I’ve been saving a particular bottle of wine for the perfect occasion. My dear friend Linda gave it to me two or three Christmases ago, might have been longer. The wine is called STORYTELLER. What a great name for a bottle of wine and so perfect for me. I loved it so much, treasured it really, and because I loved it so much I didn’t want to drink it. I kept thinking I would find just the right time to open it, so it’s been sitting in my little wine rack above my fridge accumulating … [Read more...] about Life is a Story. We are its authors. What will your story be today?
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How Joe Maddon Stole My Heart…And My Wallet
You might think it happened the night of Nov. 2, 2016 watching one of the most exciting World Series games ever—Game 7: Cubs vs Cleveland Indians. I was this close to calling it a night during the rain delay. Thank heavens I waited out those 17 minutes to witness one of the most memorable games in baseball history, that is if you’re a Cubs fan. You might think that’s the day Joe Maddon captured my heart. But you would be wrong. It actually happened the day I found out that Joe loved to … [Read more...] about How Joe Maddon Stole My Heart…And My Wallet
Storytelling Snapshots at Work
That’s a snapshot of the day I graduated from U of I—May, 1986. My roommates and I didn’t actually attend our graduation ceremony. We rented the robes and hats and orange and blue tassels (Go Illini!), but we had our own ceremony right in the living room of the large first-floor house we rented in Champaign-Urbana on Wright Street. We told our parents not to come because the commencement ceremonies “were just too big and impersonal.” Instead, we each wrote something to read, like a poem or … [Read more...] about Storytelling Snapshots at Work
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
I used to dread the annual day in grade school when they tested all the girls and boys on their physical fitness, like how many pull-ups and pushups you could do—Pull-ups. Zero…Pushups. One. But the thing I remember most was being asked to climb a rope that hung from ceiling to floor in our grade school gymnasium. That rope was like the main attraction in the Big Top at the circus. I mean, everyone could see if you could climb that rope or not. Not like over at the pull-up station. Pull-ups were … [Read more...] about The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Deepening Ties Through the Art of Conversation
Have you been in that situation before where you'd like to move beyond small talk but just can't seem to do it? How do we deepen our connections with the people we encounter in our lives? Chip and Dan Heath explore this in their enlightening book, The Power of Moments, and the answer is easier than you think. Imagine a scenario where you show up at a bus stop and there's somebody already waiting there. You say, "Hi," and the other person responds, "Hey." End of conversation. But let's … [Read more...] about Deepening Ties Through the Art of Conversation