The Ultimate Reader

When I started putting together the memoir I wrote about my father, I had the good fortune of connecting with a great writing coach, Sheila. As she explained it to me, her job was to be the “ultimate reader” – the person who asked the questions about temporal lapses, gaps in the storyline, or unexplained … More The Ultimate Reader

Reverse Engineering Bliss: Hacking the Flow State

High stake situations require complete and utmost concentration. Any distraction or lapse of judgement can shift your attention away from the present moment, hindering your efforts to achieve a state of effortless flow. This could make all the difference in the final moments of a championship game or dictate whether you are in peak performance … More Reverse Engineering Bliss: Hacking the Flow State

Your Wise and Shine January Horoscope

With January upon us, what better way to start the year than by convincing ourselves the movements of indifferent heavenly objects hundreds of millions miles away, oblivious to our existence, are actually enacting a well-designed choreography designed to guide our every decision. ARIES ♈️ : Now is a good time to rekindle old friendships, restraining … More Your Wise and Shine January Horoscope

New Podcast!

It’s Tuesday! That means we’ve posted a new podcast. In this episode, I have a cool conversation with Jack Canfora, one of Wise & Shine’s writers and our resident humorist. We discuss writing, blogging, the writing process, humor, and sundry related topics. Check it out. Show Notes: About the participants: Troy Headrick started writing before … More New Podcast!

About Me

The other day I clicked through to the blog of someone that had commented and read their latest post. It was interesting and well-written but I wasn’t sure how to take it. Was it intended to be a little humorous or totally serious? It reminded me of the importance of the about me section of … More About Me

Give Me a List

Have you thought about the effectiveness of lists in writing? Take a moment and think of the famous lists that come to mind like My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music or the Ten Commandments from the Bible. Even when we can’t name them all, I bet we can name a few or most. … More Give Me a List

The Power of Story

Among the many stories my ex-husband told me of his precarious childhood, there is one that sticks out. He was five or six years old, living in Florida and his mom was dating the Hat Man, a man who wove and sold palm frond hats to tourists by the side of the road. One night … More The Power of Story

Openness: The Gates of Mind

“Openness is seen in the breadth, depth and permeability of consciousness, and in the recurrent need to enlarge and examine experience.” – MCCRAE & COSTA, 1997, P. 826 Openness (which is actually Openness to experience) breaks down into Intellect and Openness.  Intellects like grappling with ideas. They love to solve complex problems and debate philosophical matters. … More Openness: The Gates of Mind

The Witty One

By Jack Canfora John Lennon was 40 when he was killed; that murder took place 40 years ago today. I spent most of my teenage years trying to be John Lennon; eventually I realized that position was permanently filled. The whole band (you know who I’m talking about, right?) grabbed my imagination and still hasn’t … More The Witty One