One year ago I started my one-year sabbatical from the work world. I had no idea that this sabbatical would transform me from a burnout to an artist, but that’s what happened. After working in three stressful jobs in less than four years, I burned out. I didn’t know when I left my last job … Continue reading Behind the Scenes of a Burnout-Turned-Artist
You never know how your writing will have a positive impact on someone. For me, that’s one of the best benefits of being an author. But to get the chance to receive this benefit, first you have to muster the courage to write the thing you want to write, then you have to drum up … Continue reading How a Blue Butterfly Helped Me Write Rebel Millionaire
Some people want to keep you small. And some people don’t realize they’re keeping you small, but they still do it. Whether it’s the first reason or the second reason, the result is the same: you never bloom. Let me tell you my story. I came into my people’s life as a beautiful, young orchid. … Continue reading Life Advice From an Orchid
It was 1996 and I’d just graduated with a Master of Public Administration (MPA). My classmates and I were all scrambling to find jobs but the job market was depressed. I thought my first “real” job would pay me $30,000 a year, a realistic salary for MPA grads. Girl, I wasn’t even close. My first … Continue reading It’s Never a Good Time to Start but Always a Good Time to Begin
I had no idea that the new t-shirt I bought–emblazoned with two elephants, a tree, and Better Days Will Come–would become my motto for 2020. I ordered it a few weeks ago with the U.S. presidential election in mind. I wanted to wear it while tabling at zine fests in the fall so that shoppers … Continue reading Better Days Will Come: A Mini Pandemic Survival Guide
So many discoveries come to me while I’m doing something mundane. Does that ever happen to you? This discovery happened as Marcus and I were driving to Costco this week. The path is the gift. I said this sentence aloud in the car because Marcus and I had been watching season after season of the … Continue reading The Path Is the Gift
There are some weeks when I have diarrhea every day. There are some days when I have abdominal pain so bad I feel like I’m going to faint…and almost do. If I forget to wear sunscreen and am out in the sun for longer than 20 minutes, my skin breaks out in hives. Sometimes, when … Continue reading I Have 5 Autoimmune Disorders Yet I’m Living My Best Life
When I’m writing alone in my home office, I often wonder if my work has an impact on anyone besides myself. You see, I don’t just write for myself, I write to communicate with people. I think the same thing about the Fear & Writing workshops I teach. I haven’t taught any workshops yet this … Continue reading You Never Know How Your Work Will Impact Others
I will retire as a millionaire. Now before you start getting ideas that I come from a rich family, I’ve received a huge inheritance, or I’ve won the Lotto, let me quash that right now. None of those things are true. In fact, my average salary over the span of my working life has been … Continue reading Top 10 Things I Did Right with My Money
My friend Jared’s blog post on running, For the love of it, inspired me to write this post today. I don’t like to run. I don’t understand why so many people do it. But Jared’s blog helped me understand why he does it. He does it because he loves it. That made sense to me. … Continue reading Love Makes It Worth It
