As parents, this is how we helped our children grow into lifelong readers. — Raising a reader is not difficult, but it is more than making sure your children have access to books. It takes dedication. We made reading a family affair. As a result, we raised 2 readers. What started as a nightly bedtime routine, developed into a habit that helped both of…

Make it a habit, feel better, and increase your productivity. — I have a new life hack. It’s a life hack you can have too. You probably know this hack. You may not use it regularly or at all. You should. I’m guilty of pushing this hack aside, even though I know its value. I discovered this hack after being sick…

Serendipity intervenes when we least expect it. — As a teacher, I am most definitely anti-cheating. Learn the material, utilize the resources, and demonstrate what you learned. Some subjects are more difficult than others. Some students are better test-takers. Sometimes the answers, or opportunities, fall in your lap. The most difficult exams in life are in person one…

If I can do it, so can you. — Like most success stories, it did not happen overnight. When I started publishing on Medium, I jumped in headfirst with no experience in writing. I stumbled around figuring out how to navigate within Medium. Stories, tags, paywall, publications. I didn’t even know anyone else who read on Medium. First, I just published. Four months later, I gathered the courage…

Grasshoppers helped teach me the difficulties of making easy money. — They were my grandmother’s nemeses. As five, six, and nine-year-olds, my siblings and I were recruited to help rid my grandmother’s yard of Lubber Grasshoppers. The mature black grasshopper with yellow, orange, and red markings grows up to three inches in length. These grasshoppers feasted on my grandmother’s prize irises. …

How I discovered I had a daily writing habit. — Is it a habit or not? We all want to have good habits. You know what I’m talking about, the habits that really stick. Like flossing your teeth as part of your nightly routine. You MUST do it. Or at least I do. I have been writing since last summer. My desire to share my thoughts…

Unlikely components come together to pay memorable dividends — Children remember what they hear. They believe what their parents say. The Promise “Daddy, I want to see the mummies too.” We were looking at The Museum of London book my husband brought back from a recent business trip to London. My son was a sponge. …

Fear of failure can keep you from seeing the process through to the end. — I was making the family recipe of fudge frosting. I have written about this decadent cake frosting before in The Eight Ingredients of Decadence. It is worth trying at least once. Some goals take years to accomplish. Practice, patience, and determination are all needed. It’s just like making fudge frosting. The act of making frosting made…