Before you get too alarmed, the real elephants are safe. But you metaphorical elephants, watch out! I know how to eat you…and I’m willing to share how. Being as it is the start of a new year, many of us are focused on dreaming big. So we create to-do lists of resolutions and goals and […]
Personal Note
Why It’s Okay to Let Go of Your Parent Guilt
Am I doing enough? Am I spending enough time? Am I providing the best opportunities? Should I have stayed home to play boardgames instead of going on date night? Does this sound familiar? Parent guilt is a real thing. Often referred to as “Mommy Guilt,” all parents experience it – moms and dads alike; some […]
Who’s Riding On Your Bus?
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people with whom we spend most of our time. While I believe this to be true, I don’t like it’s numeric limitation. With so many great people out there, I want to surround myself with as many as I can, not just five. That is […]
Are You Building A Taj Mahal with a Do-It-Yourself Approach?
How are you getting things done? Are you a powerhouse of productivity or do you outsource for efficiency? The balance between being independent and seeking help continues to be an ongoing conversation in the Snyder family. For both kids and parents. Completing our own projects can bring a great sense of accomplishment and pride. There’s a lot […]
A Letter to Aging Parents
Dear Mom and Dad, Did you know that May is National Elder Law Awareness Month? I know, I shouldn’t need a special month to appreciate you as my elders. I love and appreciate you every day (although I probably should tell you more often). However, this month has caused me to take pause and reflect a bit […]
Giving Thanks By Paying a Legacy Forward
“Legacy is not leaving something for people, it’s leaving something in people.” – Peter Strople “The goal isn’t to live forever, it is to create something that will.” – Chuck Plahniuk These quotes are a great reminder to me that no one gets to where they are in life without the influence of another. They […]
Who Is Your Person?
My wife, Carolyn, and I have a saying: “thank you for being my person.” I am not quite sure of its origins or when we first started saying it, but it has become a very meaningful and powerful synonym to “I love you” for us. But what does it mean? For us, it goes much […]
Be Better By Slowing Down
Like many of you, between work and family, I have a pretty full schedule with little time in between. From the time the alarm goes off in the morning until my head hits the pillow at night, I am constantly on the go. Sound familiar? Add the constant distraction of emails, text messages, and alerts, and […]
How Do You Want to Be Remembered?
My five-year-old daughter loves flowers. She loves picking them from our front yard, choosing arrangements at Trader Joe’s, and drawing pictures of them. Recently, she grew attached to a plastic Hawaiian lei from the Dollar Store. She called it her “flower necklace.” On the way home from a party this weekend she told my wife and I that she […]
The Key to Happiness and a Good Life
I don’t know about you, but I often feel like I am perpetually in the fast lane. Life happens and whizzes by so quickly. The same is true for many others I know. We shuttle the kids to school, go to work, go to after-school activities and sports, and then to bed. Weekends are the same, just with more household chores […]
The Power of a No Limit Mentality
My call to action this month is to rise above limitations. In my last “Personal Note,” I discussed taking action to achieve desired goals. However, one reason for inaction is an acknowledgement of limitation. While actual limitations do exist, most limitations are simply perceived. Remember the saying “where there is a will, there is a way?” So true. Just look […]
Love Much, Dream Big… and Fail So You Can Succeed
We all have dreams of doing and achieving something great. Whether it is something long-term or more short-term, we are all striving on a daily basis to meet our goals. But we don’t always achieve them and our “to-do” list sometimes remains unchanged or simply gets longer. We earnestly want to check items off this list, but find it […]