What Karaoke Taught Me About Values (Yes, Really) change fear growth mindset Jul 25, 2025

 I sang karaoke last night. Here’s why that matters.

I don’t usually sing karaoke. Let’s be honest: my voice is a light, airy soprano - sweet and well-pitched, but better suited for church choirs or Mozart arias than pop songs. (Someone once said I sound like a 10-year-old boy s...

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Not Every Deer Is a Danger: A Lesson in Self-Awareness change fear habit stress Jul 03, 2025

I was enjoying a quiet morning at home, sipping coffee, basking in the silence and stillness, when I heard intense barking from the backyard - like, jolt you from your seat and make you spill your coffee barking.

Sadie, our sweet rescue dog, was in full-on alert mode - barking, ...

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Just because it rains, it doesn’t have to pour change efficiency habit productivity Jun 27, 2025

Coffee in hand, I sat down to start the day … only to realize my laptop charging cord was still plugged in under the conference room table - 40 minutes away.

And as luck would (or wouldn’t) have it, the weather forecast for the day was not in my favor. Cue the flash flood warnin...

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From Failure to Fresh Salad: A Surprising Lesson in Resilience change growth having what matters productivity Jun 12, 2025

Some of you may remember that I previously shared a photo of my backyard lettuce. It wasn’t a pretty picture – droopy leaves, sad little stems, and a serious case of what looked like gardening failure.

After planting with high hopes, I watched the seedlings wilt in the summer he...

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Creativity Day: What If This Is the Key to Sustainable Success? change growth mindset performance May 28, 2025

When was the last time you did something creative - not to produce, perfect, or perform, but simply to play?

 May 30 is National Creativity Day, a reminder that creativity isn’t just for artists, musicians, or designers. Creativity belongs to all of us. And for those of us in la...

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Lettuce Lessons: A Gardening Fail Led To Big Learning change growth habit productivity May 16, 2025

I tried something new to challenge myself: growing vegetables—specifically, lettuce. I’ve always loved the idea of stepping out into the backyard and grabbing a few fresh leaves for a salad. Simple. Healthy. Satisfying.

My husband, Ryan, and I pulled out the starter plants I bou...

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Why ‘Follow Your Passion’ Isn't Always the Best Advice: A Smarter Way to Thrive in Law change confidence growth habit May 09, 2025

Every year, at the end of the semester. I reflect on the students (almost all 3L’s) in our upper-level, two-credit “Well-Being and Professional Formation” course at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. It was an honor to co-teach with Professor Jerry Organ and to walk alon...

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Walk the Walk: A Simple Step Toward Lawyer Well-Being change habit health simplicity Apr 02, 2025

The first Wednesday of April is National Walking Day!

When you think of powerful well-being practices for lawyers, walking might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but maybe it should be.

In the fast-paced, high-pressure world of legal practice, we’re often glued to our...

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Stretching Your Brain (and Your Comfort Zone): The Power of Learning Something New change fear growth mindset Mar 28, 2025

When’s the last time you did something completely new?

For me, I found myself standing in an empty church sanctuary, surrounded by over 20 handbells, wearing fancy headphones, and trying not to mess up my part in a professional music recording.

Here’s the backstory: a friend ...

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How a Single Hour Can Transform Your Daily Rhythm and Your Career change growth having what matters mindset Mar 14, 2025

It happens twice a year; we all set our clocks forward or back by one hour. It’s a tiny shift - just 60 minutes - but it has an undeniable impact. The mornings feel darker, the evenings stretch longer, and for a few days, our routines feel slightly off. But then, almost without n...

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Surviving the Deep Freeze: Learning About Resilience change growth mindset strength Mar 07, 2025

As is typical in the winter, Minnesota was in a deep freeze - schools were closed, my weather app showed -15°F with a "real feel" of -30°F, and I had to bundle up in a stocking cap and winter coat just to step outside and head to the law school to teach (law school classes are ne...

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Leading Through Complexity: The Well-Being Advantage for Lawyers change decision fatigue fear self-care Feb 28, 2025

Lately, I’ve been feeling the weight of complexity - both in the legal profession and in the world around us. Maybe you are, too. There’s so much happening at once, and it can feel overwhelming to juggle competing priorities while trying to stay focused, effective, and even-keele...

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