Tag: inspiration
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Mister Rogers is the neighbor we still need

I cried seeing the trailer for Won’t You Be My Neighbor? in the theater a couple of months ago, so I knew I’d be emotional when I saw the documentary. I had no idea what I was in for though. I loved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood when I was a kid. To say he was my one…
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Which film will win the Oscar for Best Picture?

For the first time in my life, I have seen each of the films nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. In a typical year, I see one or two, if I’m lucky. Frankly, I don’t normally have much interest in the nominees, but this year the films grabbed me and I was compelled to see…
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100+ Acts of Self Kindness

Step two in spreading kindness throughout the world in 2017 is performing one act of self kindness (aka self care) each week. Yesterday we discussed acts of kindness that we can perform for others. Today it’s time to focus on ourselves. Before we get into the list of possible acts of self kindness, let me tell…
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100+ acts of kindness for others, animals, and the planet

Step one in spreading kindness throughout the world in 2017 is performing one act of kindness each week for another person or people, animal, or the planet. The list of possible acts of kindness is endless, but to get you started, I’ve listed 100 of my favorite acts of kindness below. I’d love to hear…
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Full Moon Restaurant: Where everyone receives a free Thanksgiving dinner

Do you dine at the Full Moon Restaurant? I first discovered the Full Moon as a first year student at Lake Forest College in 1989 when an upperclassman friend introduced me to this wonderful 24-hour truck stop just north of campus. Since that time, the Full Moon has been my second favorite restaurant. Second only…
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Story time with Brad Meltzer

When was the last time someone read you a bedtime story, complete with sound effects, jokes, and the story’s backstory? I’m guessing you were under 10 and that was probably a very long time ago. Do you remember how much you anticipated the story each night, even if you made your parents read the same…
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What I know about being a good leader

I’ve been thinking a lot about the qualities of a good leader lately. Maybe I’ve been thinking about this because with last week’s GOP debate, we’re officially into the presidential election season, and our country’s most visible leader is the president. Maybe I’ve been thinking about it because I’ve been interviewing a lot lately. Maybe…
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Seven things I know about writing

Two of my ChicagoNow buddies, Nina writer of You Know Neen, and Michael writer of Mysteries of Life, recently tagged me in a meme going around the ChicagoNow writers on Facebook. I decided that rather than share my pearls of wisdom with just my Facebook friends, the entire world could benefit from my knowledge about…

