Imagine, if you will, a man perched on top of an elephant. The man is holding reins, steering the elephant down a road, and it seems, at first, that the man is in control. But the elephant is a large animal, three tons to be exact, and if it decides to disagree with the man’s directions… well…

Have you ever wondered if there’s something that you’re the best in the world at, but don’t know it because you’ve never tried? Maybe it’s fencing or chess, sculpture or flute, poetry or coding. With the Olympics on, and with me struggling through this running challenge, I’ve been thinking a lot about our genetic predispositions. Look at Michael…

For the first time in my 2+ years of monthly challenges, I quit. I threw in the towel. I gave up. Running was a disaster. I thought I’d be able to handle the short distances and that if I pushed through those first few days, I’d fall in love with exercise all over again. That didn’t happen….

This year, I’ve had a hard time following through on my monthly challenges and my once great habits are now not so stellar. In desperate need of a reboot, I went and bought a 10 week “mindfulness” program, and I just completed week one. The program is called the Wim Hof method and it incorporates deep breathing, stretching, meditation,…

There’s no way, I think to myself as I stare at the running water. I’m supposed to get into a cold shower and I can’t. I adjust the knob. The ice cold water is now moderately cold. I step in but stand far enough back that the water hits only my feet and shins. Goosebumps. I stand there, telling myself to be brave…

I’m on a streak everyone! I didn’t think I’d make it this far without skipping a day, but here I am 21 days in and still going strong. I must admit though, that I don’t feel like I’m developing a solid morning routine. Having little kids who wake up at all hours of the night…

A few days ago, I woke up with the sniffles and a sore throat – a sure sign of impending illness, or worse, a sinus infection. This annoyed me because one of the biggest benefits of the Wim Hof method is supposed to be a strengthened immune system, and here I was feeling like muck. This…

“Mom, I want to do a 40 day no sugar challenge.” I never expected those words to be uttered by my six year old, but when she did, I was delighted. It never crossed my mind that something like this would be too hard for a child. Little kids are strong, resilient creatures who, with some…

Week five of the Wim Hof method called for a 10 minute cold shower every day. I thought it would be a piece of cake since I’d been doing so well with them, but I was wrong. I caved in under 30 seconds. Three days in a row. Clearly, I wasn’t ready to move onto the…

TED talks are short talks given by some of the most interesting and successful leaders in technology, entertainment, and design offering new ideas, and perspective – all in under 20 minutes. Here are 30 that I recommend: Try something new for 30 days, Matt Cutts Inside the mind of a master procrastinator, Tim Urban The surprising…