Welcome to the X.

I admit it, I am addicted to Scrabble and play online whenever I have the chance. I love the intellectual challenge of building words and finding spaces to increase my score. I like winning. It occurred to me that life is a lot like Scrabble.…

The first time I ever skied, I was three weeks shy of my 40th birthday. Off we went to Butternut Basin in the Berkshires with our young children on this new adventure. Our friends had been skiing for years and encouraged us to join them…

While early retirement might seem like a dream for many during their career, for some, it’s not a choice. After being faced with an unexpected retirement, today’s guest exemplifies inner strength and resolve as he navigates the transition to life after work.  A full two…

These last eight months have been harrowing in my family. Eight months ago, my daughter gave birth to a micro-preemie baby due to complications. It was touch and go for both mother and baby. During this same time, our son was going through a very…

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.” Abraham Maslow American psychologist Abraham Maslow is best known for his theory of the “Hierarchy of Needs,” which outlined the basic human needs that must be met before one can seek…

I found this wonderful quote this morning. “Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t’were his own.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe   This is a great message of whole-heartedness…

Every month I host Zoom get together for Chapter X, where we share some stories and gain insight from one another. As today’s guest has become a regular participant, I’ve had the privilege of learning more about his unconventional path.  Peter Emhke has navigated changes…

I remember watching The Ed Sullivan show as a kid. I loved the comics and the rock bands the most. But probably the most fascinating was the plate jugglers. I’d watch them frantically add plate after plate and keep each one spinning aloft until the…