Encouragement for Your Life

Sometimes you’ve got to ask…

I had a dear friend say to me one time, “You know, Deb, you can ask for help… it’s not a sign of weakness, and in your case,  it might be a sign of strength.” I know I looked at her like she had two heads – a sign of strength to say you need help – I’m a little slow on that concept…you’re going to need to explain. So, she proceeded to tell me that as much as I like to help others and find a sense of community or friendship or profit from my time well spent… that […]

You Matter

In thinking about this week’s show and having overheard some conversations with a few people that I know well, I was struck once again about the power of words that sink into the heart of everyone and rattle the fragile understanding of one’s self-worth. It seems to me that words are so many times callously thrown about and off-handedly imply to anyone who will listen that they (the person) are damaged and, believing their pain, they question one eternal truth that has stood the test of time through the ages, and yet so many people struggle with the concept of […]

You can dwell on it for the rest of your life.

One of the great joys of doing this radio show is all the nice people who call or email me and tell me how a certain show was meaningful to them, from how much they liked a certain guest to some asking questions about who to turn to for help. Since I am not a licensed counselor or an HR person, I like to suggest some good people I know who may be able to help those who reach out to me seeking answers. I cannot help everyone, but I certainly will try to send them to those who might […]

You are NOT responsible for how people treat you

You are not responsible for how people treat you, but you are responsible for how you treat others and yourself. Recently, I was watching a show about re-entry from death row prison to freedom. The man who was telling his story said that, through it all, his mother would tell him that no matter what happened in life or death, he was not responsible for how people treated him, but he was responsible for how he treated others and himself. A tear came to his eye when he recalled the words of the one woman who never stopped loving him, […]

Add a word – get a third

I have a client who is going to be a country music star. I’m working with her on interview skills so that when her time comes, she’ll be ready for the bright lights, big hair, and big city. One day, while we were working together and I was looking at her CD cover, I asked who the other people on the CD were since they were not backup singers and I knew they didn’t write her songs –she told me how she learned some very hard lessons by being so young, innocent and trusting in Nashville. She said, Deb, “Don’t […]

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was happy to see you?

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was happy to see you? I mean, I’m really happy to see you every time you came around. Recently, I saw a photo online of the most adorable little boy who was at an amusement park where he met someone in a costume who looked just like Tinkerbell. She was beautiful and looked very kind and sweet as she kneeled down to hug him and speak to him, and the look on his face for his parents’ camera was so full of happiness, glee, thrill, elation, excitement, and pure joy. When I posted the […]

Do Not Rush

Without a doubt, I think most of us feel we are on limited time, so to fill every minute of every day, live life to the fullest, and then overflowing, we rush. We rush from the moment our feet hit the floor in the morning to when we crash into bed at night, and then we do it all over again for the next five days. Then the weekend comes, and we rush to fill every minute with the fun, family, food, and football. It just seems that most of our lives are structured. And while I understand the need […]

Time Heals Nothing Unless You Move Along With It

I know you’ve heard the well-worn phrase that time heals all wounds. Well, I question that. Does it? It might heal your hurt if, after a while, you begin to forget about all the intricacies of the situation that caused such pain. Or, most likely, it will not if you choose to hold on tightly to the pain that was inflicted upon you. Choices–always choices either to move on or to hold on. Only you can decide what your future will be. I can tell you with certainty that time heals nothing unless you move along with it. Ah, the […]

You are what you settle for

I hate it when I come across a quote that hits me full-on…really? I am what I settle for. My mind immediately goes to a thousand other excuses – like – what about my circumstances, what about my age, what about my job, what about my family – really there’s got to be a reason…and it’s not ME… it can’t be me… okay fine it’s me. How about you? Have you settled for a small network of friends because you’re too lazy to reach out and meet new people – it’s hard to know who to trust nowadays. Are these […]