My sister and I always felt connected through our friends and family apps on our phones. Sometimes, we’d text each other about where we could see each other. “How is Spain?” I’d ask. Or she’d say, “Welcome home,” after I returned from a trip. So the day her husband finally turned off her phone and [...]
Tell a new story, one that you love. Has this ever happened to you? As you read a book, it transported you to the time and place it was happening. Maybe it was so effective that you were irritated when someone interrupted you, making you return to the “real” world? As an author, I hope [...]
Perception Rules: Choose the ones you want to live with. One morning, on my walk, I saw a woman walking a dog. Clueless about dog breeds, I just knew it was big and brown. The next time I passed her, coming the other way, she was still walking a dog. This time, it was big [...]
And yet, I will be. I wonder what would happen if we all saw the past as not something to be lived over and over again, but as a past story we once read. What if we could let go of the hurts, disappointments, mistakes, idiotic things, or even the amazing things we did when [...]
They Don’t care. Algorithms affect all aspects of our lives. Whenever you choose something online, shop, read, search, or map a destination, you trigger an algorithm. And that little darling, that lives to serve, says to itself, “Ah, this is what she likes. Let’s eliminate things that get in the way of her finding what [...]
It’s Always The Last Time Sometimes we know when it will be the last time. Most often, we don’t. Sometimes we wish it was the last time, but we can’t seem to stick to that agreement to let go. The truth is, it’s always the last time. We will never be exactly the same person [...]
Let go, celebrate life, and allow joy. I didn’t notice how hard my year had been until I started on the final edit of my book, Follow Me Here. It all started last May, my favorite month of the year. Behind the scenes of everyday life, I would discover what grief feels like. It began [...]
For a few years, I had a very special bluebird who always did the strangest thing in April. We have many bluebirds near our home, but this one was different. He visited me. He would move between my windows and my glass door, hitting his beak on the glass. Bump, bump, and tap, tap. He [...]
I’m nearing the end of the first draft of my next book, and the surprise I expected just happened. It always does. Although I plan out the story by knowing the beginning, expected ending (which may or may not happen that way), and the plot points along the way, I let the story unfold. This [...]
If not, why not write another one? “In the beginning was the Word.” John 1:1 Notice that this phrase doesn’t say “words.” Nor does it mention stories. That’s because words and stories belong within our version of creation. Perhaps our version is a realm, a dimension, or a computer game. Who knows? Not me. What [...]
But you can say yes. Waiting for your human brain to want to do something means you’ll probably be waiting forever. Well, maybe not forever, since forever is, well, forever. But definitely, it will be a rare event when you wake up and want to—really want to—clean the house, write a book, or make the [...]
You know how humans think. It’s up, down, back and forth, against something, for something. As humans, we expect to experience everything from tragedy to joy. Do we have a choice? Aren’t we human? Maybe, maybe not. Isn’t human a label for a set of beliefs and paradigms? So what would happen if we didn’t [...]
There’s a last time for everything. Sometimes, but not always, we get to choose when that will be.
While working in my office one morning, I glanced out the window at the solar water fountain in the birdbath and realized I was just like that fountain. Have ever watched one? When the sun is out, it shoots water out into the air a foot high. The water sparkles and shines in the sun [...]
In the 1970s, I lived in Venice, California. Even then, it was a weird and strange place, some of which I loved, and some of which I didn’t. We lived only a block from the beach in a courtyard, which meant all the houses faced a common sidewalk. We knew our neighbors. Some of us [...]
I was ready to record a batch of videos. I always write a bunch of scripts and record all the videos at one time. That way, I only have to do the setup once. After forty-five minutes of setup time, I was ready to begin. But my test video was beyond terrible. The lighting was [...]
And this is why that’s a good thing… For a few years, I had a real live assistant named Stella. I shared her time with a few other people in the office, but it was the first time in my life I could turn over some of my work to someone else with the assumption [...]
I have renewed respect for anyone who has cleaned out a parent’s home. And a renewed determination to try to make it easier for my children when the time comes. Recently, we moved our mom to a personal care room. It’s lovely, she’s happy, but it is the size of a hotel room. She lived [...]
AI, Prayer, and Jolts Who are we but the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, and believe? —Scott Turow AI is the buzzword we hear everywhere these days. But of course, we have been using forms of artificial intelligence for years, from GPS to Fitbits to editing programs. Actually, the list is endless. ChatGPT has [...]
Many years ago, my mentor told me that a bird flying into the sun becomes invisible to its predators. She was reminding me to hide in the light while pursuing freedom, creativity, and enlightenment. Now I get it. And it’s all because I have learned that to have really clean floors, I need to sweep [...]
The radio and then TV show This Is Your Life was designed to show people that they had many people who cared about them, had a bright future, and had made a difference in people’s lives. Intentional or not. But it did something else. It showed how seldom life turns out how we thought it [...]
I know habits and preconceived perceptions can make us blind to the obvious. However, I thought that I usually have a good grip on paying attention. I enjoy exploring ways to be more effective and finding easier ways to do things that need to be done. So it both surprised and dismayed me that I [...]
Sometimes we—thinking we are human—make things so complicated. And really, it’s not. I believe if we could all put into place a few basic principles, then solutions would be found that would unravel all the issues we face. Of course, we’d have to do it together. We’d have to agree. And often, that seems impossible. [...]
Have you spoken to a tree lately? If not, perhaps take a moment and have a chat with one. It doesn’t matter the size or shape. Just find a tree and have a talk. If you hear nothing. Imagine that you do. It opens the door to your inner ear and it will have spoken [...]
We are not designed to live in ruts, but we do. In some ways, this is a good thing. We don’t have to think too hard about how to get through our day. But when our thinking, and therefore our lives, takes place within deep ruts, and we don’t realize it—it’s a dangerous thing. Living [...]
BECA LEWIS coaches, teaches, writes blogs and books, plays with art, and is addicted to reading. She lives in Ohio with her husband and has kids and grandkids scattered across the country.
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