“My life is my message.”
— Elizabeth Skenes Millen

Well, here I go, entering another decade of life on September 10. I don’t remember this, but Lindsay, my art director, reminded me that I cried all day the last time I hit a new decade. In my defense, I think that was more about what I was going through at the time (divorce, empty nest, house destroyed in Hurricane Matthew, so much at once) as opposed to my age. While I don’t plan on crying this year, I can’t promise anything.

First, I want to say, I’ve had an amazing life so far. Believe me, there’s been some difficult stuff—lifelong stuff to be exact, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have a strong mind that allows me not to get stuck or dwell in the quagmire and to find and walk the lighter path. If my life was a novel, the first lines would be from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Here we are in the midst of football season, just three short months from the onslaught of the holidays, with school children back into the full swing of roaming hallways, complaining about homework and having to get up early. Though everything seems different in today’s world, the basics are still: children don’t really like school; parents feel tied down by the regimen; and teachers are tired—already! It’s interesting, though, how many of us look back and consider our school days some of our best days, filled with many fun times and happy memories.

“How good are you willing to let it get?”
— Dr. Kathy Murphy

I’m taking this month’s “Mind Your Business” theme and applying it to the business of living. In other words, let’s do an annual report on how you are operating and if it is profitable to your well-being. Let’s look at the big picture and get clear about who and what is important to you.

In my first real job after college, I was a salesman in the wine industry. My accounts were grocery stores, and in addition to managing the shelf sales, I sold wine displays to male grocery store managers who were usually 15 to 30 years older than me. I was 24 years old and scared to death. It took more than restocking what had sold for the week from the shelves to meet my quotas; I had to sell hundreds of cases up and above shelf orders to keep my job.

I love having a cell phone, although its appeal is waning, the cons are starting to outweigh the pros. I’ll admit, it’s wonderful to be able to call someone to keep yourself company on long trips, hands-free of course. It’s also convenient to simply text someone to ask them a quick question or to pick up milk or bread on their way home. But lately, I’ve noticed I’ve started carrying my cell phone with me from room to room when I’m at home. For instance, if I need to switch the laundry, the phone treks down to the laundry room with me—unconsciously—which is a bit scary.

“You’ve been criticizing yourself
for years and it hasn’t worked.
Try approving of yourself
and see what happens.”
— Louise Hay —

As I washed my hands in the ladies’ room at church one Sunday, I noticed the woman beside me glaring into the mirror. Her eyes were intent, seeing something far beyond my view, her brow was furrowed, and the general grimace across her face revealed far more than the mirror ever could. After a moment, I startled her as I spoke:
“What are you thinking?” I asked, knowing the answer was not going to be good.