End the Day With a Giggle
How can I be well-informed and still remain sane? I end every day with at least one rerun episode of the TV series, Seinfeld. According to the Mayo Clinic, data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do. It enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, cools down your stress response, and soothes tension. I…
Read MoreMight As Well Jump (Revisited)
“Mimi, how do you stay so upbeat throughout this crazy/nightmare time?” I was asked this during the pandemic, and now I’m asked again. I did not have an eloquent answer till I heard the lyrics, loud and clear, though my headphones, of Van Halen’s “Jump.” I realized I do get up, roll with the punches,…
Read MoreRespect the Number
Birthday time. “Age is just a number?” Sure it is. No “just” about it. As the number increases, so does your wisdom and your value. So respect the number. “Respect the number” has become a mantra for me and everyone who knows me. Be kind to yourself. Be aware your human body is a wonderful…
Read MoreHappy Obligation
In this season, be careful what you label “obligation.” The word derives from the Latin “obligare,” which comes from the root “lig” which suggests being bound (think ligature). In modern terms, obligation means a course of action which someone is required to take, be it a legal obligation or a moral one. So think about…
Read MoreThe Face of Innocence
Me–at 21. College graduation photo. An unlined face, yet to experience the challenges– jobs, career, relationships, health. Most people faced much bigger challenges, and I was grateful. I was a college “activist,” and I thought we had solved the inequities of race and gender. Now, just in time, comes Ken Burns’ latest masterpiece documentary on…
Read MoreHistory Has Its Eyes On You
It’s your voice. I’m all about using your voice. It’s your power. Now’s the time. The election is a little more than one week away. The contrast is stark. My mail-in ballot is mailed in. As I watch the polls, my guts twist. My playlist includes the Hamilton soundtrack. These words say it for me.…
Read MoreShow Me the Movie
When you author a book, the reader expects to do the work: make the connections, visualize pictures in their minds, read the last page first… With a speech, the listener expects you, the speaker, to do the work: make the connections to their lives and draw them the picture–show them the movie. A speaker gives…
Read MoreTime to Procrastinate With Joy
Dog days of summer? Kinda wonderful. The sultry weather definition in the Farmer’s Almanac is only the first one. The second definition is “a period of inactivity or sluggishness; a period of stagnation.” What if we choose to go with that? What if we put off frantic activity until September? Or later? When we were…
Read MoreHappy 40 Years, MimiSpeaks!
1984. 40 years ago in August, I took the leap. I started my own business after five years in Human Resources. The elation of freedom always overcame the fear of no steady paycheck. Look at how happy I was, and how happy I still am. Every moment. For 40 years. My nephew, Matt, suggested, “40…
Read MoreHonoring My Dad’s Zest for Life
Here are Dad and me on the beach in Chicago at Lake Michigan. My maternal grandma is visible smiling next to me. My dear dad loved being a dad. And his birthday is tomorrow. Here’s my blog from 13 years ago when he passed: May 31, 2011 My dad passed away a month ago. This…
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