Barbara Brooks created Flamingo Strategies LLC to help clients stand up and stand out, through telling and sharing their stories of impact and purpose.
Hacking Away at Happiness is her blog.
If art is anything that’s created with imagination and intent, then I’m an artist and so are you. We just have to say it, or whisper it, or SCREAM it, out loud!
I read somewhere that the only reason to look back is to see how far we’ve come. But I think there are other reasons too. Especially when we’re feeling lost. Or itchy to discover what’s next.
The challenge of Christmas isn’t believing in Jesus. It’s believing that peace is possible. Peace is within our reach, if only we do the work.
So here we are at Thanksgiving. Appreciating our plenty. Acknowledging the people we love. But it’s also okay to feel a bit afraid.
Whether planning a vacation or deciding where to have dinner, we should take that old rule from journalism and turn it on its head. We should alwasys start with why.
I packed in a hurry because I’m a girl who beats deadlines. And I’m an editor, so I knew I’d have other chances to crystallize my thinking.
For us mere mortals, to stick the landing means to complete a process in an impressive and conclusive manner. So, how can we land squarely the next time we’re lost in space?
We’re all living on borrowed time. Squatting on borrowed land. Eeking out a borrowed existence. So what does safety even mean? And how does it change as we age?
Thanks to the coffee mishap, ideas are percolating. So here’s what I’m thinking about change.
So here I am again. Thinking things through and putting words on the page. Maybe love is not a project. And I’ve been going about this all wrong.
My whole life I’ve been on a quest for 20/20 vision. Perfect vision, I thought, meant perfect clarity. But of course that isn’t true.
When I got Greta, I imagined she’d be the best dog of my life. But that’s a lot of pressure to put on a dog. And even more to put on myself.
Conflicting desires make peace of mind seem impossible, especially as we age. But longing is what makes us human. And without our longings, we’d be numb.
Maybe we all need to do things that make our heart pound. Dive deep enough—or climb high enough—that we have to truly focus in order to stay alive.
Last-time meditation is the perfect gratitude practice for our time. Because we have so much. And we never know when things may change.
The brain on praise is a beautiful thing. Giving praise trains your brain to notice positive things in the world. We can’t acknowledge what we don’t see.
This year, I forgot about Halloween. Until a pack of kids and their parents came to the door. I froze. Then, this morning I remembered why Halloween is so hard.
Whether our trips are long or short, to the beach or to the mountains, solo or with others, we’ve got to make time to unpack. And not just the dirty clothes.
It’s mighty powerful when people around us take the time to reflect the good qualities they see in us. We all can be mirrors.
If I’m not not careful—if I’m not aware of what I’m doing—I’ll not only ruin the rest of my time in Solana Beach, I’ll also ruin the imperfectly perfect life I have in Denver.
