Category: writing

Blogroll

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“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Last week I put a call out to all you fabulous people so we could create a blogroll (like Ally Bean used to do). Here are the results in rough chronological order (by the age of the blog, not the blogger… 🙂 ). I hope this helps make new connections or re-ignite old ones. Please introduce yourselves and let bloggers know that Wynne Leon sent you.

P.S. – I’ve done my best to include all the details accurately. If I’ve made a mistake, let me know in the comments and I’ll correct it. Also, if you aren’t on this list and would like to be, please drop your blog name, URL, year blog was founded, and blog description in the comments below.

2006 – Fred – Abba’s Art
Description: Wandering among Nature’s vast wilderness wonders and majestic mountain cathedrals enhances my “Love to live…” and “Live to love …” My infinitesimal smallness before my Abba’s immeasurable grandeur humbles me knowing I am forever loved beyond measure.

2007 – DM – I also live on a farm 
Description: I write about living on a little acreage in the Midwest. I also have a 2nd blog – Heart To Heart that is more personal and is where I process life 

2009 – Mark Petruska – Mark My Words
Description: An (unpaid, dang it) ambassador of All Things Wisconsin nowadays.

2009 – Dr. Gerald Stein at Dr. Gerald Stein
Description: I hope to help all of us think and learn, myself included.

2010 – Clay – Making the Days Count
Description: Start May 2010 after a horrendous school year when I was fortunate enough not to be on the evaluation cycle. My cheese had been moved and I spent the better part of the first semester figuring out what I was teaching and recovered on the downside of the school year’s arc. After the year ended, I decided if I wanted to teach writing, I needed to know how to write. So, began blogging / writing about how I make the days count.

Four years later, the administration had the bright idea that I could teach science and unfortunately I WAS ON the evaluation cycle! The same thing happened – lousy first part and recovery at the end. Every year (and day) I get a little better than the day before.

Always, learning, always growing, making the days count.

2010 – Darlene – Darlene Foster
Description: For writers, readers, travelers, dreamers, friends, and friends I haven’t met yet.  I believe everyone has a right to dream, and with hard work and imagination, can make their dreams come true. 

2010 – Deb – Closer To The Edge
Description: My tag is “Journeys Through the 2nd Half of LIfe” and I think that’s pretty appropriate to what I most often write about- a new home in CO, my family and changes associated with aging.

2011 – Lauren – baydreamerwrites.com
Description: The name came from where I live in the Bay Area and from the fun fact that I’m a dreamer and always will be. My little corner is for sharing my poetry, stories, photos, reviews on books I’ve read, and my book updates. Most importantly, I hope my readers will take away something special during their visit that prompts them to return. Maybe they’ll find a poem, a phrase, or a story that resonates that they can call their own. 

2012 – Brad – Writing to Freedom
Description: Themes around inspiration, poetry, and photography.

2012 – Nancy Ruegg – From the Inside Out
Description: A place where we celebrate inner impressions from God, and aspire after outer expressions that bring delight to him–changing for the better “from the inside out!”

2012 – Beth – I didn’t have my glasses on…
Description:  My blog is a collage of sorts- mixing the human story, personal observations, humor, knowledge (often obscure) and the arts, all mashed and remixed together into what i hope that my readers enjoy.

2013 – Dale – A Dalectable Life
Description: Doing my best to keep it on the bright side

2013 – Esther – Esther Chilton
Description: Fun challenges and inspiration for writers

2014 – E.A. Wickham – Bleuwater
Description: What began in 2014 as financial advice focused on women turned into a parenting blog. Now as an empty nester I highlight daily life — then took a turn to highlight my photography after taking photography classes in 2025. 

2014 – Sharon – Just call me Sharon
Description: I tell stories and use it as my personal free therapy; it’s cheaper than going to my therapist.

2016 – Dom – Covelli’s Take   
Description: I only came back to blogging two months ago after 10 years, In fact, it was one of my daughters who suggested i come back to it. I woffle on about everyday issues, usually from a Gen-x angle, not grumpy though! I like to keep it light-hearted.

