“We rise by lifting others.” Robert Ingersoll I love this quote!  And isn’t it true! Just yesterday, I was having lunch with three amazing women…..all beautiful inside and out.  As sometimes happens, we starting talking about our physical attributes that we don’t like.  I know I am guilty of this as well, but, as I…

Today’s post is inspired by a quote by James R. Sherman, “You can’t go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.” What a powerful and empowering quote!  As I considered this, I thought of the book by Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD, My Stroke of…

I think the phrase in my title may have come from Brene Brown. Have you ever had a vulnerability hangover.  Are you asking yourself, “what is she talking about?” Vulnerability, that act of being real and authentic, showing your true self….it is the hard stuff!  It is hard to take off the armor and let…

Can you remember the last time you had a great conversation with a friend?  Can you recall a time when you were with a small group and you felt heard?  There is something so nourishing about having those moments.  And they don’t have to be serious or sad or even solve the problems of the…

Set the table & sit at the table while you eat.  You deserve a proper meal on your own as much as you do when with friends or family.  There is something special about sitting at the table and really honoring the meal time ritual. Play music while you cook.  Music makes everything better!  You…

A few years ago, I went on vacation to the beach.  I was going to spend the first half of the week on my own and then have a couple of friends join me toward the end of the week.  My work life had been incredibly hectic and busy so I made a decision to…

Journaling is a thing these days, right!  I mean everybody’s doing it.  And everybody is saying we should do it.  So for me, journaling became like this albatross….and if I started it, I felt like it became this horrible litany of all the things I did that day – and it was long and boring…

What I have learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic: My natural hair color. I had friends say to me, “I had no idea your hair was that dark.”  I simply replied, “Me neither.” Being alone is wonderful; isolation is not. I found the time to be quiet and journal and organize was truly a gift.  The…

Well that was weird!!  Does anyone else think Christmas was super weird?!  This is the first year I have spent alone on Christmas.  I usually host Christmas Eve and Christmas morning and attend tons of parties leading up to the big day.  We wrap up Christmas with an evening at Dad’s.  This year, however, looked…

What a season! These are tough times we live in for so many reasons.  This election season has been particularly volatile and has likely shifted friendships and family relationships for some who stand on opposite sides.  Emotions are high due to so much uncertainty in the world.  Everyone is worried about what comes next and…

The simple act of gratitude can change everything! I began my gratitude journey several years ago.  A friend on Facebook had challenged others to share a gratitude post each day in the month of November.  I was all in and I looked forward to it each year! A few years ago I attended a Bikini…

Can you relate at all with the title of this post?  When you just can’t…… Maybe you experienced loss through divorce or through the death of a loved one? Maybe you lost your job? Maybe you moved across the country and feel really alone? Maybe you are overwhelmed with the status of the world today?…

Ruth Bader Ginsburg left behind a legacy.  Among other things, she fought for equality of the sexes.  She was a terrible cook as she readily admitted. She loved her husband.  And she leaves behind children and grandchildren near and dear to her.  She also left behind many supporters, some my peers, who have looked up…

I have thought about this a lot considering I was one of the busiest people on the planet for a long time….and I am not exaggerating. I had a very demanding travel schedule, a full dance card, and made sure to fit in my work-outs as well. Literally every moment of my day, all 23…

I was on a call today and much of the focus was on failure and the necessity of failure to success. Then I opened up LinkedIn and found the above quote from Arianna Huffington. When I read the quote it makes me think of the way I approached relationships in the past. I felt that…

Welcome to my blog – Dotted Line! I want to briefly share my “why” for writing and “why” you may be interested in reading. A little over a year ago, I found myself without a job and really without a purpose. My “why” was wrapped up in my career and who I was within that…