Is there anyone out there that doesn’t fear change? To me, change is most definitely a love and hate relationship. When diving into a place that is scary, some people just put on their big kid pants and get it done, but there are so many of us who struggle to get past the fear. Or how about the few of us who do accept change, and we change ourselves only to be ridiculed.

You’ve noticed those toxic people that are waiting for you to screw up. These people only want you to fail because of their own insecurities. You know them, the “I told you so” people. Those jealous ones that love sharing their misery. They want to pull you, drag you, sweet talk you, anything to have you back in the black hole they choose to call home. Do not pay any attention to what they are saying.

Change is inconvenient. When change comes it often begins with very hard deliberate work. Truly, good things don’t always come easily to most people, and more than not, change does take...

I Love my logo The Swan.

Let me tell you my swan story. My reason for choosing this magnificent bird is that I fell in love after seeing them in person when I was traveling overseas in 2007. I only now have actually learned what a majestic bird the swan is. My Fascination with this majestic bird led me to do some research on the swan.  After consulting the Encyclopedia Britannica, I learned that the swan is the largest of all waterfowl species. They migrate in a V-formation at great heights and no other waterfowl moves as fast on the water or in the air. I also found it very interesting that they pair for many years. Most mate for life. If you have ever had the opportunity to observe a swan in flight or gliding gracefully on a body of water, I’m sure you can agree that the swan is a beautiful and graceful bird.  Their long, elegant necks and beautiful plumage make them a sight to behold.            ...

Have you ever flown in an airplane?

Everyone is seated, seat belts fastened, cell phones on airplane mode, hand luggage secured under the seat in front of you, and the flight attendants take the center aisle giving instructions in the case of an emergency. The most important survival instruction she gives is to make sure to use your oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others.

You must take care of yourself first!

Taking care of yourself is a learned process... myself included. I learned this first hand going through the beginning stages of the recovery process.  If I did not take care of myself and got sick again, who would take care of my children?  I struggled with being a mom and always being the caregiver, not only for my children but also for my challenged mother for many, many years.  I was holding a full-time job along with school activities, homework, gymnastics, my exercise class, appointments, dinners, lunches .......... shall I...

Eating healthy in your recovery plays a very important part in gaining ground fast.  This can be challenging, but it is so much fun finding new foods to eat to help replenish and nourish your body.  This will also help sidetrack your brain.  We know that addiction alters your brain chemistry, so when removing the addiction, your body still craves the addictive substance.  

For example, those who suffer from alcohol addiction, their brains still crave the rush of copious amounts of alcohol being converted into sugar.  Your body then gets the sense of feeling full which ends up being from unwholesome empty calories.  Combined with an unhealthy diet, it could lead to malnutrition and other health issues.  Now we need to replace these empty calories from all that nutrient-deficient sugar with nutrient-dense sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  

So a tip to remember!  Out of the energy sources we consume, (i.e....

Greetings to all.  This is the second of a two-part series on Integrity.  As I mentioned in my last post, Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.  I also mentioned how important it is to make life's decisions based on Integrity.  As promised in Part 1 on Integrity, here are “11 Key Ingredients of Integrity”.

11 Key Ingredients of Integrity

1. Do what you say you will do.
2. Make sure your actions match your words.
3. Never lie, cheat or steal.
4. Never use hype, pressure or “hard sell” in order to have it your way.
5. Try to help people rather than think about how you can take advantage of them.
6. Set a strong personal example for others to follow.
7. Stay true to your values and beliefs.
8. Ensure that you never say or do anything that would jeopardize your reputation.
9. Treat everyone as well as you would treat your own daughter or mother.
10. Treat others the way that you would like to be...

I would like to share with you today my thoughts on the value of Integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness, trustworthiness.  This is what Integrity is defined as and is what you should take into consideration when making decisions. Before any decision you make, your first question should be; “Is this action based on Integrity?”  If it isn't, there is always another way of going about what you are trying to accomplish.  Sure, a short cut may look attractive because it tends to get where you want to go faster, but personally, I would rather something take twice as long using strategies with a foundation in honesty and integrity so that when I go to bed each night, I can easily fall asleep knowing I did the right thing.

One of my life coaches and mentors, sums it up by just saying two (2) things:  “If it isn't true, DON'T SAY IT!”...

When I told my husband Dan that I wanted us to go on a “dream trip” to Croatia, he basically told me I was out of my mind.  Especially knowing that it would take many hours for the flight to get there and Dan, being a long-legged 6’4”, has difficulty staying comfortable on long flights.  After a lengthy discussion, sharing with him the information I gathered, and showing him pictures that depicted the beauty of Croatia on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, he agreed to make the trek. 

- Day 1 -

On June 14^th, 2018, we departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and headed for Croatia for an 8-day and 7-night vacation. After about 10 hours of fly time, we arrived in Vienna, Austria and then boarded a connecting flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia.  After a flight of a little over an hour, we arrived at the airport in Dubrovnik where we had arranged to meet a mother and her daughter from the United States (Montana).  ...