2016 – Rose – Of All the Things I’ve Ever Dreamed
Description: Started in 2016 to combat the terrible negativity in my country and families caused by the rage of politics. I wanted to share a different voice – one filled with hopes for a better, more creative, inventive, equal future. And I want this now more than ever for my grandbabies. My blog contains a random variety of stories about: what makes my life awesome, family, travels, air shows, motorcycle rides, books, happiness and good work, math, science, nature, learning, state parks, maps, and opinions on topics that hit my heart and home….

2016 – Brian – Writing From the Heart with Brian
Description: I tell stories and share what’s going on in my life. I usually try to bring a little bit of relatable humor to my blog. Life is hard enough. We all need a laugh or an understanding smile once in a while.

2017 – Cristiana – Crisbie Coach
Description: Started in 2017 as a blog for self-development. Now it has evolved towards the improvement of well-being starting from what one eat.

2017 – Rhonda – Pollyanna’s Path
Description: Since 2017, I’ve been writing essays about life, parenthood, grandparenthood, and sharing my thoughts and ideas on what’s going on out there in these wild times as an elder GenX woman in America today. And, as an avid music lover, I almost always include a tune at the end of my blog posts that suits the mood I’m channeling through my writing.

2017 – Khadija – She Knows All
Description: I am still becoming. And I decided to write about it while it happens.

2018 – Todd Fulginiti – Five O’Clock Shadow
Description: A blog that began when I quit my previous career and found time to start writing again. Besides observations and stories about Life, I feature several columns like Old Man Rants (comedy), Who’s On Your Hero List? (interview), RebEarth (sustainable living), Music and more.  

2018 – Erin (Esoterica) – Existential Ergonomics
Description: A warm, candid space for stories of chronic illness, infertility, love, resilience, and growing braver in the messy middle.

2018 – Ab – My Life with T
Description: About 2 dads raising an amazing 11-year-old boy with FASD.

2018 – Tamara – Tamara Kulish – Helping you move through life!
Description: I started out in 2013 with “On Becoming a Lemonade Maker” but switched in 2018 to my current site under my name. If anyone remembers my old blog name and lost me, hey, hey, here I am!

My original purpose for blogging was to sell my book; I had read advice that an author needed to create a platform to gather an audience in order to make sales. That plan didn’t work out the way I had hoped, so instead I decided to just dedicate my blog to writing posts that each contain a helpful and doable life lesson for healing, for growth and for becoming a better version of ourselves. This is the place I like to share thoughts and lessons that seem important to me during this time we’re going through together.

I welcome new people and your comments to my blog. I hope to be able to share some nice, helpful tidbits with you!

2019 – Michelle – Boomer Eco Crusader  
Description: Helping you live your best life with practical tips on decluttering, simplifying, and living sustainably.

2018 – Mary – Awakening Wonders
Description: In May of 2018, I started “Awakening Wonders” as a hobby to awaken your senses to the simple wonders all around us. I share my heartfelt discoveries.  

2019 – Dana – Mindful Caravan
Description: I write about the joys and challenges of pursuing peace, love, and faith in self-care.

2019 – Pete – Pete Springer
Description: Passionate Teacher and Future Children’s Author

2020 – Gwen – Gwen Thinks
Description: Reflections on everything, According to me. I always look for the story, and try to understand how things relate to one another. I write about my past and present life, travel adventures, music adventures, contemplations, humor, and whatever else pops into my head.

2020 – Ganga – Special Mom’s Blog
Description: My name is Ganga and I have a 29 year old severely autistic son! I started blogging six years ago to do something for myself! It has really transformed me and given me so much confidence! The blog has a mixture of so many things and just not special
needs!

2021 – Outrageous Monk – Virtuous Improvement
Description: Exploring life, creativity, and finding extraordinary moments in the everyday hustle.

2022 – Vicki – Victoria Ponders
Description: I love writing about wellness, authorship, writing for wellness and inspirational stories.

2023 – Edward Ortiz – Thoughts about leadership, history, and more
Description: A lifelong learner who loves to share what I’m learning along the way.v

2024 – Hazel – Seven Sisters Love
Description: Sharing my personal and professional life from the Philippines

2025 – Rosie Meadow – RMMeadow
Description: Meadow seeds today, flowers and maple trees tomorrow. The focus is on dropping seeds in the life garden.

