CHRISTMAS 2022 

Dear Friends,

Finally, it seems we are almost back to a “new” normal. As I write this letter, I realize how much travel I have done even though my business has really slowed down since Covid. Gratefully, I continue to be very active – swimming a mile, going to a trainer, and walking three miles on the beach or treadmill.  I just thank God that my only health issue is asthma which has been under control for years. With each day, I am more and more grateful for all the blessings in my life – for my faith, for family, for friends, for health, and even though I am forgetting names more, I think I still have a pretty sound mind! 😉

I am also blessed with all the amazing experiences we have to take advantage of in Sarasota – the Opera, several theatre groups, the Van Wezel concert hall, the Symphony, and the ballet.  Then for my brain and heart, I have my Bible study group and my Book Group which has been together for over ten years.  (If you haven’t read “Have You Seen Luis Valdez?” by Catherine Ryan Hyde, it will warm your heart.)

January – On Christmas Day we all flew to Palm Springs, CA, where I rented a large house on the water for everyone except Gavin (working). We had fun at the zoo, renting a dune buggy in the desert, visiting an outsider art house called Robolights, hiking in Joshua Tree, doing puzzles, and discovering the goofy Republic of Slowjamastan.

February – Frank and I celebrated our 8^th dating anniversary. He brings me lots of joy,

March –The Gawliks came for their annual visit. We had fun days at Busch Gardens, Mayakka State Park, Van Gogh, the Big Cat Habitat, and lots of beach and pool time.

April – My brother, Bruce, from Colorado came for a week.  He is such fun to have as he takes out my kayak and paddle board and we even go fishing!

May – I flew to Portland for my birthday and Mother’s Day. Gretchen, Erin and I did a “girls only” 2 night trip to the Columbia Gorge Inn where all the movie stars and celebs used to go. Then the whole family went to the Timbers soccer game later that week.

June – June was a huge month of celebration. I did a program for Home Street Bank in Seattle, a favorite client, and then the whole family met at Garrett’s for Kinsey’s graduation from the University of Washington. We are all so PROUD of her –she graduated in three years even with being in constant pain from the aftereffects of the chemo after having leukemia. She hopes to use her experiences to work as a therapist in the hospital with children who have cancer. Later in the month Frank took me to Captiva Island for two days.  Sadly, after the hurricane almost nothing is there anymore.

July – I attended the National Speakers Association in Nashville and got to reconnect with all my speaker friends from around the world.

August – Frank and I took a “bucket list” trip to the Fjords in Norway. The scenery was breathtaking – we started in Amsterdam and then went to Edifjord, Molde, Geiranger (the farthest north), and Bergen, the home of Edvard Grieg. I posted many pictures on my facebook page. Later in the month I attended the Veteran Speakers Network in DC.  It is a lovely time of sharing with people I treasure.

September – I was blessed to take another “bucket list” trip with my friend, Mary Bensel, to the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. It started in 1642 and is done only every 10 years. Over 2000 people in the little village participate in the 7 hour play which is in German. In the town there is a law that from Ash Wednesday 19 months before the play is presented, no one in the village can shave or cut their hair….so they all look like the people in Jesus’ time! We also got to see Mad King Ludwig’s Linderhof Castle and the Cinderella Castle as well as day trips to Innsbruck and Salzburg, the home of Mozart and the filming of “The Sound of Music.”  September ended wildly with Hurricane Ian. Although we had to evacuate the island and were without water and internet for several days, we were so VERY blessed that we had little damage unlike our friends just 70 miles south.  Please keep them in your prayers.

October – The most exciting thing in October was being a part of a book launch for an anthology I was asked to be in titled, “Wisdom Before Me.” The book for women is made up of 15 women’s amazing stories and what they learned to help others.

November – I am excited to be taking the Gawlik family and Erin on a Mexican Riviera cruise for Thanksgiving week. We are going to snorkel, zip line, and swim with the dolphins.  We leave from San Diego, so afterwards I will spend 3 days with my 99 year old aunt. I adore her – my role model for staying active both physically and mentally!

December – I am having fun hosting some parties to show the new items from Erin’s company which is helping women in India, www.collective-heart.com, “Owned by Women, Made by Women, Loved by Women.” The money goes to provide housing, medical and dental care, and a fair 8 hour wage for women who were living on the streets. It is changing lives for women and their families, so check out the website.

Just a quick update on the family:  Garrett got a promotion with Amazon as Director of Business Development and has taken up rowing as a pastime.  Ashley is teaching riding and participating in shows with their horse, Rally. Gavin has moved to San Diego and is working for a car dealership.  Kinsey is interning at Seattle Children’s Hospital and will be going to grad school this spring or fall.

