Blog

Tell a Better Feeling Story

“The stories that you tell yourself can make or break you – no matter who you are.” – Oprah Winfrey A few days ago, I was offered a project with a former client. I really like the company and the people who work there, but it’s been a long time since we’ve worked together and … ...

The Spaghetti Fiasco

When I was a little girl, I loved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I loved all of the guests he had on his show and how he started off by coming in and putting on his sweater and getting all cozy. Almost every time I ate a meal, I asked my mom if I could eat in … ...

When Things Don’t Go Perfectly

When I worked with The Marcus Buckingham company, my entire team worked remotely. In fact, most employees worked remotely since the philosophy was to hire the best person for the job no matter where they lived. And they certainly did! Every person I met was incredibly good at their job. A few weeks into working … ...

The Perfect Imperfections

A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections. – Chinese Proverb In the movie Vivarium, a couple ends up at a house that they can’t leave. No matter where they drive or how far they walk, they always end up back at the same house. Soon, they begin to notice … ...

Moment by Moment Meditation

This morning, I looked out my window and saw a man washing the sidewalk. Gently, he shifted the water hose from one side to the other, making sure every square inch of the sidewalk was covered with soap and water. Back and forth, back and forth the hose went. I watched the entire process, and … ...

Human Beings, Not Human Doings

“We have a tendency to think in terms of doing and not in terms of being. We think that when we are not doing anything, we are wasting our time. But that is not true. Our time is first of all for us to be. To be what? To be alive, to be peaceful, to … ...

The Light

“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” – Francis Bacon A few days ago I was sitting on my balcony enjoying the warmth of my newly purchased heat lamp in the crisp, cool, air. As I was swaying back and forth in my swing, I looked down and … ...

Grow Where You Are Planted

When I started a job as an HR Manager at the Denver International Airport, I knew right away that this was going to be one of my worst jobs. I started on a Thursday and on Friday as I was standing in my manager’s office, he told me that I had a union grievance meeting … ...

The Squirrel

To overcome a fear, here’s all you have to do: realize the fear is there, and do the action you fear anyway. – Peter McWilliams On a recent trip up to the mountains, a squirrel darted across the street to the other side of the road. Most squirrels that I’ve seen get halfway across the … ...

3 Tips to Enhance the Work Environment During the Pandemic

“I wonder how many people I’ve looked at, all my life, and never seen.” — John Steinbeck How are you creating space in your workplace to make meaningful connections in this virtual environment? With a lot of companies thrust into a virtual work-mode, management and employees feel isolated, burned out and disconnected from the organization, … ...

Forgive Yourself

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ― Ralph Waldo … ...

Ashes in the Air

As I stepped outside into the cool, hazy, smoky air this morning, I noticed small gray particles landing ever so softly on my shirt. It took me a moment to realize that they were ashes from the wildfires raging near my home in Denver, CO. Watching them float through the air, I was overcome with … ...

Can Virtual Connection Be As Strong As In-Person Connection?

Every Thursday for almost one year, I’ve hosted The Way Back with neighbors. Before that, when I attended building-wide events, I found myself in surface-level conversations that sounded like “When did you move in?” or “It’s getting hot out there today!” Each time I left an event, I felt like I didn’t really know most … ...

Podcast Chat with Holly Krivo

A few weeks ago, I was scheduled to be a guest speaker on Holly Krivo’s podcast, Chill & Grace (a lifestyle podcast for high-performers disrupting the norm by chilling in their truth and gracefully inspiring others to do the same). I dialed into the recording session and almost everything that could go wrong did. From … ...

Flexibility in the Middle of a Pandemic

When I first started The Way Back at Chipotle headquarters back in 2014, we met every day. So, naturally, when I started writing a book, I created a daily format. Fast forward to when I published the book and started hearing that folks were using it as part of their weekly team meetings, rather than … ...

We are All Stars of One Sky

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” – John Lennon Sometimes when I sit quietly in the morning and take a moment to see how I’m feeling, I am in awe of the fact that no matter … ...

The Visitors

“Feelings are just visitors, let them come and go.” – Mooji Over the past few weeks, I’ve really missed having visitors. Having people over, taking turns choosing music videos to watch, discussing the vastness of life, and sitting in quietness together on my patio are among some of my very favorite things to do. So, … ...