2025 – Bruce – Swan Song Apocalypse
Description: Life, Movies, Shows, Sports, Stuff

(featured photo is from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

This is How I Blog Roll

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“Friendship is born when one person says to another, ‘What! You too?’” after all. ‘I assumed I was the only one.’”  – C.S. Lewis

Ten minutes into writing my post for last week’s podcast, I knew I was in trouble. I was writing about all the ways we share experience and knowledge on WordPress and had started a list of the fabulous bloggers I follow and their themes. What I quickly realized was that I could spend all day and still not be able to list all the wonderful blogs I follow. Plus my one-line summary may or may not match their goals or purpose. Does Mark blog about manifesting, mosquitoes or moving? Hmm… all three?

So I’m borrowing a page from Ally Bean and doing a blog roll. Ally was a wonderful connector of people is no longer but is no longer blogging on WordPress (The Spectacled Bean). But her words and impact remain.

In the comments for this post, please leave your blog name, URL, a one or two-line description, and the year you started your blog. Think of it as a dinner party and I’m really excited to introduce you to each other. Don’t even think about hiding in the corner – I will come find you. It’s a fun way to network in this inspiring and generous community. And when you go visit any blog on this list that is new to you, please just let them know that Wynne Leon sent you.

Next week, I’ll publish a final list. Thanks for coming to my dinner party!

(featured photo is from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

The Digital Version of Trust, But Verify

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“Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear.” – Simon Sinek

There is something that is bothering me about the Nancy Guthrie investigation. For anyone that hasn’t followed this, Nancy Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of Today show host, Savannah Guthrie. Nancy was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona in the middle of the night on February 1st.

When she was first abducted, the news reported that no images were captured by her Nest doorbell camera because she opted out of the recording service.

Then sometime about 10 days later, some footage from the camera was “recovered.” I hope that provides some great investigative leads and helps to bring Nancy Guthrie home safely. But three things strike me as troublesome.

  1. That data was not supposed to exist. Users should be able to opt out of that service and be assured that recording is not happening.
  2. Nest is owned by Google. Their competitor, Ring, is owned by Amazon. Two companies that have spent billions on AI. [To be fair, Ring says that it doesn’t record if people opt out.]
  3. When the AI bubble bursts, will either Google or Amazon need a bail out from the government? And if so, what will they be willing to trade for that help?

I generally tend to believe that companies do the right thing for their customers. This is definitely the case with Microsoft. Not only because I have so many good friends who work there, but also because I’ve been helping companies implement MS software for more than 30 years.

I tell my clients not to transcribe or record sensitive meetings they hold online. Microsoft says they understand that clients should be able to choose what is and is not recorded.

Back in the day when software ran on machines that companies owned, we could check. Now that so much operates from “the cloud,” there isn’t any way to effectively do that.

Ronald Reagan used to quote the Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify.” We might need to start a movement to do just that.

(featured photo from Pexels)

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

Please check out the How to Share podcast, a podcast celebrates the art of teaching, learning, giving, and growing!

Understanding Choices: The Illogical Coat Dilemma

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“We’re all different. Don’t judge. Understand instead.” – Roy T. Bennett

I have this illogical tic that drives me crazy. When I walk Cooper the dog in the pre-dawn hours, I like to wear my white coat that is puffy with a hood. The problem is that it is not water resistant.

When I hear that it’s raining, I know that I should wear a different coat that is water resistant. The two coats sit on hooks side by side so it’s just as easy to grab the other coat. But most of the time, I still pick the puffy white one. Then I return home with a wet shirt underneath.

I’m a Seattleite and I’ve climbed mountains. I know that the gear you wear makes all the difference in your experience. Granted, the morning walk is only about 15 minutes long so it’s not life or death. It’s not even long enough to be truly uncomfortable.

But it is long enough to think about why I keep making the choice. I finally put my finger on it. It’s because the pockets on the white coat are soft and comfortable. In the morning when I’ve launched myself out of bed and into the cold before I’ve had a cup of tea or done my meditation, it’s dark (and raining), I just want a little bit of cozy.

