…by Prill BoyleHave you ever sabotaged a dream? Most of us at some point have dismissed an inspired idea without taking a single step towards its fulfillment. We might glance back from time to time, but we convince ourselves that our dream is neither realistic nor achievable. Don\’t be so sure. Let me give you an example. Like many young mothers in the mid-1970\’s, Carol made her own baby food from natural ingredients. She puréed batches of fresh fruits and vegetables and froze them in ice cube trays to thaw at some later point. One day a light bulb went off in her head. She... Read More

…by Julie Clark Robinson “The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not laughed.”  -Sebastian R. N. Chamfort I\’m not even finished wrapping presents and I find myself thinking about New Year\’s Eve. Not necessarily what I\’ll do – being married with two children seems to solve that problem for a person – but more annoyingly, what will I resolve to change in 2006? I could put a couple years\’ worth of photos and home videos in order. I could drag my kids around to every soccer, piano, dance and martial arts class I can find. But, let\’s face... Read More

Marian Marbury loves to travel and loves the outdoors. Five years ago she combined these two interests and began her own business, Adventures in Good Company, offering other women the opportunity to have adventure travel experiences of their own. Joan Ruuska, 60, a database maintainer at the Federal Reserve Board, recently took Marbury\’s “Winter Medley” trip to Minnesota and is now looking forward to more adventure trips in the future. “It was the most exhilarating vacation I have ever had,” says Ruuska, who lives in Bowie. “I\’m originally from New England and have always enjoyed... Read More

…by Suzanne Falter-Barnes A few years back, I had the great fortune to spend the day at the Vermont recording studio of a jazz musician named Chuck Eller. Chuck recorded my Discover Your Soul Purpose meditation CD, and offered to provide some background piano music as well. From the beginning, I knew the meditations needed some kind of scoring, but exactly what and how eluded me. There are no entries in the phone book for “Composer – Mystical, Healing, Background Stuff”. Furthermore, I had no idea how I was going to \’direct\’ such a musician. (“More... Read More

In “De-Mystifying Vicky-D\’s” in the October NABBW newsletter, you learned how the Vicky-D\’s\’ generational experiences, attitudes and values created their expectations today. However, generational values and attitudes are only part of the equation. As you might imagine, for Vicky-D\’s facing major life issues such as old age, declining health, death of a spouse and/or friends, fear of being destitute and homeless, fear of losing independence and control, or the fear of dependency – or not having anyone to depend on, this an extremely emotional time. Emotions... Read More

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all continuing holidays. It was observed 4000 years ago by the ancient Babylonians and has continued, with only minor interruptions, into modern times. Anything with a history that long and enduring clearly has deep significance for the human psyche. Perhaps it\’s simply a celebration of being alive, having made it through another circle of the sun. But for many of us there is also the recognition of death and rebirth, a letting go of what has been and surrendering to what is yet to be. Philosophers make the distinction between “being”–that... Read More

I have known men to have names which generate confusion. One of the senior attorneys in my firm, a man named Leslie Stellman, has often been confused, sight unseen, for a woman. This means that when applying in 1968 to the Johns Hopkins University, he was informed that as a female, he was ineligible for admission. Only after he sent in a photo did the admissions people allow him entry into the university. Imbued with a passion for gender equality, he became an employment attorney and spent the past 30 years educating employers about the evils (not to mention the costs) of sex discrimination and... Read More

We were sitting around my girlfriend\’s kitchen table and of course, as “girl talk” goes, one thing lead to another. Being writers, we relate everything to “months” and what\’s going on in the “month.” We knew the next event in a writer\’s world was Valentine\’s Day. Inspired by this, and secretly looking for fodder, I said, “If you could do anything you wanted to do on Valentine\’s Day, just for this one day, what would it be?” I was expecting to hear them say things like “Oh I\’d sweep me and my hubby off to Barbados for a weekend filled... Read More

A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in silver the message: Life isn\’t always black and white. It serves as a reminder there are few absolutes at work (or in life). Yet, it would be easier if there were; if good ideas from bad, trustworthy people from non-trustworthy, and right paths from the wrong ones could easily be discerned. I\’ve learned in twenty years in management that increasing one\’s perspective increases the grey, as words like always and never become obsolete for describing most situations and most people. But early in my career, I was convinced there were right... Read More

In this SERIES of monthly COLUMNS Dr. Stephen will help you: • Find out more about your depressed mood • Name that tune: A description of depressive and mood disorders • Change your depressed mood through action • Decide if you need medication COLUMN TWO: NAME THAT TUNE: A DESCRIPTION OF DEPRESSIVE AND MOOD DISORDERS Depression has been called by many names over the span of human existence. “D” words win with the most entries…which seems only fair—Despondency Despair Disconsolate Dispirited Doleful Downbeat Downcast Downhearted Dejected Down... Read More