Make The Call
With all the things we can do on our cell phone - send money, create graphics, take pictures, read news, send email and texts, post to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. - I think we sometimes forget that we can also use it to "make the call." As in a phone...
TED Talk Research Results, Part I
I won the golden ticket! A few weeks ago I won the opportunity to give a TED Talk this fall. At the time, the awesome folks at TEDx Tysons told me they'd be in touch to work with me on expanding my talk to 18-minutes in length. In touch when, I wondered. The next day?...
Love yourself anyway
Embrace your perfectly imperfect self. Join me for Flaws Are the New Black!
Think Before Paying It Forward
Random acts of kindness and generosity make my day. Doing them for others, receiving them out of the blue, those things make me smile and renew my faith in the goodness of humankind. But there are things we should think twice about before paying them forward. For...
Back by popular demand?
If you think this thumbnail is bad, you should see the others! Yesterday I posted a new episode of Flaws Are The New Black , something I haven't done since November. Why the lapse in posting? I don't know. Maybe the holidays got in the way. Maybe I was too busy with...
On Repetition
“When we came out of the theater, we all agreed: the film was a waste of money, a waste of time, and a waste of energy.” Ah, repetition. People, particularly presidents of countries, cult leaders, and motivational speakers, use it frequently in speeches made to huge...
On Advice
It's been one of those weeks. One of those weeks that starts off fine and then takes a nosedive so unexpected and painful you can't sleep and you can't think straight. You can't tolerate food but wine, wine is more welcome than ever. You keep your glass filled and...
Comparison is the thief of joy
This week's episode of Flaws Are The New Black is about the pitfalls of comparison. Maybe you've heard the expression, "comparison is the thief of joy" and maybe you haven't. But I'm here to tell you, it is. When we compare ourselves or our lives to others', we...
Speaking of autism…
Autism News You Can Use, the YouTube program I launched a few months ago in conjunction with Flaws Are The New Black, now has its own channel. This is bad, because all of you who subscribed to Flaws will no longer get to see it, but good because you can subscribe to...
Coffee Before Fuel Is Cool. Reverse It, and You Might Regret It
Certain Cars + Diesel = Disaster. Sleepily, she slips in her debit card, punches in her zip code and hits enter. Then she looks down to select super-premium or sort-of-super premium or whatever the heck the hundred bucks a gallon gas her BMW demands is called, but she...
Brene Brown is so right. Vulnerability is the key to moving forward.
My tribe. I'd be lost without these women. Brene Brown, the international best-selling author, TED Talk queen, and shame researcher, is spot on when it comes to vulnerability. But before I go into that, let's all take a moment to react to the word "vulnerability."...
I Can’t Feel My Face
The first time I heard the song, I Can't Feel My Face, I was with Cuy. We had his music on in the car and I said, "I don't get it. Why can't he feel his face when he's with her?" To which Cuy replied, with all the patience a teen can muster when speaking to an...
Thought of the Day, 9.26.18
Self-care is critical. You can't pour from an empty vessel. Today's thought of the day is a simple reminder to take care of yourself. I see you out there, managing kids, a successful career, and the house. I see you out there killing it, batting away obstacles like...
Thought the of Day
Be present for your life. Today's thought of the day is simple but significant. Live In The Moment. I remind myself to do this almost constantly. Stay in the moment, Susan. Be present right now. Don't let your to-do list or anxiety or unruly adult ADHD take your brain...
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of a Driver’s License
Like every other kid on the planet, I wanted my driver's license. It didn't matter that I was an absolutely terrible driver, the kind that clips corners, hits curbs, and knocks down street signs when making a right, and who has an uncanny ability to make a left onto a...
Different But Alike
We've all got something that makes us different, thank God. Can you imagine a world of cookie cutter, Stepford people? Beam me up, Scotty, 'cause I'm not sticking around for that. But we all have things in common, too. I always wish we'd look for the common ground in...
Extra Stuff!
My friend Meighan O'Toole of Stuff! Consignments in Gainesville has started a fun new series of events called Extra Stuff! and this coming Wednesday, September 19th, yours truly is the extra stuff. She's hosting Ladies' Night at Club Eclipse Restaurant (also in...
Autism speaks through music
Music Speaks Autism speaks through music, and for my son Casey, it always has. As a very young child, a rushing, swirling, full-bodied overture in a movie would bring him to tears. I recall thinking, "How sweet, he's a mush like me!" but no. His tears were his attempt...