“This is the beginning of everything you want” - Anonymous

Every year January brings renewed optimism for change, a fresh perspective on life, a clean slate to wipe away the old and embrace the new. We create lists of things to shift, new habits to embrace, and feel pumped and ready for action. Gyms nationwide are typically packed the first few weeks of January, only to fizzle out by February. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton found that 23% of people quit their New Year’s resolution after just one week. And only 19% of individuals are actually able to stick to their goals long term (two years, in the case of the study). Why is change so challenging?  What causes us to revert back to our old ways so easily? 

Perhaps we’ve been programmed to believe a new year means a new you. Lord knows it’s all over the media. So, we tend to fall into the same trap year after year that we are...

As we approach the final days of this historic year, in the words of Semisonic’s Dan Wilson – “It’s closing time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” It’s time to say goodbye to 2020 (THANK GOD)  and gear up for a New Year. Depending on your perspective, 2020 was a challenging, heartbreaking year of a pandemic, isolation, loss, grief,  political turmoil, insane weather patterns and so on. Conversely, 2020 was a year of appreciating basic needs being met, a coming together of support towards the greater good of mankind, heroic acts of kindness, and an uplifting of loving our fellow humans on the path to achieving joy and happiness. Contrast always provides us with the option to see the other side and decide which path you choose to align with. So, instead of starting 2021 with resolutions, I’d like to offer the converse idea of creating an “Evolution” List.

By definition, a resolution is a firm...

When the corona virus roared into the US it took an enormous toll on many facets of our lives. It’s “The Great Equalizer” where no one was spared it’s wrath or aftermath. It impeded on our freedom, robbed many of their lives and livelihoods, severely affected our mental and physical well being, and shined the light on our core values. If you’re like me some really heavy questions were hard to ignore. Why the hell am I here in the jungles of space and time called Earth? Why now? Why do I matter? What is my purpose? Is my job fulfilling? Does the amount of my paycheck determine my self worth? Am I taking care of my physical and mental health? Are my relationships loving and nurturing? What’s really important to me? Why do I give a flying fuck what people think of me? Why am I letting fear stand in the way of my dreams? Should my bucket list be saved for “retirement?” Will I live long enough to retire anyway? After all, the quality of our...

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list,
He's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Songwriters: John Coots / Haven Gillespie
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Wixen Music Publishing

Do you have to see something with your eyes in the 3D world in order to believe it? Do you have to hear the ocean waves with your ears in order to know it exists? Do you have to hold an object in your hand in order for you to give it credence? Have you ever imagined something stellar would happen, even if everything in your logical mind convinces you otherwise, and it did? This is the time of year when children all over the world believe in a magical oversized elf named Santa Claus who lives in an icy tundra at...

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” —Oprah Winfrey

As Thanksgiving approaches, we traditionally spend the day giving thanks for our bounty. We gather and celebrate with family and friends, we prepare a lavish meal with customary favorites of turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, and gravy. We imbibe in fancy libations, and gorge ourselves to the gills with delectable desserts like pumpkin, apple and pecan pie. This is followed by a tryptophan induced couch coma and watching some good ole fashioned American football. While this is a noble idea, my question is what are we doing the other 364 days of the year? Let’s investigate some research on the topic, then see how we can engage in appreciation more consistently.

Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami,...

The space between
The tears we cry
Is the laughter - keeps us coming back for more
The space between
The wicked lies we tell
In the hope to keep safe from the pain
Lyrics by Dave Matthews & Glen Ballard

These beautiful lyrics from Dave Matthews always remind me of an excerpt from Dr. Michael Beckwith who spoke on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday about a concept called “The Dark Night of the Soul.” The dark night of the soul is when you’re losing your identification with the old you, but the new you has yet to emerge. It’s like being in limbo. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty that resides in this space. Call it darkness, call it sadness, call it purgatory, call it depression. I am not the old me, but I’m not the me I long to become yet either. As Matthew’s lyrics state, we tell ourselves wicked lies to allegedly keep safe from suffering and torment. It’s paradoxically paralyzing.

This “Space Between” is excruciatingly...

When I first started in the music business, I was enamored by anyone sporting the coveted all access laminate from their neck. I had visions of the glitz and glamour that went on backstage. What Hollywood A-listers would I be hobnobbing alongside? What kind of delectable delights and free flowing liquid refreshments will be served? What exciting sex, drugs and rock & roll antics would I witness? I imagined not having to wait in line for the loo. That in itself is a luxury. Man, I would be such a VIP, uber significant human if I just had one of those bad boys dangling from my torso. Or would I?

This got me thinking about Teddy Roosevelt’s quote “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Well, clearly he hadn’t been backstage at a major rock show! Or for a more contemporary viewpoint Rachel Hollis, author of Girl Wash Your Face, states “Comparison is the death of joy, and the only person you need to be better than is the one you were yesterday.”

Then...

“The brain simply believes what you tell it most. And what you tell it about you, it will create. It has no choice.”
― Shad Helmstetter, What To Say When You Talk To Your Self


Whether you believe it or not, you speak your life into existence. How often do you pause and really listen to the language you use? Are you AWARE of the words you speak to others or mutter to yourself all day? Words affect behavior, words have a vibration, an energy and a frequency. Have you ever heard of the old phrase “You live and die by your word?” Well, you can also create, manifest or repel by your word. Ever since I became conscious of this concept, I’ve been both humored and alarmed by the words I choose to speak and think. I noticed I use the word ANNOYING a lot…. Apparently I am annoyed by something every day. Now that I am keenly mindful that this word is in my heavy rotation, I think it’s time to take it out of my vocabulary library once and for all. How...

I have been blessed to work in the Music Industry for 30 years. My first gig was as a report taker at the now defunct Trade Magazine R&R also known as Radio & Records. I started there in March of 1987. It’s a funny story about how my career came to fruition. I left Buffalo 10 days after college graduation with $2,000 and no job chasing a dream of one day living my reality on Baywatch. My dream, aside from frolicking in the sands of Malibu like Pam Anderson in a skimpy red bathing suit, was to be the next Diane Sawyer. I graduated with a journalism degree and a passion for TV News. One of my first jobs in LA was working weekends at KFWB All News 98. It was there, where I met Yvonne Olsen. She was the then News Talk Editor at R&R and worked weekends at KFWB to save money for her impending nuptials to KISS-FM MD Gene Sandbloom. After a late night bonding session, she suggested I go for a fulltime gig at R&R. This is where the magic began and where I met lifelong...

Many of you may or may not be aware that I had my now 12 year old twins at 44 with the assistance of medical science and the gift of donors. My OB/GYN referred to this as “Advanced Maternal Age.” In other words, mid-life, halfway to death, over the hill, the downward slope, or cougar country. It was a bitter pill to swallow along with many other pills and injections that got me to this place. I often do “Mid-life Math” in my head thinking “How old will I be when the girls turn 18 or graduate from college?” “Will I still be around to see them walk down the aisle or hold my first Grandchild?”  I can focus on the negative, or I can marvel in the joy that I get to experience Motherhood at all. I get to decide how I want to view my age in comparison to theirs or other mothers at school pick-up. I got to choose how I experienced menopause while they were having two year old tantrums. I get to decide what I CAN DO to keep myself healthy,...