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Are Men Allowed in the Woman’s Club? Back in 1922, a group of community-minded women gathered together to form the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club to enhance the lives of others through volunteer services. Originally, the club met at a site where the City Hall resides today. In...

How to Stay Sane in Chaotic Times On the global front, political predictions and dire financial forecasts abound. Locally, sirens blare, boulders randomly topple, summer crowds rise and driving through town is like being captured in a frantic video game. No wonder free-floating...

The Sympathy Trap   Are you concerned that your caring about the complex problems of others is getting you down? Do you wish you could shut off the worry valve? When you can’t stomach hearing about another insurmountable problem, do you feel judgmental and irritated or...

Relationship Literacy Every person we meet has a story to tell. Imagine that life is like a library filled with individual books to be experienced and enjoyed. Of course, you have your favorites and you know what topic is their specialty. Their main theme may be an ongoing drama,...

A Reality Check When was the last time you had a heart to heart talk with Life? Have you included Life in your current game plan or are you expecting Life to read your mind? Have you been mumbling a litany of complaints under your breath so that Life is a bit wary of being...

One Step At a Time Goal setting is a staple of motivational success techniques. Come up with your five top goals. Be specific. Are they realistic? Have you set out a time-line for when you will achieve these goals? See yourself in possession of these outcomes. Plan the work. Work...

Remember When You Took Time To… …use your imagination to see images formed by the puffy clouds that floated by on a lazy summer’s day? How long has it been since that kind of relaxation was a part of your experience? The benefit of activating your positive...

Savoring Laguna My experiences lately have brought home how privileged I feel to be a part of life in Laguna. It started with a leisurely dinner on a Thursday night with a friend at Watermarc that supplied the simple pleasure of catching up with each other. It is so satisfying to...

Simple Truths  How is it possible to keep our equilibrium when negative news abounds with messages of turmoil and chaos? Our days are filled with more interactions with inanimate objects than living, breathing people. We clear our e-mail, check our voice mail and answer text...

Creating Clarity in Chaotic Times   Our personal wellbeing requires that we nourish our inner strength and our ability to make timely choices no matter what kind of nonsense is spinning around us. The price for this state of mind is that we must be prepared to acknowledge our...

A Wake-up Call If this year has taught anything, it is that relying on external circumstances to provide safety and security is a fool’s journey. Since we are fast approaching the New Year 2018, this is a perfect time to expand your capacity to accept increased levels of...

Merchants Keep the Vibe Alive  I love to walk downtown and in the process have found unique stores, restaurants and favored backstreet routes that supply that sense of communion with our special town. Many favorite places have disappeared since I became a part of this community...

Resilience   The holiday season has officially started. In our fast-paced society, it has become more difficult to let down and enjoy the small pause points that come as a result of getting involved in the art of celebration, whether religious or secular. This upcoming...

Harvey Horror The aftermath of the Harvey Hurricane tragedy continues on with no end in sight. My brother Joe and my sister-in-law Laura lost both their home and Laura’s mother’s home that is on the next block of their used to be beautiful neighborhood in Houston....

Grace and Grit      Two of my brothers and one of my sisters, their spouses and families have all been directly impacted by the tragedy in Houston. Even the home owned by my parents, plus the neighborhood that holds all my younger siblings’ growing up memories, is five feet...