When I read Anne Beall’s book, The Compassionate Writer, it made me think of this illogical coat choice. Because when I see others acting in a way that will get them soaked, metaphorically speaking, I think they should make different choices.

“Another common bias is what psychologists call the actor-observer effect. Research by Nisbett and colleagues shows that tend to explain our own behavior based on external circumstances – ‘I didn’t have a choice,’ or ‘The situation made me do it.’ However we attribute other people’s behavior to their personality or character. This can skew how we interpret both our actions and theirs.” – Anne Beall, The Compassionate Writer

Anne makes an excellent point that when we write with the understanding of this bias, it’s more relatable. It probably makes us better humans as well. Case in point, I worry when my six-year-old son would prefer to wear a sweatshirt on rainy days instead of a rain jacket. [Apple doesn’t fall far them the tree.]

P.S. If you haven’t heard the How to Share podcast with Anne yet, it’s worth a listen. She’s got so much wisdom about compassionate for ourselves and others!

(featured photo is mine)

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

Please check out the How to Share podcast, a podcast celebrates the art of teaching, learning, giving, and growing!

My Go-To Metaphor

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“One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art in conducting oneself in lower regions by memory of what one has seen higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.” – Rene Daumal

This was originally posted on another blog on 7/19/2023 and I’m republishing here to consolidate. Heads up – you may have already read this.

I recently had one of those weeks. You know the kind I mean? The ones where you have to dig extra deep to stay focused and get everything done but there’s a payoff at the end? Like the week before vacation where you have to get your work projects in order, home projects in order, buy extra food for the cat sitter, set the watering system, and pack all the while still feeding, watering, and caring for yourself and your family.

So, during this particular week I kept coming back to my go-to metaphor for life: mountain climbing. That’s the one that sticks for me even though I haven’t climbed a proper mountain in ten years.

One step at a time: For any mountain that I’ve climbed, there is a moment in the parking lot that I look up at the summit, or what I can see of it from the base, and doubt that I have any chance of reaching that point in two or three days time. The mountain looks massive and my stride looks incomparably small. But seeing the task ahead of me, I shoulder my pack, and start one step at a time.

Rest breaks: The first time I climbed a mountain it was with a guide named Jason. For every hour we climbed, we took a 10 minute rest break and he would lie down on the breaks. He had a simple philosophy: Why stand when you can sit and why sit when you can lie down? He was a master of not only making sure we stopped to care for ourselves, but also capitalizing on that time.

Team work: On the higher reaches of most mountains we rope up in teams of five or so, with about 30 feet of rope between each climber so that if someone falls, the rest of the team can dig into the snow with their ice axes. This method either keeps them from falling very far, or serves an anchor to pull the climber out if they’ve fallen into a crevasse. Is there a better metaphor for remembering that others are there to help us?

Self-care tricks: When you stop to rest, especially during the pre-dawn hours, the sweat instantly freezes on your skin and you get really cold, really quick. So the trick is to have your parka handy. And here’s the key, you load your parka pockets with yummy snacks so that when you put it on, it’s like one-stop shopping. By yummy snacks, I mean trail mix with candy mixed in or your favorite nuts, not protein bars that are going to look, feel and chew like leather. Because when you’re so incredibly tired that feeding yourself feels like a chore, it has to be appetizing and handy.

Set a turn-around time: The idea of a turn-around time makes me think of the guide Rob Hall who died on Everest in 1996. He was so focused on getting his client to the top that he ignored the time he had told his team they would turn-around no matter whether they’d summitted or not. While the consequences are usually not nearly as dire, there is often a similar limit in life, whether it be bedtime or the time you have to leave for the airport. There’s a moment where you just have to stop what you are doing and call it good.

The slide down: One of my favorite mountains to climb is Mt. Adams in Washington State. We leave our camp in the middle of the night to head for the summit. About 20 minutes out of camp there’s a 50-degree slope that takes hours to tackle. But what takes about five hours to climb only takes 45 minutes to slide down on our butts for one of the best payoffs ever.

So that’s my metaphor for life – climbing. I haven’t even touched on false summits, the rest step, and the pressure breath. When I’m tackling something hard, it works for me to envision the components that will get me through: put one step in front of the other, take regular rest breaks, rely on my teammates, make it easy to take care of oneself when things are hard, set a limit for when you have to stop and then enjoy the payoff.