Gretchen is working parttime as Marketing Specialist for several boutiques in Portland, OR, while Randy continues his freelance website work.  Owen, who is a senior this year, is looking at colleges and enjoying having his driver’s license.  Simon, a sophomore, is a great soccer player and is having fun with his new Hedgehog.  They also have two dogs and a cat, so their house is always busy!

Erin is working diligently to grow her company and has also taken on two new lines of women’s clothing which she is representing in several parts of the county. She still has her two kitty babies, Clover and Cricket.

Our world situation is so full of hate and divisiveness right now that we really need kindness and love more than ever.  Many of you know the mantra for my life from Mother Teresa, “Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier.”  May you all find JOY in the months ahead, and may you be filled with the peace of the Lord, knowing He is in charge.

Blessings,

A friend just shared this beautiful poem with me.  It so exemplifies everything I do in my work, so I want to share it with you.

Small Kindnesses

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”

Copyright 2019 Danusha Laméris. First published in Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection from Green Writers Press. Bonfire Opera (University of Pittsburgh Press 2020).

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to  http://www.barbaraglanz.com

What advice would you give to your 20 year old self?

As the author or 14 books and a professional speaker who has traveled the world, I have never been asked this question before, so it has been a special joy to mull over what I would say.

I think I was pretty mature at age 20, perhaps because of being the oldest of four children, growing up in a small town, and a dog bite incident when I was five years old and the subsequent surgeries. On the whole, thinking back, I actually made very good decisions growing up except maybe for some silliness with friends.  Choosing to spend a lot of time practicing my piano, doing my best in school, choosing where to go to college, all were good decisions.

Whatever I did, I always did to the very best of my ability, a lesson I learned as a very young person.  That led to many awards and honors during those years.  I also made an excellent choice in a husband, falling in love with the most honest and loyal person I have ever known……and he was handsome, too! 😉 We raised three beautiful children along the way.

I think one of the important lessons I learned early in life was the idea of the old saying, “Bloom where you are planted.”  Find the good in every situation and make the most of it.  Some of the wisdom I have gained over the years I think I intuitively knew in those days, but now it is fun to put this wisdom into words.

Barbara at 20 in her college graduation picture

First of all, take care of  YOURSELF.  Eat right, do some exercise every day, find alone time each day, get a good night’s sleep, and treasure friends and family.  Even in my 70’s I am committed to at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.  I either swim a mile, walk 3 miles on the beach, go to my trainer, or walk on the treadmill.  I am so serious about this that even if it is 10:00 pm and I haven’t yet exercised, I am on the treadmill in my extra bedroom.  Commitment is the key!  Our minds and our bodies are our temples, and we have a responsibility to take care of them to the best of our ability.

Plan quiet time each day to refill your emotional bank account and to keep connected to your spiritual self.  This can be done through meditation, prayer, journaling, or reading a spiritual book such as a devotional or the Bible. I love “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young and “Mornings with Jesus  Daily Bible” from Guideposts.

Remember that every day is a GIFT.  Look for the blessings even in the most difficult situations in your life.  That is always your choice, and if you truly look, you WILL find them.  I love the quote from William Winter, “As much of Heaven is visible as we have eyes to see.”

When our second child died, it was the hardest thing I will ever have to face in my life.  However, many blessings came out of that time, and one of them was learning to live five minutes at a time.  On the most difficult days when I didn’t think I could get out of bed or even get through an hour, I could always make it through five minutes., just five minutes, five minutes, five minutes.

What that taught me was to always be fully in the present.  When I am with someone, I am totally with them. This is what mindfulness is about.  “Every day is a gift.  That is why we call it ‘the present’.”

I also believe that every person who comes into my life is a GIFT  Sometimes I can just untie the ribbon, sometimes I can peek inside, and other times I can dig right down to the bottom.  However, each time I pass that gift by, it is my loss.

Nurture your FAITH, whatever that may be for you.  It is the only thing that can NEVER be taken away from you.  I have learned in my spiritual life that in surrender comes perfect freedom. I just have to trust that no matter how bad things get, God IS in charge. His plan is much better for me than my own plans, and that surrender takes the anxiety for the future away.  I must admit, however, that as a human being, I do take control back more often than I should, but I am learning each day to give it up to God.

When I started my company at age 52, I said, “God, You gave me this gift, so You put me where You want me to be,”and the result has been the unbelievable opportunity to speak to audiences all over the world.  Because I knew from the beginning I was just the “messenger,” I have never gotten caught up in ego (Edging God Out), and my business has all been word of mouth and referral.  I am very clear who is the CEO of my company! 😉

I have a new friend who was imprisoned in solitary confinement in Syria for 63 days several years ago.  He said they took everything from him  – his  passport, his cell phone, all his contact information, and even his clothes.  It was completely dark, and he didn’t even know what day it was (though he figured out a system to once a day determine light or dark to try to keep count.)  He shares so powerfully that the ONLY thing that they could not take from him was his faith, and that kept him sane through the whole horrible ordeal.