Love to All Beings

“Two of the great lessons humanity will learn in the 21st century will be: to harm another is to harm oneself, when you heal yourself, you heal the world.” – Yung Pueblo What a year 2020 has been, already, for all of us. For me personally, my dad passed away, the pandemic has shaken and … ...

The Secret To Creating THE Most Effective Teams

During my time on the training department at Chipotle headquarters, I traveled to Philadelphia to meet one of the most successful Area Leaders (leader who is over multiple restaurants in a specific area). This particular Area Leader had successfully mentored many future General Manager’s. My goal on the trip was to determine what made this … ...

The Paper Cut

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie A few days ago I reached into my … ...

How To Start a Movement

“The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.” – Derek Silvers A few nights ago, 8 PM came and I didn’t hear anyone howling. Since we’ve done this every night for the past several weeks, it was strange to not hear my neighbors. So, I took a quick look around, paused … ...

The Flower Worth a Headache

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day.” said Pooh. How can you make today your favorite day? One way is to simply notice the little things: the things you might normally pass by without stopping to really appreciate. After discussing this topic with some folks a few days ago, … ...

The Great Realisation

“We all were hidden amidst the fear, and all the while, people dusted off their instincts, they remembered how to smile, they started clapping to say thank you and calling up their mums, and while the car keys gathered dust they would look forward to their runs, and with the skies less full of voyagers, … ...

Want to Connect More Deeply With Those Around You?

Since the launch of the new website, a lot of folks have reached out and mentioned that they would love to connect with the people around them more deeply, but are unsure how to actually get started with The Way Back. It can be intimidating to “put yourself out there” and get something like this … ...

Final The Way Back Virtual Gathering

“We are all connected to each other, in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.” – Pocahontas Last month, I began hosting The Way Back virtual gatherings to offer social connectedness while still practicing physical distancing. And wow! I’ve met some amazing people and we’ve had some incredible conversations about topics ranging from why … ...

Small Kindnesses

“I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs to let you by. Or how strangers still say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes, a leftover from the Bubonic plague. ‘Don’t die,’ we are saying. And sometimes, when you spill lemons from your grocery bag, someone else … ...

You Are a Magnet

“What you think about, you bring about.” – Bob Proctor My typical workday consists of me working among lots of people in coffee shops or common spaces in my apartment building. In fact, I’ve always told myself and others, “I can’t work in my apartment. In order to be creative, I must surround myself with … ...

Until Then…

One of my favorite ways to pass the time is to grab a cup of hot tea, pull up a chair next to my window, and watch the world go by. However, my state, like many others, was issued a stay-at-home order last week. And, the world was…quite. Between feelings of overwhelm, concern, and grief … ...

And The People Stayed Home

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and grew gardens full of fresh food, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to … ...

The Butterfly Effect

“It has been said something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world.” – Chaos Theory At 5 AM Saturday morning, I found myself at the local grocery store walking down half-barren aisles in search of some toilet paper as I had let my own … ...

alone thinking woman standing on a stone

When You Don’t Know What’s Next

“When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” – Thomas Edison Sometimes, it’s easy to know what the first step of an endeavor is. If you want to write a book, start writing. If you want to improve your health, go to the gym. If you want a promotion, apply for it. But, what … ...

Things Happen

“I may not believe that ‘All things happen for a reason.’ But I do believe that reason may come from all things that happen.” – Shellen Lubin Let’s set a scene: It’s 8 AM and you’re stuck in a traffic jam, running late to work. You’re frustrated at being late and thinking if only traffic … ...

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

“The biggest obstacle you’ll ever have to overcome is your mind. If you can overcome that, you can overcome anything.” – Author Unknown In her book, Rising Strong, Brene Brown discusses the fact that we often make up stories that “diminish our inherent worthiness.” In an interview, she gives an example of what this might look … ...

Mindful Mornings is Gone

Well, kind of. Mindful Mornings is now The Way Back. Let me explain why… In April 2018, I attended a week-long meditation retreat in Loveland, CO. My boyfriend dropped me off after-hours and a few seconds after he left, I realized I had left my purse in his car. So, I had no money or identification. … ...

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