When we explored Alaska with our 13-year-old before our move from Florida 17 years ago, we made sure to make it adventurous for her. We signed up for zip-lining in Ketchikan among the tall Western Hemlocks. I've never been a fan of heights (understatement of the year!), but I was determined. We r...

Challenge #1 The Hike. When my kids were both back in Alaska, they insisted that we climb the frontside of Flattop one rainy day. It's a popular local hike. It's my least favorite because I loathe the "scramble" at the top, where you create your own rock climbing path up. It's not particularly st...

You know those times when two clothing items randomly end up next to each other in the laundry, and you see a new outfit?  No, just me? Well, anyway, I had a similar thing happen as three situations juxtaposed together to open up my thinking. The first one involved a couple of group sessions in w...

We were only a little over 2 hours into our hike, and my feet were killing me. It was my first backpacking trip through Crow Pass. We had knocked out 3 of the 23 miles and 2000 ft elevation gain after work Friday afternoon. We set up camp by Crystal Lake. I was so uncomfortable that I wondered if...

In this week's Joy FM Snippet, I invite you to reflect on the automatic questions you ask yourself on the regular. Our brains are wired to look for and deliver answers. So if you ask things like, "What is wrong with me?" then your brain will go looking for all the answers. You likely will feel wo...

Here's an exercise that I hope you find useful. Think of either past examples that you would define as your best self. Or think of the self you'd like to aspire to be. Now, which of your strengths are you exhibiting? What happens internally for you? How does it impact your relationships? What's o...