RELATIONSHIPS are what life is all about.  Be the best family member, spouse, parent, and friend you can be with the skills you have been given.  And be a friend to have a friend.

I often think about who might miss me when I am gone.  Have I truly made a difference in this world?  My idea of Heaven has become that we will see all the people we have touched in some way, most of whom we know nothing about. I can hardly wait to see who is in that line!

Everything can be taken from us so quickly – our health, our homes, our  possessions, the people we love, and yet our relationships and our memories can never be taken away. However, we must make the relationships in our lives a priority.

During the pandemic I decided to do a “100 Day Project.”  Every day I called one or two people who had influenced my life in some way, many of whom I had not spoken with in years.  What a precious gift that was to me – and I hope to them, too!  It rekindled many friendships that had gotten buried in busyness.

I keep a “Blessings Journal,” and most days I write the people I interacted with and what blessings I received that day.  Sometimes they are big things, but mostly they are small things that happened in my day from a phone call to an email or a surprise gift.  No matter how busy or difficult a day is, I can always find one or two blessings, and most of them come from the relationships in my life.

Also, every Thanksgiving I make a list of all the people in this world that I love.  I am always so touched by how long that list has grown to be, and how blessed I am to have so many beautiful relationships.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What!  You, too?  I thought I was the only one.’ “ ~ C.S. Lewis

LOVE all people.  Even if you do not agree with them or don’t even like them, they were still created in the image of God, so RESPECT them as human beings.  (That does not mean that you have to spend time with them! 😉  I believe that our only responsibility in life is simply to love other people as we meet them on our journey.  That is why I created the  – / 0 / +  chart to show the CHOICE we have in every interaction.

We can discount the person and make them feel less important than us or our organization.  That leaves them with a minus.  We can simply take care of the business at hand which is a zero.  OR we can create a Human Level connection which says . “I SEE YOU as a human being” and that leaves the person with a plus because they interacted with you.

Always try to create a plus for the person you meet, even if it is only for a moment.  Just using their name, asking them a question about themselves, complimenting them, or sharing a thought with them lets them feel recognized and that they count for something.

I often tell this story about an experience I had in the Ladies Restroom at O’Hare airport as a simple example.  It was a cold, snowy February morning, and as I walked into the restroom, there was a woman all hunched over, listlessly cleaning, simply going through the motions.  I walked up to her, lightly touched her on the arm, looked right into her eyes, and said, “Thank you so much for keeping this restroom clean.  You are really making a difference for all of us who travel.”

She looked at me like a doe in the headlights and then out came a big smile.  She perked up, and she started cleaning with a passion. By the time I came out of the stall, she was handing out towels to all the women who were washing their hands.

I left with tears in my eyes, because that cost me nothing.  And what did I tell her in that one statement?  She was of value; I saw her as a human being with a purpose.

After hearing that story, my audience members tell me they never go into a restroom where someone is cleaning without thanking them. That is just one simple example of how choosing to make human level connections can make such a difference in this world.

My personal philosophy of life has come from Mother Teresa:  “Be kind and merciful.  Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier.”

Learn to FORGIVE, not for the other person (they probably will never know), but for yourself.  Holding grudges eats away at you, so forgive and let them go.  That goes for yourself as well!  We are only human, and we ALL make mistakes.

I suggest that my audiences think about “mis-takes.”  Even in the movies, it takes many takes to get a final print, so a “mis-take” is just one thing that didn’t work…..and we can learn from our “mis-takes” if we forgive ourselves.

“The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one who never fails…..but rather the one who moves on in spite of failure.” ~ Charles Swindoll

Read and LEARN something new every day.  That is what keeps you growing and young, even if you are chronologically old.  I have been a reader my entire life.  One of my favorite quotes is from S. I. Hayakawa, “In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read.  It is not true that we have only one life to live: if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.”  I suggest you keep a list of all the books you read every year.  It is so affirming to go back and realize all the experiences you have had through your reading.

It is so important, too, for us to be open to new learnings, especially with technology today.  I am so proud of my 98 year old aunt who uses email every day and even zoom to connect with one of her sons in Thailand.  She sends me the “naughtiest” emails of any of my friends! 😉

As a speaker, when the pandemic started, I had to learn how to present in  Zoom, how to do webinars for my clients, and how to scan documents rather than faxing.   Although I came kicking and screaming to some of it as I am not a techy person, I have continued to learn.