What’s your go-to metaphor?

You can find me on Instagram @wynneleon and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/

I co-host a storytelling podcast featuring authors and artists with the amazing Vicki Atkinson. To tune in, search for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or Pocketcasts (and subscribe) or click here. Or the YouTube channel features videos of our interviews. Please subscribe!

My other projects include work as a CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), speaking about creativity and AI through the Chicago Writer’s Association, and my book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.

Confession of an Over-Exclaimer

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“Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean ‘More people died,’ don’t say, ‘Mortality rose.’” – C. S. Lewis

This was originally posted on another blog on 2/7/2024 and I’m republishing here to consolidate. Heads up – you may have already read this.

I recently had an opportunity to use a vintage typewriter. I’ve included a picture below for reference. My kids and I visited a friend and he had this beautiful and functional typewriter.

I found myself so excited to show my kids some of the sounds that come with my romanticized view of typewriters. The clack of the keys, the ding at the end of the line, and the zzzhhh of the carriage return. I rolled in a piece of paper so my eight-year-old daughter, Miss O, could give it a try.

Sheesh, it takes more finger strength than I remember. Especially for the pinkies.

Knowing that I wouldn’t have a chance to mail our host a thank you note and have it arrive before he left on a vacation, I decided to type him a thank you note. And that’s where it all started to go wrong. I didn’t have my glasses on but I’m a decent touch typist so I figured I was fine. [aside: beth’s I didn’t have my glasses on is one of my favorite blog names and is such a delightful read]

Just as I was rolling out the piece of paper, Miss O came back into the room to see what I was doing. I handed her the note. She read it and laughed. “It’s great except you used question marks instead of exclamation points.”

It read something like:

Taking a closer look, the typewriter didn’t have an exclamation point. It didn’t even have a number one key (use lower case L?). To do an exclamation point would have meant typing a period, backing up the carriage and then doing a single quote.

No way I would have done a lot of exclamation points if I was using that typewriter for my missives. But I use them all the time when I write – and especially comment these days. Seems like I might be using punctuation as a crutch instead of choosing the words that convey enthusiasm.

In retrospect, I’ve rewritten it without exclamation points:

What do you think? Better with exclamation points or without? Do you use them?

(featured photo from Pexels)

You can find me on Instagram @wynneleon and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/

I co-host a storytelling podcast featuring authors and artists with the amazing Vicki Atkinson. To tune in, search for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or Pocketcasts (and subscribe) or click here. Or the YouTube channel features videos of our interviews. Please subscribe!

My other projects include work as a CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), speaking about creativity and AI through the Chicago Writer’s Association, and my book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.

Transforming Criticism into Creative Fuel

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“Focus more on the people who inspire you rather than annoy. You’ll get much further in life.” – Kristen Butler

This was originally published on another site on 12/13/2023. Heads up – you may have already read this.

I was listening to social scientist and author, Arthur Brooks talk with Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday podcast. He was talking about the human tendency towards negativity bias. His example was something like we go to a lovely holiday dinner and have a great time – except for the 20 minutes when Aunt Polly went on a rant. And what do we remember afterwards? Aunt Polly’s rant.

I suppose I knew this to some degree before but it was gratifying to find out that this isn’t just a me thing. It’s a survival mechanism that helps us identify the sticky spots. Safe to say, it’s a little maladaptive at times in our modern society.

I realized that one of the places that I do this is in writing. I often draft a piece thinking about the naysayers in the audience. After listening to Arthur Brooks, I noodled on this practice. I think writing with critics in mind has some advantages – like developing a fuller view of my position and for motivating my inner editor.

But I can’t type when in a defensive crouch.

Thinking of some of my favorite lines from authors:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” from Mary Oliver.

Or from John O’Donohue:

“When you beautify your mind, you beautify your world. You learn to see differently. In what seemed like dead situations, secret possibilities and invitations begin to open before you. In old suffering that held you long paralyzed, you find new keys. “ – John O’Donohue

These examples touch me in my bones in a way that makes me know they were written from the expansive space of possibility instead of the small space of fear.

