Inspiration Archives

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Since what seems like the beginning of time, people attempting to diffuse disagreements have told people wrapped up in the quarrel that "there are two sides to every story." The result usually goes something like this: One person in the argument is more emotional than the other and immediately scoffs at the comment. The other person in the disagreement – the one that is likely a little more willing to back down – sees his or her foe’s reaction and then tosses out any thought of meeting halfway. Every once in a blue moon, the idea…

By Gail Lynne Goodwin. My husband and I are sailing a beautiful 42' sailboat named Hula Kai off the US/Canadian Coast, for two weeks. I think one of the reasons I love sailing is that I’m reminded of so many life lessons while on the water. Yesterday was a perfect example. We planned to sail from Back Eddy’s to Pender Harbor, only a few hours sail, but as we neared Pender and were enjoying the day so much, we decided to go further. We were sailing into uncharted waters where neither of us had ever sailed before. We looked at…

The human body is full of hidden glands hard at work communicating and controlling our body's responses to what's going on around us. When our temperature spikes out of control, the hypothalamus saves the day, returning us to homeostasis. The thymus is our go-to gland for better immune health when we’re feeling sick. And if our blood sugar is out of whack, the pituitary gland regulates it. The body is an intricate system with a biological response to pretty much any hazard our environment throws at us. But what if those hazards have to do with emotions, not body functions?…

By B. Lynn Goodwin. If I am grouchy, please forgive me. My allergy gremlins are at fault. I'm allergic to my eyes and my hair and possibly my skin. My nose demands one tissue after another. I can feel the redness, like raw skin in search of fingernails to scratch it. Everything’s a little blurry, but I have to write anyway, because I found a picture book summer again this morning as I turned down my street on my way home from a trip to Lucky, CVS, and the Danville Library. First I saw three mothers, in skirts and shifts…

By Gail Lynne Goodwin. A very wise man once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". Sometimes we must take the risk, live the adventure and confront things that might frighten us. Yesterday my husband and I arrived at San Juan Sailing, the premier charter company in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle, Washington, to pick up a yacht for a two-week sail. Her name is Hula Kai, and she's a beautiful 42' Catalina sailboat. We are both avid sailors with more than 20 years of experience, mainly in the Caribbean. Knowing that…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. I've got a bit of news for those of you who haven't seen the mudslinging TV ads, heard the accusatory radio spots or spotted the big, bold signs on every street corner: It's an election year. Until November, presidential politics will likely dominate your preferred news outlet. It might even sneak into your dinner table conversations and barge in on your break room chats, and it could even motivate you to do a bit of campaigning yourself. Amid all the public pleas and promises of presidential hopefuls, the always-difficult task of deciding what to believe and…

By B. Lynn Goodwin. More than one book in the Bible tells us, "A workman is worthy of his hire." I heartily agree, though I know the process is not always linear. In addition to a workman, a woman, a teenager, a multi-tasker, a mom, a dad, a writer and many more workers are all worthy of their hire, yet people have been known to donate our skills for appreciation or recognition instead of cash. Anyone who contributes constructively to the world is worthy of pay. In this day and age that pay often comes in the form of validation. I’ve done…

By Gail Lynne Goodwin. Sometimes I think I'm a gypsy. I've lived in 10 states over the last 30 years, and when opportunity knocks, I walk through the door, no matter where it might happen to lead. I’m currently living in New York City for 6 weeks, helping a friend with a project that I believe will change the world. (More details about that later….) Yesterday I met a man named Tom, who, coincidentally, was raised in the same small town in Pennsylvania where I grew up. When he heard that I live in Montana, he went crazy. For the…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Have you noticed the bad rap that emotion has been getting lately? Every time you flip on the TV, watch a movie or turn the page in a book, it seems like the emotional character is labeled as the irrational one who’s not strong enough to think things through. In your day-to-day life, anytime you reveal how you really feel, there’s always someone who feels instantly uncomfortable around you. It’s even true with the people you’re closest with: How many times has your anger or disappointment led a loved one to flee the room or prematurely…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. In geometry class, the line was always my favorite object. Hypothetically, a line has no width or height, which means that in math problems, length was all you had to worry about. Sure, there was the distinction between lines (which could go on forever) and line segments (which had definite beginnings and ends), but regardless of the type, lines always seemed to have the freedom to travel for however long they pleased. The line is still a powerful thing. Think about how many lines we encounter in any typical day: If we’re in a heated argument,…