One example was being asked to do a Zoom keynote to over 3000 people.  I don’t think I slept well for a week, worrying if the technology would fail (my office is in my home, so I do not have a trouble shooter tech person here to help!).  It went well, but I still missed the personal interaction.  However, I LEARNED. Continual learning keeps our minds sharp as well as open to new ideas.

Today we can always expand our horizons with listening to podcasts, Ted talks, and searching Google for things that interest us.  And if you are having problems, all you have to do is to ask a neighbor kid or a grandchild.  They will help you keep young!

Be RESILIENT. No matter what happens in your life, you always have choices in how you respond.  I appreciate this quote from Florence Littauer, “I am not responsible for my situation, but I am responsible for my reaction to it.”

Like so many others in their later years, I have had a lot of pain in my life. We lost our second child, Gavin, when I was just 28 years old, the hardest thing I will ever have to bear.

In that same year, my Dad died unexpectedly at age 62, Nana, our St, Bernard puppy died, and I found a lump in my breast.  And finally, my dear husband Charlie died when I was just 56.  I was very young to be a widow, so it was an extremely lonely time for me.  However, I learned that I could either be better or bitter – it was my choice.

Even though I had some rough times grieving (Gavin was buried on Christmas Eve which is the birth of a baby, and I made a move to Florida where I knew no one soon after Charlie died).  However, through it all, I still today CHOOSE to be a positive person, and that has served me well.

Marcia Graf says, “Out of the coldest and seemingly most barren times of our lives, we discover hidden truths and bring them as gifts into the lives of others.”

Keep things in PERSPECTIVE.  It is easy for little things to become big things. Try to think, “Will this matter five or ten years from now?”  One of the things that happens, especially when you are depressed or grieving, is that we can become overwhelmed with small decisions or details.

It helps so much to have some kind of support group to help you see the bigger picture.  Professionally, I am in a MasterMind group of speaker friends from all over the country.  We meet once a month and share ideas and challenges.  Personally, I am in a sharing group from my church as well as a Bible study that meets weekly.  I also created a Book Group of friends that keep me grounded and help expand my horizons.

There are many resources on the internet today that can help you find a place where you feel you are not alone and you can share your concerns safely.  That will help you keep difficult times in perspective.

Follow your dreams and dream BIG.  Growing up in a town of 4500 in Iowa in the 50’s and 60’s, my dreams were limited by my experience and the people I knew.  As I went off to college and experienced a bigger world, however, my dreams became bigger and bigger.  I realized early on in my life that I could be and do anything I set my mind to, and I am grateful to my parents for that teaching. I learned to “always aim for the top.”

I was a high school English and Drama teacher for several years before our children were born.  (In fact, one of the fun things I share in the introduction to my audiences is that I directed David Hasselhof in his first high school play! 😉

When our first child was born, Charlie and I decided that I would stay home and make them my career.  I had a business plan and goals for them – by age seven they had all seen a ballet, an opera, and a stage play, I took them to classes at all the museums in downtown Chicago, and they had to take piano lessons from their seventh birthday to their twelfth birthday, non-negotiable.

During the nineteen years I stayed at home with them, I did some part time teaching and I finished my Master’s Degree in Adult Learning, one course a quarter for five years.  (I have written an article titled “You CAN Have it All – A Message of Hope for Women Who Choose to Stay Home with Their Children” about that time.  You can read a copy at https://barbaraglanz.com/articles/balance/you-can-have-it-all/ if you are in that situation.)

Then at age 48 when our oldest son was going off to Dartmouth, I went back to work as Manager of Training for a Times Mirror Company. At age 52 I started my own company as a professional speaker and author, and the rest has been amazing.

Even in my wildest dreams I never imagined I could accomplish and experience all the blessings I have had in my life, most after the age of 50 – inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame, being the first speaker on record to speak in all 50 states and on all 7 continents, being able to visit over 100 different countries, and to have precious friends all over the world.

 And if a small town girl from Iowa can do all that, SO CAN YOU!

The message my parents taught me was to believe in myself and to always do my best.  That is enough!  And I believe that when we do that, doors open that we could never have imagined.  So, never give up on yourself or your dreams.  You CAN have it all!

Take time to determine your core VALUES and then use them in all the decisions you make.  Do what is right.  The end does NOT justify the means.

It is critically important that at any stage of your life you find a purpose larger than yourself.  My purpose has varied at different times, but when I started my company, I created a personal mission statement: “I am here as the Lord’s helper to spread contagious enthusiasm and to lovingly and creatively help other people and myself see the choices we have to make a difference in the world.”

