Change | A Life of Character

Change

Creating an Elastic Mindset

By Katie Adams I always believed that specialization was the way to go, that it was wrong to dabble in other disciplines because then you might lose focus, right?  I’m primarily a marketer and I believed in traditional notions, that is until technology changed everything. People who relied on traditional forms of marketing were quickly

Friendships and a Pandemic

One black hand and one white hand linked at the pinky

By Stefanie Nguyen It is a general assumption that any relationship takes effort and communication—including friendship. These bonds between people require nurturing, attention and trust. In the past, proximity would be an important factor to keep relationships going, but luckily there is technology in the 21st century. Aspects including the internet and cellphones have allowed

Finding Trust in the Middle of a Pandemic

Man leading woman on a hike

By Sandy Baker The message was brief.  “I’m sorry, you can no longer schedule an appointment with your heart failure doctor. He’s working towards retirement. We have several recommendations for you.” My husband, at the age of 43, has been waiting for a heart transplant for three years. We knew Dr. Young was getting older

Losing Relationships and Finding Yourself

Losing Relationships and Finding Yourself

By Kelechi Udoagwu  “When nobody wakes you up in the morning, and when nobody waits for you at night, and when you can do whatever you want. What do you call it, freedom or loneliness?” — Bukowski I am up at 2am, sipping tea and writing this article. Why? Because I dozed off at 9pm

Love Is Essential

By Grant Simon 103 This number represents the days that passed between when my long distance girlfriend, Vali, and I left each other’s side in March and when we were reunited in July. We thought the first couple of days apart would be the toughest, but nothing prepared us to endure several months of uncertainty,

Cherish Your Hugs

By Lauren Lake It started as disbelief. Quarantine? In 2020?  It began with a mad dash for toilet paper, paper towels and anti-bacterial wipes. I remember talking with my best friend who wisely advised me to stock up on over the counter medicines and shelf stable almond milk for my kids in case we couldn’t

Finding Community in New Places

By Kelechi Udoagwu  “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”  – Coretta Scott King I have joined and engaged with more online communities this year than ever before. As the corona virus crisis limited the spaces we could occupy physically, I have become more active online. 

Attentiveness & Skepticism

Handy Traits in a Digital Age By Lee Ruggles   A CAUTIONARY TALE I open my email. From Marcia: “Hello. Hope you are doing good today. Can I ask you for a favor? Thanks. Marcia” I reply: “Sure! Fire away.” Marcia: “I am sorry to bother you with this mail. I need to get an

Can Our Values Ever Change?

By Laura Crandall Yes. Especially if we want to grow. There is a certain rigor that we seem to lean toward when discussing our values. It’s a sense they should be absolute, perfected, and unyielding. While values like integrity and kindness often reverberate throughout our lives, other values such as ambition or temperance may shift

Which Do You Want More?

By Elly Mullins “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be married?” Sometimes my therapist would ask me, after I shared about a conflict with my husband: “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be married?” Some weeks when he asked this, and I’d respond that marriage