These days, it’s not hard to get me to eat my vegetables - I love vegetables! - yet the phrase has been rattling around in my head. Despite knowing what is “good for me” (like those veggies), it can be challenging to motivate, and I can no longer rely on a wise elder to command me into action.
Read MoreI went back to running outside this week as the weather in Kansas turned to spring. I am a planner by nature, so I always check on various must-haves before venturing out: temperature (which ranged from 80 degrees to snow this week!), wind (anything less than 10 mph is golden, up to 20 mph is tolerable), when the sun comes up and how much time that leaves me post-run before I need to be ready to roll for the day. I prefer to run at first light, in those perfect moments before the sun is above the horizon. Some days all the details line up, other days I head to the treadmill in my basement. Today was one of the perfect days: temperature low 40’s, wind speed 7 mph, sunrise 7:04am.
Read MoreThings are different when you live half-way between Kansas City and Denver. You can’t pop down the street to a great Ethiopian restaurant or head to the mega-mall for a last minute Christmas gift, for example. And there is no anonymity; news in a small community travels quickly, and everyone is part of the community. The line between patient and friend rarely exists. My home address and phone number are in the phonebook; it wouldn’t matter if they were unlisted because everyone knows where I live anyway. And I’m good with that fact.
Read MoreThe Kansas motto refers to the pioneering spirit of the early settlers and acknowledges difficult times on the way to becoming a state. With every journey there are tricky bits; times when the pieces don’t fit together nicely and you have to rearrange your travel plans to reach your destination. Leadership has been my journey, and I find that those tricky bits are the places on the trip I learn the most.
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