My best advice is to develop your own personal mission statement.  As I move more closely toward retirement, I have realized that I don’t have to speak to 3000 people to make a difference. I can make it just one by one by one, and that is enough.

These are the values and ideas I try hard to live by.  I certainly fail often, yet I keep trying to be a little better each day.  May we continually learn from our own experiences, especially our failures, hold tight to our faith, and treasure the people we meet along the way.

Much love,

For more inspiring articles, go to www.barbaraglanz.com

BARBARA GLANZ BIOGRAPHY

A member of the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame, Barbara Glanz, CSP, CPAE, works with organizations to improve morale, retention and service and with individuals who want to rediscover joy and purpose in their lives.. The first speaker on record to have spoken on all 7 continents and in all 50 states, A member of the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame, Barbara Glanz, CSP, CPAE, works with organizations to improve morale, retention and service and with individuals who want to rediscover joy and purpose in their lives. The first speaker on record to have spoken on all 7 continents and in all 50 states, she is known for her inspiring presentations on Employee Engagement, Customer Service, Appreciation & Recognition, and Kindness.  Barbara is the author of fourteen books including The Simple Truths of Service Inspired by Johnny the Bagger®, CARE Packages for the Workplace, and 180 Ways to Spread Contagious Enthusiasm™. Voted “best keynote presenter you have heard or used” by Meetings & Conventions Magazine, she lives and breathes her personal motto, “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm™.  She can be reached at bglanz@barbaraglanz.com or www.barbaraglanz.com.

For Christmas my daughters gave me a gift called “Storyworth.”  Each week for a year it asks you to write the answer to an email question about your life, and at the end of the year they print a hard cover book of all your answers.  This was the question for this week, and I thought it was one we all might want to answer.  What would your answer be?

What do you consider one of your greatest achievements in life?

I think one of my greatest achievements has been having resilience – having the strength to keep my faith, maintain a positive attitude, and find new purpose through some really difficult times of my life.  It was not always easy and sometimes took a long time, but somehow, through my belief in God’s love, my own inner strength, and the love of many dear friends and family, I was able to rise above the pain, keep on going, and even find joy in my life again after some truly heartrending situations.  The blessing that has come out of these struggles is that I have been able, through my story, to help many hurting people all over the world find hope and new purpose in their own lives.

At age five I was bitten in the head by my uncle’s dog, it got infected, and they didn’t think I would live. Of course I did live, but I ended up with huge hunks of scar tissue all over my head, literally a freak.  As a result, I had to have plastic surgery the next two summers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. (Interestingly, my parents allowed no pictures to be taken of me during that time, so I have never seen how awful I looked.) As horrific as this sounds, unlike my parents, I have not a single bad memory of this whole experience because of all the little kind, caring things people did for me all along the way.  Many times I have been able to share this story with my audiences to illustrate the differences we can each make, with a little kindness, in people’s lives every day.

When I was only twenty-seven years old, in one year my Dad died suddenly of a heart attack at age 62, our one year old St. Bernard puppy died unexpectedly, and most devastating of all, our second little boy, Gavin Ward Glanz, died a day after birth, even though I had had a perfectly normal pregnancy.  He was buried on Christmas Eve which of course is the celebration of the birth of a baby.  No one can know the pain of losing a child of any age until it happens to you.

That year was the hardest of my whole life!  It took me almost five years to be nearly whole again…….yet even in the midst of this terrible struggle, I still had the faith and the inner strength to simply learn to live just five minutes at a time….. until I could get through an hour and finally a whole day.  And the greatest blessing was that I still had a purpose to live for – our two year old son, Garrett Wayne Glanz, and a hurting husband who both needed me.

I was hurting so deeply that I knew in my heart that nothing or no one could ever hurt me that much again, so I made the decision that I would alway be completely myself.  That gift of authenticity has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. When I sometimes share this story with my audiences, it provides a real life lesson of LEARNING to live one day at a time, LEARNING to be vulnerable and real, and LEARNING that every day we wake up is a gift.

Finally, when my dear husband, Charlie, my soulmate and the love of my life, died of cancer when I was just 56, I had another crisis to face. All of a sudden I was alone!  I did not fit in our big house in the suburbs of Chicago anymore, my children all lived across the country on the West coast,  and I had to find my own way forward.  I eventually decided to sell our longtime family home and move to the beach in Florida, a lifelong dream of mine to live by the water.  However, it was a hard move, and I almost died of loneliness the first year because I knew no one.  But thankfully, I had my work – my purpose – and with some reaching out like starting a book group and joining a church, I eventually made a place for myself in this new community.

