Inspiration Archives

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Imagine the worst roommate possible. You are clean; he or she is a slob who leaves dishes unwashed and dirty laundry strewn across the floor. You are a morning person; your roommate's definition of an early morning is partying until 3 a.m. and sleeping until noon. You are trying to eat healthy, but your roommate leaves junk food everywhere, as if to tempt you at your weakest moments. There is quarreling and high levels of frustration that drain you of your positivity and zap away your carefree attitude. Does that sound like a disaster? Wait until…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. When I participated in my first career day, I was barely old enough to walk to the bus stop by myself. What does a fourth grader know about a career? Very little, but boy, did we try to dream up big goals. Clustered in my elementary school's tiny library, my classmates and I were each on a mission to find the perfect careers to compliment our strengths. Doctor was a popular pick for the science geeks. There were many future firefighters and presidents in the room, mostly among the classmates who were natural leaders. The more…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. The word "perfection" sure gets thrown around a lot. "She's perfect;" "I've got the perfect fix;" "That's picture perfect." But who defines perfect, anyway, and what set of variables needs to magically align to achieve this so-called state of nirvana? The problem with perfection is that everyone has a different definition of it. My perfect day might be a bike ride through the city, during which I stop at every farmer’s market I come across. You could very well hate bikes and think farmer’s markets are boring. Another person we consult on this matter could respond…

By Gail Lynne Goodwin. How do you say goodbye to the man who taught you how to fly? When I was a toddler my dad would fly me through the air in his arms, pretending I was a bird. As a little girl he used to lie down on his back, stretch his legs towards the sky with me balanced on his feet and instantly, I was an airplane. I knew that I could fly anywhere with my dad, even if it was just in my imagination. As I grew older I realized what a gift this metaphor was in…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. We're surrounded by tons of personality types every day, and each person's company inspires a different emotion in us. One minute, we're working at a desk next to a coworker whose worrying makes the whole office tense; hours later, we're home with a family that lends security and joy. An erratic driver on our way to yoga class that same afternoon could make us forget all about the kindness of the friend we just grabbed lunch with. Amid these ever-changing circumstances that we call life, we can’t run the risk of relying on others to deliver…

By Charlene Potterbaum. About seven years ago, my son Don and his Significant Other were returning to Indiana after doing some Trade Shows in New York. While cruising on the Turnpike, they saw a huge sign telling of an Antiques Store a few miles off the toll road. Kathi suggested they turn off and check it out, as she loved buying specialties for her show rooms, and prowling around in the musty interiors that had so much to offer. So, once they stepped into the huge store, Kathi went one way, and my son Don's attention turned towards what looked…

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. We live in an increasingly litigious society. Your neighbor makes a little noise? Sue. Someone fails to pay you on time? Sue. You get in a car accident? Sue. The problem with this approach to life is that in an adversarial proceeding, no one wins. Even the technical winner of a protracted lawsuit has lost time, money, sleep and soul in the process. Of course, you don’t see that on TV. Television has glamourized lawsuits, cutting out the months and years an average lawsuit takes and instead going straight from the inception of a case to…