I have a secret to tell. Is that okay. >> Yeah.>> Okay. So, despite my good looks and and my mature appearance, I'm actually a high school student. Okay.Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.In my 13 years of educational experience, I remember walking into English class and sitting down as our teacher would walk to the front of the room with a novel to be read together as a class. It's a pretty common story I'm sure you've all heard of. It's the type of thing that's been going on since school.I've read countless books ...

When I was six years old, I failed grade one. I was what some might call a spirited child, curious, chatty, and with the kind of energy that made teachers twitch. I also struggled with literacy and focus and eventually was pulled out of the classroom and into a closet-sized room for special education support.They even tested my hearing, thinking maybe I wasn't catching instructions. Thankfully, the aiologist told my parents that if I could hear any better, I'd be able to hear grass grow. The grown-ups calle ...

Something was lost when we stopped connecting with horses daily 100 years ago. Today, we're going to take a look at what that is and why it matters. Last fall, my daughter brought home this riddle.What has no life but can die. Machines. It's funny how I'll say, "My car or phone is dead, but when did it live?" Saying so is kind of like putting the cart before the horse.When I turned 40, my friends told me, "If I could ride a horse, then I could drive a horse." And they were right. As I learned this new way o ...

Janie and I were in our fourth Zoom session and we were talking about how toxic financial stress can mess with our decision-m and she's trying to make a decision whether or not she'll eat out that night. She's saying things like, you know, I've worked really hard this week and I feel like I deserve it, but at the same time, I feel like I've already been pretty bad about eating out this month. And I said, 'Well, Jamie, we're not evaluating you, right? We're evaluating the choice you're making, whether or not ...

We can find connection in the bitter notes of this life. Music and songwriting have a unique way of facilitating that connection. My dad tragically lost his little sister in a houseire and growing up he used to tell us stories about Missy and he would sing us this song that he wrote for her.A flower grows and blooms into roses. So a child grows and one day she's a lady. Missy, little lady, remember me. Remember me. Missy, little lady, remember me.Remember me. It's through this song that I first began to und ...

As we capture our memories, Olivia reminds us that a photo, post, recording, or archive is only a snapshot. The full experience lives beyond the frame—in the sights, sounds, scents, and shared presence of the moment. Olivia Brownlee is a genre-blending singer-songwriter with deep roots in Spokane’s musical landscape. Her latest album, This Is Where You Live: Songs Inspired in Spokane 2021–2023, celebrates the city’s history, landmarks, and people through collaboration with local artists. Olivia performs reg ...

How many doors do you walk through in a day? Stepping forward to next. Making your way through the busyiness, the meetings, the coffee chats, the greetings, propelling toward meaning, finding your way right here. I'm inviting you inward, over the threshold, through the frame. Open this door to the exquisite, a place you do more than just visit. Discover a mindset that will reset, plant a seed, add to your tool set. Embrace the curious adventurer on your shoulder, growing boulder, whispering gently in your e ...

ashes to ashes, dust to dust. I'm on my back in a casket, looking up at loved ones as they come to the front and pass. Wish I could reach out and hug, but I can't cuz my time is up.Was it well spent. Am I hellbent. Or am I headed to heaven.I'm listening close to the words of the Reverend. What is he saying. I can't hear.I try to move, but my body stays still. Matter of fact, how do I even get here. Wait, I'm scared.They close the casket. Now I'm getting carried. My paw bears are in tears.We head to the ceme ...

Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. When I first heard that quote by Howard Thurman, I just graduated from college and it inspired me to pursue my dreams. See, I had turned a negative situation around. In high school, I was a star basketball player and standing at 6'8, I knew that was a promising path. But in college, I rode the bench and I dealt with personal adversity in the form of betrayal with someone I was dating at ...

When I was a child in the Philippines, I was told exactly what success would look like. Study hard, get a degree, find a stable career, and help your family. So I did.I earned a doctorate degree in education, became a university leader, served as vice president for academics, overseeing 25 programs, and guiding 20 deans who looked to me for leadership. By every measure, I knew I was successful. This was my success.I need to make it more tangible because I am a visual learner and I understand things better w ...