As I write this, I am at another crossroads – I think it is about time for me to retire, so I have some new difficult decisions to make.  Should I stay here on the beach, should I move closer to my children in Portland and Seattle, should I stay working just parttime, and most importantly, what will my new purpose be?  Life is full of challenges but also many joys, and I know I will find my path forward as always, trusting in my own strength, friends and family, and most of all, the love and guidance of the Lord.

Charles Dickens in “Great Expectations” says, “Life is made up of many partings welded together.”  I would add that life is also made up of many new beginnings if we adjust our attitude, dig deep down inside for our inner strength, and trust that God has a plan for our lives.

For more information about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com

A friend just sent me these darling comments that children made about their grandparents.  I thought we all needed a little humor these difficult days, so please enjoy.

Do any of these apply to YOU????

Blessings, Barbara

For more information on Barbara and her work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2021

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend.”

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!  When I first started thinking about this letter and the 18 months we have experienced with Covid, I thought I would have very little to write.  However, once I went through my calendar, I realized I really HAD made the most of these months, especially since finishing my shots in early March.  Thankfully, none of my family members got the virus, so that was the greatest blessing of all

As I think about the past year and all the isolation, some things I am especially thankful for are:  Zoom and Facetime to stay in touch with family and friends, Netflix for long lasting series like “Heartland,” Parenthood,” Yellowstone,” “The Crown,” and “Outlander,” walks on the beach, outside dining, streaming to “go” to church, and my faith to keep me hope-filled.

On the business side, my speaking dates almost completely dried up because of cancelled meetings.  I did do several Zoom keynotes. However, I desperately missed the audience interaction, the energy and most of all, talking with people afterwards. I kept involved through doing webinars, podcasts and TV interviews, and I also wrote a new book, “Exhausted, Confused, and Ticked Off!  Hope for a New Beginning When Change Has Done You In.” it is a short book with a concrete description of the process of change, lots of coping ideas, and a Control Inventory to help you find hope in the midst of change. The theme of the book is that “All change comes bearing gifts.” I hope it will help many people find those gifts since change has become a constant in our lives.

I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we had finished our shots, feeling a bit more secure about returning to some semblance of “normal.”  A Chicago friend came for a visit, Frank and I did a day trip to the flower show at Disney, and in April I had a lovely trip to Grand Junction, CO, to be with my sister and two brothers for the first time in 20 years, since Brian lives in Chaingmai, Thailand. We shared MANY laughs and memories of our growing up in Iowa!

In June I flew to Portland to take my two daughters to Skamania Lodge for a long “girl’s weekend.”  We did a wine tour, had massages, went shopping, and again, shared many memories.  Then I got to go with the family to Simon’s 8^th grade graduation.

Over July 4 the whole family was invited to Garrett’s beautiful new vacation home in Camano Island, WA, where we did “crabbing” for the first time ever!  From there, I went to Las Vegas for the National Speakers Association convention.  Even though we were careful, 14 of the 400 there ended up with Covid – and all were fully vaccinated!  With Delta life changed again!

At the end of July, I flew to my hometown of Harlan, Iowa, for the memorial service of one of my friends since we were 3, Linda Booth Larsen.!  It was a bittersweet trip but also a joy to get to see many of my childhood friends. We had such fun going back to the places where we hung out – the country club, the town square, and the Dairy Queen!  Since I was partway there, I went on to San Diego to see my precious 98 year old Aunt Joan, who still does water aerobics, dances, and plays bridge (my role model).  I also got to see my three cousins who live close.

That was the end of my travel for awhile. I was supposed to speak for my 23^rd year at the National Society for Human Resource Management convention in Las Vegas in September, but I decided it would be safer to do my presentation on Zoom.  Not nearly as fun, however!

Later in September Frank and I flew to Lexington, KY, for the wedding of his granddaughter, Caroline.  It was a GORGEOUS affair with 12 bridesmaids! Then Kinsey, my only granddaughter, came for her first visit in five years since she was diagnosed with leukemia.  It has been a long, hard battle, but she is the strongest person I have ever known.  Although she is now cancer free, she still will have to have both ankles replaced because of all the damage the 600+ days of chemo did to her bones.  She is currently at the U of Washington where she is planning to be a Childlife specialist and help other children who are in the hospital. I am so VERY proud of her!  We had fun spending time on the beach, talking, getting massages, and shopping till be dropped! 😉

October 1 -4 was my first “vacation” trip since covid.  Going to the Balloon Siesta in Albuquerque has always been on my bucket list, so this year my friend, Nancy, and I actually did it.  It was a spectacular experience watching 500 huge balloons rise up in two hours. The only drawback was that we had to be in the lobby at 4:15 am!!!!  Then we spent 3 days in Santa Fe, NM, one of my favorite cities.  We stopped at Chimayo, a spiritual heritage site, toured the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, and went to Meow Woof, an experiential creative of dozens of artists.  From there, we went on to Huntington Beach, CA, for my Guideposts Board meetings.  Ten days later I went to Louisville, KY, for the Lead Like Jesus Global Gathering and stayed with dear friends, the Bonuras.  The last week Frank’s whole family came to his daughter’s in Atlanta to celebrate his 83^rd birthday, so it was a very BUSY month!

