My office partner Carrie who owns the building is having the place spiffed up and repainted. In this process several issues of boldness have arisen. Most noticeably, the front porch chair has gone from pale yellow to poppy red. And then yesterday, a wee incident raised for me some thoughts about differences in style. Carrie […] Read More

In honor of our recession, I’m having my first-ever sale. Here’s the deal: I’m offering a June-only reduced fee for all my manuscript and consulting services for writers. I’ve cut my rates by 40% for the next four weeks. For critiques on manuscripts, fiction and nonfiction, and for consultations on the writing business, I’m charging […] Read More

Went out kayaking today before hitting the computer, and now I feel wonderful. Those disciplined souls who get themselves to run in the mornings are on to something; they do get their reward for popping/dragging out of bed early. This was my first “serious” paddle of the season. I did go out once in boots […] Read More

Bold idea: Live up in the trees. Perhaps because it’s the leafy season, this idea is very appealing to me…and to others, because I keep seeing it show up on-line and off. I live in the woods (in a house) surrounded by trees. And we have a tree platform, which can help to give a […] Read More

Here’s a boldness break of a rather different sort than the laughing Buddha on the train earlier this week. (A boldness break is a brief time-out that re-juices imagination and creative courage.) “Like Streams in the Desert” is an orchestral piece composed in honor of the 50th anniversary of Israel by my friend-from-first-grade Meira Warshauer. […] Read More

In answer to: “how do we hide our fears?” a question posed in the comments by Debbie, I did a bit of research. I suspect there are many more items that could be added. *Misplaced anger is a method that gives the illusion of control and safety. More on this from psychology professor Jennifer Freyd […] Read More

Watch how this guy transforms the dour crowd in a subway car. You’d think, at the start of the film, that these people were on their way to their execution. Not so. The film is 6 minutes and 47 seconds that will embolden your day. Made by Belgian director Christine Rabette in 2003. The actual […] Read More

I’m not good military material: don’t care for violence, hierarchies, dressing alike, guns, or having a boss. But hearing the stories of war yesterday on NPR stirred me, as it was supposed to. I thought about soldiers much of the day. One of the things that struck me is how many of them think back […] Read More

The dreadful condition of waiting, not-acting, and not-being-able-to-find-out is a hard one for me and for a lot of folks. I just ran across a list of stupid, energy-wasting things we tend to do to cope with this situation on “Tolerating Uncertainty.” 1 Seeking excessive reassurance from others2 List-making3 Double checking4 Refusing to delegate5 Procrastination/avoidance6 […] Read More

“It is often when our futures look brightest that our resolve crumbles and we veer off course.” From the Daily Om, “Boldly Growing Into Your Own Fear of the Future“ So what do we do about this? The Daily Om advises: Replaces negative thoughts with encouraging facts. “Tell yourself that the inevitability of your success […] Read More