The Power of Passion

"I never saw a meaningful life that wasn't based on passion. And I never saw a life full of passion that wasn't, in some important way, extraordinary." ~ Bill Strickland, Make the Impossible Possible

At the 19th Russ Berrie Awards for Making a Difference

At the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Awards each year, I meet the most incredible human beings who bring the gift of their passion to life in the work they do in our community.

Inspired at 60

Birthdays are invitations to live an inspired life,
to be part of the wholeness that flows all around us,
a stage when we are ready to give back what we have learned
to inspire others and be inspired again.

timeless stillness

Listen!

Are you breathing just a little,
and calling it a life?
~ Mary Oliver

Rushing to start the year, I was snowed in and spent some quiet time at home. At first, I was gripped by a frenzy of housecleaning to fill the time. After a week, I settled into the quiet rhythm of my days, watching the light change over the river, geese flying home in formation at sunset, water solidify into a skin of crackled ice when temperatures dropped. Cozy in my cocoon while snow swirled outside, the pulse of life slowed as the sheer pleasure of found time opened a gateway into the present moment. 

Mindfulness in a Mobile World

Finding myself checking my cellphone this holiday season - observing how families spend our precious time together texting, playing games, checking Facebook, or going online - I resolved to change my relationship with my cell phone as part of my mindfulness practice. 

The Gift of Giving‏

In this season of giving, the greatest gift anyone can give is the gift of self. No matter what we have or don't have, each of us has the power to make a difference through one small act. Kindness, compassion and generosity are the most precious gifts we can share.

Every day offers opportunities to do something good - walking past a homeless person, lining up for a cup of coffee, sitting in a cafe, riding in a subway or driving through New York's traffic congested streets. 

We only have to open our eyes and our heart to see the stranger standing next to us. Kindness is a gift not just for those less fortunate. A smile of recognition, an acknowledgment that one is not invisible but seen and felt by another human being is an act of empathy and compassion that connects us to one other, a warm reminder that we are not alone in the world.