We have three men to thank for the classic Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Philip Van Doren Stern, author of the short story that inspired the movie; Frank Capra, the immigrant who produced the film; Jimmy Stewart, aka George Bailey. Before the release of this perennial favorite, none of them were having a wonderful life. The 1930s and 1940s, the decades in which the short story and the movie first appeared in public, were challenging […]
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How Much is Enough?
Someone posed a Facebook question recently that got me thinking about how much our attitudes are part of our financial portfolio. The question was, “How much more money would you need to feel secure?” Answers varied from specific dollar amounts to expressions of gratitude for having enough now, but recalling times when a few dollars would have made a big difference. I’ve been thinking lately about how much is enough. How Much is Enough? My […]
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Overcome Turmoil
News stories of conflict, chaos, violence, and disruptions assail us seemingly every hour these days. Some of the information is truly alarming. It’s hard to decide how much news to digest, and what to do about what we learn. We’re not wired to live with chronic stress, fear, and anxiety. It takes a toll on our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It has a negative impact on our core relationships as well. Yet, we do […]
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Van Velzer Press
I was fortunate to learn about Van Velzer Press before I was ready to publish my most recent book. In my experience writing is about equal parts actually cranking out words and thinking about what to write while staring into space, waiting for the light to turn green, or trying to go to sleep. Most writers hope to share their work with readers, which requires a team of editors and advance readers who give honest, but […]
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For Goodness Sake
Do you believe goodness matters? Or that goodness is a virtue? Or that goodness is more prevalent than ugliness, rudeness, and violence? How we see the world boils down to where we look and our sources of information about the world. If we only tune into mass media information, it’s easy to fall into despair; for evil and cruelty are real and reported ad nauseum in media outlets. Yet, if we turn off the flow […]
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