Making Life Rock

After spending 12 hours without power last night, I suddenly realized how unprepared our family is for emergency situations. It wasn't the fact that I missed the American Idol elimination I'd been waiting all season for; it was the fact that we couldn't find the flashlight, my kids couldn't light candles without burning themselves, and everyone just sort of lost all composure. Kudos to our pioneer ancestors who didn't even have electricity.

Every day, millions of women spend 8-10 hours sitting in an office chair or desk in order to do their job. They think about getting that last report done, calling that client, impressing the boss, but what they may not think about is how their job might be a health risk.

There comes a time in every woman's life when she has to take a close look at herself. Not at her circumstance, not at what she did, not how unfair life is, or at who made you do it. She has to just look at herself in all her glory and imperfection. Have you ever admired a woman who has been through changes in her life? Or have you made up in your mind that she is just messed up. Before you make this mistake, take a closer look.

Coupled with a pushover complex, our perceived ability to be superwoman can be more harmful than productive if we overwhelm ourselves with responsibilities that fit haphazardly into our schedules.

If you are anything like me, keeping in touch with friends can take a back seat to work, housekeeping, grocery shopping, and mom's taxi service. A dilemma that strains even the best friendships. We all want to improve our relationships but often struggle with consistent communication, the foundation of any good friendship. Fortunately, with a little creativity and planning, we can keep our best buds close.

Have you ever considered what it means to act your age? The actions, attitudes, and philosophies of each age group have become fuzzy in a world that produces more and more women who obliterate the mindsets of past generations. With 41-year-olds like Dara Torres winning Olympic medals and children like Miley Cyrus building financial empires well beyond the norm, who's to say what you shouldn't do at any age.

Time...the most precious resource that we have at our disposal. Well, not to say that we should be throwing it away. In fact, we need to rein it in, tame it, and make better use of it. If only there was twenty-five hours in a day, I could do so much more. Maybe it isn't that we need to do more; maybe we need to find out what is truly important, what is not, and make changes accordingly.

Watch and Learn Each woman on this planet has the responsibility to find a path to her personal greatness. It's a journey of trial and error at best. Consider a small child when ready to walk, she may not understand the mechanics of her body, or how each joint works together with muscles and bones to make her walk; she does want something on the other side of the room-her goal-so she finds a way to get there.

As a Migraine sufferer, I've been asking this question for years. After experiencing countless medications, therapies, tests, hospitalizations, and supplements, I still don't claim to have the complete answer; I do have some interesting ideas to share with you though.

My Own Loss Ten years ago today, I slept on a pull out bed with my husband and children the night we chose to stay at the hospice care facility where my mother spent her last days. There was nothing unusual about the night, nothing to prompt our need to be there anymore than the night before.

Thousands of fleeting thoughts run through our minds every day. Some we choose to let pass like a speeding bus; while others are held captive by a need to dwell on their implications. They may develop in our mind's eye as if a tiny artist stand painting a picture inside of us.

I sat in my living room the other day talking to a friend. We got on the subject of mentorship by way of realizing that neither of us had a great example of a loving marriage as we were growing up. I took the thought further by trying to think of any couple that I knew personally who would score an eight or higher in that department.

Believe it or not, there's nothing that says let's make some changes like getting kicked in the face or being thrown down to the mattress with a month long bout of pneumonia. The fact is, pain and adversity have long been keys to some of the greatest triumphs in history...my life has been no exception.