In November I hosted two parties to share the products from my daughter Erin’s new company, www.Colllective-Heart.com. It is a collaboration with disadvantaged women in India who create products from Erin’s designs and the prints she selects from women all over the world.  Her byline is “Owned by Women, Made by Women, Loved by Women.”  You can order lovely gifts on her website and help support the women in India.

Garrett and Ashley are in Redmond, WA, where Garrett works for Amazon, managing the Alexa team, and Ashley teaches riding classes and takes care of their horse.  Kinsey is in college and Gavin has moved to San Diego to follow his passion of customizing cars.  Erin, Gretchen and Randy are in Portland, OR, where Erin is running her company, Gretchen is Ops Manager for 4 boutiques, and Randy does freelance web designing.  They have been a great help to Erin as well.  Simon is in 8^th grade, plays soccer on the HS team, and Owen, who is interested in computer design and architecture, is in grade 11.  They are a happy family and spend lots of time camping and other outdoor activities.

I was blessed to spend Thanksgiving with Frank’s daughter’s family in Hickory, NC, and I will be in Portland for Christmas and then taking the whole family to Palm Springs, CA, for the week after Christmas. May God’s love surround you and your family and keep you safe in 2022.

“No matter who we are, we begin and end with family.  The work will wait while you show your child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you do the work,” ~ Patricia Clafford

Blessings,

Our pastor recently gave a set of sermons that contained such memorable visuals that I want to share them with all my family, friends and clients.   According to current research, the average person in America today lives to age 78, resulting in approximately 28,470 days of life. 

Here are some of the ways we spend those precious days:

•  26 years sleeping
•  13- 14 years working
•  8 years watching TV
•  4 ½ years eating
•  6 years on social media
•  2 years shopping (my favorite! 😉
•  4 years in our car
•  1 year looking for lost items (this one made me smile….)

On the table he placed a huge bowl of colored marbles. On each side of this bowl there were two clear glass containers, one labeled “INVESTED” and one labeled “WASTED.”  He asked, “Are you INVESTING your moments each day (helping others, bringing joy to someone, making a difference of some kind) or are you WASTING those moments (focus only on yourself, your needs and pleasures)?”

For me, this was a visual “wake up” call to think more concretely about the awesome daily GIFT of life and how I am using that gift. How many “marble moments” have I created today? 

He challenged each of us to evaluate at the end of each day whether we could put a marble in the “Invested” jar or in the “Wasted” jar. The bottom line: How much time am I spending each day on myself as opposed to doing things that make this world a better place?  WOW! Powerful food for thought…….

The next week he had four very tall clear glass containers on the table, each filled with blue sparkly marbles.

•  The first one was nearly full – the number of days we have at age 20.
• The second one was half of the first one – the days we have left at 40.
• The third one was half of that one – how many days we have left at age 60.
• And the final one had very few marbles in it – days left at age 70.

Again, what a POWERFUL visual!  It gave me a whole new visual reality of the importance of each precious day I have left and a reminder challenge for how I am using it.  Is it WASTED or is it INVESTED?  At the end of my life, I hope I can be proud of how I have made a difference with my blessed gift of life.  How about you?

May all the days we have left be filled with “Marble Moments.”

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com.

Dear Friends,                                                                                                Christmas 2020

Well, I think we are all ready to see 2020 end!  It has been a year of lots of stress, anxiety and fear, yet also one of hope and new beginnings.  I have just finished the manuscript for a new book with the working title, “Exhausted, Confused, and Ticked Off – Hope for a New Beginning When Change Has Done You In!”  However, I think I am going to change the title from a negative to a positive, like “The Gift of Change – Letting  Go of the ‘Way It Was’ to Find a New Beginning.”  More and more each day I am realizing how important it is for us to focus on the blessings we have found in 2020 rather than dwelling on the losses. Focusing on the good things helps us stay positive and move forward rather than getting caught up in “what was.”  Here are some of the big changes in my life this year:

Travel – Frank and I were excited to take a wonderful, educational cruise to the Panama Canal in January, and that was the last trip I have taken all year.  I realized this is the longest I have been home since I first started my company in 1995!  However, I have found ways to use this time to organize my office, my home, and my life.  I gave away at least 17 boxes of files and another 15 boxes of books to the Florida Speaker’s Chapter, I organized all our photos, I went through my closets and drawers, I made several trips to Goodwill, and I threw out tons of paper and magazines.