Some of my best words have come when I’m surprised into them – I’ve laughed my way in or come fresh from sleep before my inner critic has arisen. Other times, I find I have to shift my posture – actually stretch or move out of that hunch over the keyboard that I naturally fall into. Anything to open the heart space in the front of my body as a physical reminder to let the words flow from my heart.

Maybe a rant from Aunt Polly is memorable. But the feeling of being touched from the inside out leaves a different kind of mark. One of possibility and inspiration. I’d much prefer the latter.

(featured photo is mine)

You can find me on Instagram @wynneleon and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/

I co-host a storytelling podcast featuring authors and artists with the amazing Vicki Atkinson. To tune in, search for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or Pocketcasts (and subscribe) or click here. Or the YouTube channel features videos of our interviews. Please subscribe!

My other projects include work as a CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), speaking about creativity and AI through the Chicago Writer’s Association, and my book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.

Use Your Words

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“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

As a mom of a 4-year-old and 8-year-old, I frequently find myself using the phrase, “Use your words.” The other day, my youngest wanted something on a high-up shelf and was pointing to it. I looked up and there were only like a gazillion possibilities. So I said, “use your words.”

At his age, his words are imprecise. Last night could mean the night prior but it could also mean anytime in the past. Orange might be anything on the spectrum between yellow and magenta. But even words that don’t guide directly are more helpful than guessing.

It made me think about all the ways we can use words, especially in writing. Here are three of my favorites:

Direction-instruction

Our ability to teach other people what we know or have discovered is astounding. If I had to draw it out or act it out, we’d all be here for a LOOOONG time.

“The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”

Brian Herbert

Whether I’m reading how to replace a board on my deck or the finer points of philosophy, I’m so grateful that others use their words to communicate what they have learned because it helps me immensely.

Process-connect

“The words you speak become the house you live in.”

Hafiz

I frequently don’t understand “life.” I wend my way through the day and it seems like there are some unifying threads running through it if I could just see it from enough distance. But then I slow down to write it down and something magically pops. Here’s an example.

The other day a co-worker unloaded in an out-of-character way. I was so surprised and impacted by this that I wrote it down as a story, simply for my own use – almost a transcription of “they said” and “I said.” By the time I’d gotten the words out, I felt as if I’d created a storage space for the event; a way to buffer the rest of my day so that the after-effects of my conversation didn’t layer on to all the rest of my interactions.

Then two days later I got an email from the co-worker apologizing. They let me know about some personal stuff going on that colored their conversation with me. We can process it now (and maybe save ourselves from having to apologize) or we can process later, but putting words to the experience helps sort it all out.

One of the most impactful ways I think we use words is this full-circle processing and connection. We write to understand and then, for the stuff we publish, it connects us to others and their experience.

Amuse-entertain

At bedtime the other night, I was warning my 8-year-old daughter not to hit her brother. She retorted to me, “What? Do you want to me to grow up all Martin Luther King like non-violent?” I was so surprised by the out of the blue reference that I not only stopped talking, but also burst out laughing. And then we were all giggling and whatever had caused the kerfuffle was forgotten.

Words have magical power. They can bring either the greatest happiness or deepest despair.

Sigmund Freud

Yes, I do want my kids to grow up all non-violent. They probably have a better chance of that if they remember to use their words, hopefully in ways that invoke the best use of that magical power.

(featured photo from Pexels)

The Whole-Hearted Profile

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“Very often what people would accurately claim as what they DO isn’t where they want to GO.” – Dr. Vicki Atkinson

I wonder if Leonardo da Vinci would have had trouble creating a LinkedIn profile. Here’s how Wikipedia describes him: painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

We might not have a list as long as da Vinci’s but we’re all Renaissance people to a degree, right? People who pivot between roles and evolve to own different titles throughout life. Writers, moms or dads, professionals, leaders, caretakers, gardeners, woodworkers, advocates, seekers, athletes to name a few.

A few months ago I asked my dear friend, Dr. Vicki Atkinson, for some tips about updating my LinkedIn profile. And then I sat on her expert advice for two months because marketing one’s self seems so vulnerable.

When I sat down to actually follow her clear and helpful advice, it only took me about 90 minutes. So we podcasted about this effort to build profiles that honor all our facets.

