I’m Not Broke, I’m Short of Cash: There’s a Difference

“If we can be peaceful and happy not only we, but everyone, can profit from it.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

I recently discovered the difference between being broke and being short of cash. Coming home after our recent trip to Europe, I thought I was broke. I fell for a scam in processing a travel authorization for the UK that added hundreds of dollars of processing fees. And then there was the day that I had to re-buy the train tickets for a train because we got lost and missed our scheduled one.

So I came home and thought I was broke. However, I have a hard time remembering that. Because I feel rich when:

  • A friend came by and said, “I want to hear about your trip.” And then really listened to the stories my kids and I told her.
  • My mom volunteered to do yard work to get ready for the next round of guests. It happened to rain hard during a thunder and lightning storm while she was working so she came in for a cup of tea and soup and we talked.
  • My almost seven-year-old son kicked a football at the local wading pool and it nearly missed a squirrel which did a hilarious jump. His narrative after the fact made me feel warm from the inside out because of his love for family, “I feel bad for that squirrel. Because I think it comes from a small family. Doesn’t even have cousins.”
  • My almost 11-year-old daughter brushed by me at breakfast and said “I love you, Mom. You are the best Mom.” When I asked why she was compelled to say that right then, she just smiled and shrugged and said, “Because it’s true.”

That’s just a partial list from last week. Just naming these things makes me feel blessed all over again. I learned years ago to never go grocery shopping after meditation class. When I’m filled with the abundance and inner peace that comes from cultivating my connection to God, I forget I have a budget.

And so it is in this case. Since I am self-employed and do contract work, I don’t get paid when I’m traveling. But I’m not broke. I’m just short of cash.

(featured photo from Pexels)

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How to Share Inner Peace

“Peace is not something you wish for; It’s something you make, Something you do , Something you are, And something you give away.” – John Lennon

There is a benediction that my dad used to say at the end of church services that has stuck with me for all these years.

“May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, be with you now and forever more.”

I can see him in my mind’s eye standing in front of the church with his arms raised over the audience in blessing. He says that line and then he drops his hands, bows his head and walks out of the service. It gives me great peace to recall.

Meditation has been my go-to for practicing finding that peace. When I have it, I write better, parent more thoughtfully, lead with a fuller heart, and find myself swimming in the deeper end of the grace pool for myself and others.

So in this week’s episode of the How To Share podcast, I share a guided meditation by my meditation teacher, Deirdre Wilcox. Here is a short clip of the preamble highlighting some of my favorite quotes about inner peace:

The episode features a backpack guided meditation that resonates with me as a hiker and climber but I think we’ve all carried heavy loads enough to appreciate it.

Takeaways

  • Meditation can help cultivate internal quiet and peace.
  • Spiritual pathways include meditation, community, and acts of service.
  • Inner peace is a valuable endpoint for personal growth.
  • Nature can provide a sense of awe and tranquility.
  • Creativity is a form of spiritual expression.
  • It’s important to identify and release emotional burdens.
  • Guided meditation can facilitate emotional unpacking.
  • Self-love is crucial for personal development.
  • Acknowledging what to let go of can lighten one’s load.
  • Regularly checking in with oneself can promote emotional wellness.

I understand meditation is not for everyone. But if it is your jam, or you just like talking about packing, please give it a listen. Here are some ways you can listen and watch to the full episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

How can courage, resilience, and authentic leadershiptransform adversity into meaningful change? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon talks with Yasmine Sherif—human rights lawyer, longtime United Nations humanitarian leader, and author of Unleash Your Humanity—about choosing humanity over fear and living with faith, joy, creativity, and purpose.Yasmine traces her journey from a multicultural childhoodand a life-changing promise to serve humanity to decades of humanitarian work in conflict zones. She shares how persistence opened the door to the United Nations, what she learned while helping refugees return home after the DaytonPeace Accords, and how trust and intuition helped her act courageously when lives were at risk.Together, Wynne and Yasmine explore how courage becomes a habit, why growth often begins outside the comfort zone, and how personal awakening can inspire collective change. Their conversation offers a hopeful perspective on resilience, human potential, service, empathy, and purpose-driven leadership—while reminding us that every person can help move the world toward greater humanity.Listen to discover:·       How to build courage through repeated choices·       Why adversity can become an opportunity for growth·       How authenticity and intuition support resilient leadership·       What it means to lead through service and shared humanity·       How joy, empathy, and creativity can fuel meaningful changeFollow The Life of Try for more inspiring conversations about courage, curiosity, personal growth, and what becomespossible when we keep trying. After this episode, listen to The Way Will Open: How to Trust Life’s Timing for more on faith, patience, and moving forward when the path is unclear.
  1. Unleash Your Humanity: Courage, Resilience & Purpose with Yasmine Sherif
  2. Stop Hustling For Your Worth: A Better Way to Grow
  3. Way Will Open: How To Trust Life's Timing
  4. How to Stop Procrastinating and Start: The 10-Minute Rule for Taking Action
  5. The Art of Meaningful Conversations: Lessons from 200 podcast episodes

Links for the Episode

Deirdre Wilcox’s website

(featured photo from Pexels)

How Not To Be Mean

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” – Lao Tzu

The other night my seven-year-old was being short-tempered with her younger brother and snippy with me. I asked her not to take out her mood on others and she replied “I don’t know what to do with the meanness!”

Wow, that stopped me in my tracks! It left me trying to tease apart all the ways we can quell our inner meanness and became the topic of my Pointless Overthinking blog today, What to Do With Our Inner Meanness.