Work – All my scheduled work cancelled because of the virus.  However, I have learned lots about Zoom and have given several virtual keynotes and lots of interviews.  After being a bit discouraged at first, I realized I can still bring hope to people with my social networking posts, my email newsletters, and my writing.

Friends – Although I greatly miss the social gatherings, lunches and dinners, and especially the hugs, I have found other ways to stay connected like my “100 Day Project.”  I decided since I finally had more time that each day for 100 days I would call someone who was important in my life at one time and with whom I have not spoken sometimes for many years.  I have contacted high school friends, college friends, old neighbors, former clients, and even found an old boyfriend or two!  And I have decided to continue this practice even after the 100 days since it has brought me so much joy.

Family – This has been the hardest thing to give up since I have not seen my kids and grandkids now for almost a year.  With the covid situation, none of us feel comfortable flying, so for the first time ever, we will be apart for the holidays. However, I find I am talking with them more by phone than ever before, and of course Zoom has made it feel almost like being in person.  (Think about what this year might have been like BEFORE the advent of Skype and Zoom!)

In one of my newsletters I wrote a short piece called “Will You Test Positive?”   These five things are all about CHOICES and whether we ultimately choose to live in Faith or to live in Fear.

1.  Focus on GRATITUDE.  We can always find blessings in any circumstance if we are looking for them.  In my new book I use the statement, “All change comes bearing gifts.”  We simply need to look for those gifts (even though some may take a long time to realize) .
2. Take appropriate action, be safe, and have some fun. I have found a whole fun wardrobe of masks, I have been creative about ordering online which fulfills my “shopping gene” ;-), and I have spent a lot of time outdoors.  I am very blessed to live on the beach and be able to walk and swim almost every day.  Even up north, though, you can walk most days to clear your mind and work off stress.
3. Let go of worry. Think about what you have control over and what is out of your control. Then do what you can and let go of the rest. I have heard that worry is like a rocking chair – you rock and rock, but you never go anywhere!
4. Use any extra time you have to sort, organize, read, write, and reconnect. I have read some wonderful books instead of going out to events, I have begun to play my piano again and write more in my journal, and of course I don’t think any of us  could have survived 2020 without Netflix! 😉
5. As a person of faith, I pray and trust that God is in charge.

Garrett, Gavin, Ashley and Kinsey are in Redmond, WA.  Garrett has a new position with Amazon, Ashley is busy with their horse, Gavin is working 2 jobs and rebuilding cars and motorcycles, and Kinsey has started at the U of Washington.  She is doing well healthwise but still will have to have both ankles replaced at some point because of the cancer drugs.

Gretchen, Randy, Owen and Simon are in Portland where Gretchen is marketing manager for four boutiques and Randy is doing freelance web design.  Owen is a sophomore in high school, and Simon is in 8^th grade.  They have been doing virtual school since March and playing LOTS of video games to stay connected with their friends!

Erin lost her job of 13 years due to covid in June, but she is starting a new mission-driven, fair trade accessories collaboration with @workshelter called “Collective Heart – Owned by Women, Made by Women, Loved by Women.”  50+ disadvantaged women in India are making bags, scarves, and clothing items to be sold in retail stores soon.  She is excited about this new opportunity.

I am winding down with my work and finding lots of joy in one-on-one connections. Every day I am grateful for my good health.   I pray that 2021 will find all of you safe, healthy, and thankful for your blessings.

Blessings,

Collage Pictures:

Row 1, left to right

Frank and I on one of the formal nights on our Princess cruise to the Panama Canal in January

Kinsey’s high school graduation picture

My new haircut

Holding an iguana in Ocho Rios

Simon, Kinsey and Owen

 Row 2

Virtual keynote on Zoom

Simon and Owen with “Granna BB”

Photo shopped creative family picture when I could not be with them all this fall

(Garrett, Erin, Ashley, Simon, Kinsey, Gretchen, Owen, Randy and ME being “carried!”)

 Row 3

Frank holding a boa constrictor in Ocho Rios

On the ship in the Cayman Islands

Frank and I in Cartagena, Colombia

Dressed up for the NSA Virtual Red Carpet event

 Row 4

The Dali exhibit at Selby Gardens

My May birthday

Family picture from Christmas 2019  (How I will miss being with them this year!)

(Gretchen, Kinsey, Simon, Ashley, me, Owen, Gavin, Garrett, Erin – Randy was taking the picture)

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com