lesson. It has served me well. I was flying in a leadership position on my last London trip and had arrived about 5 hours before my crew briefing. I took a short nap, then sat down in the crew lounge to start writing thank you notes to my First Class passengers. All but one... Full story
“Not all storms come to disrupt your life; some come to clear your path.” -Unknown. What happens when you see a storm brewing and moving into your area? Do you have a feeling of fear that comes over you as you run for cover and perhaps hide? Some of you may have even been involved in an intense storm or have seen the after-effects of the storm. During a storm, we think about protecting our space, our homes, and our personal effects as we intently watch the clouds turn dark gray and move rather quickly. But how do you navigate and protect you...
As the summer months wind down, we enter into a new season - Fall. You step outside, and you can feel it. There is something different in the air. The cooler temperatures, the cozy sweaters, the warm drinks, the explosion of vivid colors, the beauty surrounding us, and the shorter days. It's a beautiful season. The children are back in school with fresh supplies, anticipating a new school year with new teachers, a new environment, and perhaps new friends. A change for many of them. The...
Throughout history, many cultures have emphasized the importance of following or listening to our hearts. When we speak of the “heart,” we are not referring to the physical organ but our spiritual heart. Our heart is the key to our deepest fulfillment and the entrance to experiencing a deeper relationship with our Creator/God, characterized by peace, gratitude, joy, and unconditional love. We are taught to respond to the world through our minds from a young age. Our mind is a beautiful gift, but it is not the core of who we are. The ess...
Self-Care seems to be a buzzword in recent years. Oxford dictionary defines self-care as taking action to preserve one’s health. Self-care includes everything you do to take care of your well- being in your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Self-care is portrayed in the media as being self-focused and giving yourself whatever you want because you deserve it. Eat whatever you want, and binge on Netflix. Self-care seems to feed on what we want and not what we need. On the other hand, proper self-care is not an excuse to treat o... Full story
Relationships are the core of everything…they are embedded in every part of our lives. Some of them may be healthy, while others aren’t. We may feel closer to people that we aren’t even related to and feel distant from those in our own families. We may even have solid or broken relationships with our employers. Within relationships, we can witness the good in the lives of the people we love, but we also have to navigate challenging relationships like hurt, betrayal, disappointment, and frustrations. It seems that, at times, we handle compl...
Since 2020, there seems to have been a shift in people's lives and professions. How often do we think about our purpose and passions but never take action? Returning from a women's retreat, we were talking about our intent. A question came up, and I was asked, "What would you do if you were not afraid? I had to ponder that question for a few minutes before answering. My answer somewhat surprised me as the tears flowed, but I felt a sense of peace. Do we often not do something we want to do...
About eight years ago, I first heard the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams while at work on an airplane. With no passengers on board, we played the song as it set the tone for our day. I knew it would be a hit. The song is full of positive energy, and who doesn’t like to be and feel happy. This is one of my go-to songs when I am in a funk and need a boost in my day. It always puts a smile on my face and a song in my heart. Lately, it seems that we as a society are lacking happiness. We strive daily to accomplish our goals and do things right...
None of us want to be weighed down with our bad habits as they rob us of peace. But why is changing or breaking a bad habit so challenging to overcome? Breaking a bad habit isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have some bad habits. Your secret habits often reveal a great deal about the condition of your heart and what is going on with your mind. It may even give you a glimpse into what you fear or worry about. A bad habit is a regular practice that becomes automatic. It is as if you have this inn...
Compassion involves a tangible expression of love and cares for those who are suffering. Understanding is not just being mindful of other persons suffering...it moves beyond a simple desire to lessen suffering. A compassionate person identifies the suffering of others and then takes action to help. I think about compassion, empathy, and kindness daily, especially at work. Being in the airline industry for over 40 years, I have observed kindness and compassion at the deepest level. I have also...
Columnist E. J. Dionne Jr. recalls a conversation Marc Dunkelman had with his grandfather, a retired salesman, about how people discover good restaurants using an app. They talked about how to find good restaurants in an unfamiliar city. Marc was excited about the new app that would make it easier for people to find the best restaurants in a strange town. His grandfather wasn’t impressed. On his sales trips, he said, he regularly sought out “a friendly-looking stranger” to learn where he might find a decent bite to eat. He would often make...
“The secret of change is to focus ALL of your energy, not fighting the old but on building the new.” ~Socrates Change…Do you embrace it or dislike it? Most recently, within the last couple of years, many of us have faced challenges that brought unexpected change. You may have experienced a change in your job/career, health, a move, a death, family separation, or divorce. Change is not easy for most; according to Leadership IQ, 62% of people do not like to leave their comfort zone or do so only occasionally. No one is immune from change. The cha...
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of taking something broken, like pottery, and then through a mixture of precious metals—gold, silver, or platinum— the pieces are put back together. They repair to such a point that their brokenness becomes part of the beautiful history. The brokenness is disguised but enhanced so that the past has more beauty than it did before. In the same way, God takes our brokenness and preciously repairs it with strength and beauty. We are Kintsugi—a golden repair. Ernest Hemingway said, “The world breaks everyone and afterwa...
Birthdays are so special, especially among children. I called my granddaughter last night, as today, would be her sixth birthday. Excitement mounts as her birthday quickly approached and it is finally here! It's her special day!! I could hear and almost see the excitement, joy, and smiles over the phone...As I was thinking about her and the opportunity that we have to celebrate her special day it occurred to me, why is it so easy to celebrate birthdays with the little ones. The cake, balloons,...
How do we live in harmony with others? We encounter people every day who are just more difficult to love. People in this category may have different beliefs, opinions, or viewpoints than we do, and we can often find ourselves frustrated or disappointed when they don’t agree with us. This was a monumental week, April 18, 2022, in our country when the Federal Judge in Florida voided the mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes even after it was extended for another 15 days. For the most part, the response has been overwhelming in f...
Throughout history, many cultures have emphasized the importance of following our hearts or listening to our hearts. When we speak of the "heart" we are not referring to the physical organ but our spiritual heart. Our heart is the key to our deepest fulfillment and the entrance to experiencing a deeper relationship with our Creator/God, which is characterized by peace, gratitude, joy, and unconditional love. From a young age, we are taught to respond to the world through our minds. Our mind is...
