The Brilliant Balance Blog

I don’t know about you, but Monday mornings in our household bring a lot of excitement and emotion. The weekend is officially over, and it’s back to work, school, and routines. Sometimes there is gleeful anticipation about the week that lies ahead. Sometimes there is whining about “do I HAVE to go to school today?” […]

When I say “mentor,” what comes to mind for you? Do you think about someone serving at-risk youth through a program like Big Brothers Big Sisters? Or do you envision a tenured manager having coffee with a new hire and helping her craft a plan to ask for a raise? Or maybe you picture an […]

If you’re ready to skip this post because the idea of “Me Time” sounds like an unrealistic fantasy within the demands of your life, stay with me for a second. Me Time doesn’t have to be a five-day getaway to a luxury spa or even a two-day girls weekend in a fun city. Me Time […]

My daughter informed me last night after volleyball practice that she’s not going to be in her school choir this year. Rehearsals begin tomorrow, and frankly, I’d assumed she was all in! This is a girl who loves to sing and who loves God so singing about God makes choir a no brainer. Or so I thought. When I asked […]

The stories have been retold for days now, each more animated than the last. It’s been a jumble of words at the dinner table and in the car and as we’re getting ready in the morning, every story punctuated by giggles. I’m just back from a family vacation – we took our little crew to explore Southern California […]

My calling didn’t show up the way I expected it to. There was no flash of lightning or burst of insight, and yet its arrival was unmistakable. This calling was crystal clear. In fact, it came yesterday afternoon via a buzzing cell phone with my mother on the other end of the line and my four year […]

Let me ask you something. Do you ever feel like perfectionism gets in the way of your ability to make decisions? I know it can for me. This week we’re exploring the power of making smarter, faster decisions, and often that comes from having the courage to take imperfect action. Yep, you heard that right. […]

Last night, my husband and I saw Audra McDonald perform with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. For the uninitiated, she’s a legendary soprano, the winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. We’ve had a bit of a month around here, so we were especially grateful to get out for […]