For the next three weeks, I'll be reprising previously posted stories, ramping up to a fresh start in 2026. Given the weather here in the Upper Midwest today, I thought it appropriate to share once again. Enjoy! ***** Absolute zero.   No, it’s not what I felt like in ninth grade when I walked on stage for the first time in a school play with my fly open. (True story.)   It’s also not what my high school football coach called me after I dropped the winning touchdown pass in overtime the first...

“Put your best foot forward.”   We’ve all heard it and probably used it at some point. And it’s good advice, I guess. But as I get older (and the number of things that remind of my advancing age is growing all the time), I’ve begun to question “superlative” phrases like this, especially when it comes to motivating myself.   A little background. The origin of “Put your best foot forward” may date as far back as the late 15 th  century, but more common is the thought that it was first published...

This week, people all around the U.S. will be telling themselves and others what they’re thankful for. It’s not a bad exercise. In fact, we should probably remind ourselves often (maybe daily) what–and whom–we’re grateful for. Lots of “experts” tell us to do that, and honestly, I routinely (though not daily) make a mental list; to give me perspective and to reset those days when I’m feeling like things are working against me. I’m not usually big on doing or saying things just because a...