“Who do you think you are?” “Don\’t get a swelled head!” “Remember where you came from.” “Think you\’re too good for us?” “People like us don\’t go to places like that.” That list of hold-backs could go on and on. And every one of us-including you- has been subjected to some form of commandment to NOT break out beyond where you came from, to not leave your “station” in order to be truly fabulous. Whether it came from a demanding and controlling parent, a terrified and anxious teacher, an abusive... Read More

Real love and real romance, the kind that lasts a lifetime, that\’s what most people want. So why does dating have a bad rap? And why do more than half of all marriages end up in divorce? The answer\’s pretty clear when you look at what most people settle for, or worse yet, put up with. But, the fact is, there\’s a world of deep spiritual connection, great adventure, and rich unfolding romance . . . all available when you know what you\’re looking for . . . and how to let love lead every day. In our twenty years of being together (nineteen married) we\’ve conducted... Read More

He likes to be on time. She\’s always late. She\’s a detail person. He sees the big picture. He takes the world as it comes. She needs control. She likes dinner at the table. He\’s a grazer. He loves to learn. She wants things as they are and as they have been and then they get married. Can they make it? We\’ll bet your knee-jerk answer was more than likely “No. They\’re too different.” Don\’t feel alone. You\’re right in there with most people who think that differences can be attractive, even exciting, but they don\’t make for a solid... Read More

It was the first night of our long awaited Baja Mexico vacation. We\’d had a great time in Todos Santos with Jim\’s brother Bill and his wife Kelly who took us to Miguel\’s for guacamole and nachos and then on to the famed Hotel California for a long, leisurely dinner. Now we were in bed, 10 pm Baja (Mountain) time. What appeared as a modest, casual little hotel on the web suddenly turned into a cacophony of yapping, snarling dogs serenaded by a cat in heat. Welcome to Mexico! The four-legged locals exhausted themselves around midnight and we finally got some sleep. But not... Read More

Most everyone in business talks about the importance of networking. But the real power and impact of how “meet and greet” really works usually remains a closely guarded secret. You\’ve no doubt attended a conference, training seminar, or even a singles dance and left wondering why the heck you bothered to comb your hair and wear your best shoes . . . right? If you\’re like most people, it\’s happened many, many times. But that\’s because you never understood what you were there to do. If it was a conference you “knew” you were to sit and listen... Read More

Art Garfunkle ran it right up the charts, singing about how: “The closer your destination, the more you\’re slip-sliding away.” You know the feeling . . . You set your mind on a goal. Doesn\’t matter if it\’s a career ambition, getting a date with a particular gal at the gym, meeting a deadline which would produce more cash than you\’ve ever seen, getting your cousin to introduce you to her handsome neighbor, losing the last 5 pounds after taking off the first 30 . .. . You name it . . . we all know the experience . . . As Steven Pressfield says . . . “The... Read More

1. If you feel held back, stuck in a rut, blocked from the love and success you want, and you don\’t\’ know why – you are under the spell of what we call The Love Grip. When we\’re too young to know the difference, we unwittingly give our innate love and loyalty to our parents and larger family, culture, neighborhood and church and thereby internalize their all too often limited and negative judgments of who we are. Because we are largely unformed, we readily and without question believe what we are told about our lack of value, our incompetence, and our tiny place in... Read More

If you feel frustrated, even mystified by what\’s standing in the way of your greater success, it\’s actually not that difficult to understand. The question is: Are you ready? Really ready? Because the answer lives down in your unconscious . . . laying there . . . lying to you. And that\’s not just clever writing, that\’s the truth about your inner saboteur— that lying, scheming, sneaky inner voice that whispers at you creating doubt and despair, or sometimes lays silent, waiting for it\’s next chance to undermine your desire and ambition. And what is it\’s... Read More

Think about the reasons you\’re glad to be alive. Those everyday things that you may even take for granted: being able to walk, talk, see, hear, cook, garden, drive a car, dance at parties, eat a terrific meal and laugh with friends. And then think about what it would be like to start losing most of those abilities. Jim\’s mother has lived nearly 91 years, and up until the past year she has enjoyed almost all of the abilities we just listed (though she never learned to drive a car and her hearing and vision were starting to diminish). Up until a year ago Matka (Polish for mother)... Read More

It\’s so easy to feel embarrassed and humiliated by the dumb stuff we all do. You\’ve no doubt tried to hide the evidence that would expose you. And every one of us has lied to cover up our mishaps. But what about turning moments that might be thought of as mistakes into part of your intimate family history? The other day Judith decided she would make lamb stew. But she didn\’t have any flour to thicken her concoction. So she thought by mashing up some of the cooked potatoes and putting that into the mix it would do the job. Well, it didn\’t. So what she ended up with was... Read More