Dr. Atkinson has so much good guidance on how to build a presence that reflects our many facets. Her professional experience as a career counselor, therapist, and educator comes shining through in this episode. We learn some great how-to’s in this episode.

I found updating my LinkedIn profile to be challenging. I have 30+ years in the technology industry and I’m unsure how to marry that with my writing and experience as an author.

So Vicki walks me through using headlines instead of titles. She provides a great tip about using tags to introduce some dynamism into our profile and ability to be found.

Dr. Atkinson talks me through the idea of integrity as it applies to building a profile that honors ALL of who we are. As we pivot from professional experiences, interests and passions, she coaches us to do the story-telling to paint a picture of our whole-hearted experience.

And finally, we talk about the use of images to compliment our presentation.

I’m confident you’ll learn a lot — and also love the scenic and beautiful places we explore as we share the power of storytelling in our profiles.

We know you’ll love it!

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 87: LinkedIn Tweaks for Authors with Dr. Vicki Atkinson

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

HoTM episode 87 transcript

PDF presentation of Vicki’s recommendations and LinkedIn changes

Wynne Leon | LinkedIn

Dr. Victoria Atkinson, Ed.D. | LinkedIn

It’s Never Too Late for Courage – Victoria Ponders

Realizing Potential – Victoria Ponders

Vicki’s book: Surviving Sue

Speed Reading

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“No two readers can or will ever read the same book, because the reader builds the book in collaboration with the author.” – Neil Gaiman

This was originally published on 10/11/2023. Heads up – you may have already read this!

I’ve been speed reading blogs lately. My apologies to anyone with whom I haven’t done a good job of keeping in touch. Somehow, I got behind (I say it somehow like I don’t know how, but we all know how life piles up sometimes). Then with notifications that I had 200+ blogs to read, just from the blogs that I follow, I endeavored to speed read my way through.

Interesting thing though. When I did that, I got a glimpse of the bigger picture of our collective writing. Something like flipping through a book with a drawing in the corner to get the feel of animation. I picked up Word Press like a magazine to thumb through and get a sense of what kind of publication it was.

We all have a story to tell

It’s magical when we are treated to another person’s story. We get a little moment of being able to inhabit someone else’s shoes. In the posts I sped through, I found so much vitality created by writers opening up a vein, to steal from Ernest Hemingway, and leaving a bit of themselves on the page.

The narratives range from trauma to kindness, optimistic to pessimistic, factual to fiction which makes it hard to figure out what this collection has in common. But my speed read led to an a-ha. What binds it together is a rich tradition of story-telling.

We are trying mightily to understand what it all means

To borrow another writing quote, Anne Lamott said “Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave.  They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.” There is something in the practice of putting words on a page that defines the outline of what we are trying to live. And as we draft new versions, we keep reshaping what that looks like. We are writing things into life.

It seems this was even more palpable during the beginning of the Covid pandemic when we were faced with something most of us had never seen in our lifetimes. Collectively we were trying to understand the landscape of socialization and security as conditions changed. We faced fear and grief by writing about it.

Now that those concerns have receded, or at least become a familiar backdrop, I see us wrestling with love, parenting, the state of our planet, success, family, aging. Sometimes with humor, and other times with tears, but we show up on the page as real people writing it out.

There is a beautiful persistent vibe of trying to get better

That leads to the final gem that I gleaned from the pile of posts I sped through. There was a consistent spirit of trying to share knowledge. The collective is telling their stories, processing life through writing, and when we learn a lesson, we memorialize it in words.

This might be the highest hurdles of our collective writing. How to offer up the individual lessons so that others can heal and learn. What I noticed is that we are learning through teaching. Often humbly, and with a dose of personal perspective, but as Yale sociologist Nicholas Christoff says, one of the incredible things we do as humans is cooperate with genetically unrelated individuals, “We teach each other things. People take this for granted, but it’s actually unbelievable.”

iWe are publishing a magazine every day. A lifestyle magazine. An inspirational writing journal. A guide to healing. I’m sorry I’ve missed your individual posts but I’m glad for the opportunity to thumb through this magazine. Well done!

(featured photo from Pexels)