A Work Trip in Numbers

I was fishing for dreams to share and hope to build…. I think I did well gathering both for myself and others during my time away.

I was fortunate to have been invited to speak to a wide variety of people the beginning of this month. This invitation took me halfway across the United States. The day after I returned home I was so exhausted I laid down in my bed early and slept for ten hours. It took me a few days to get rid of the jet lag and resume my usual schedule. It was a lot of work, but it was such an honor to have been invited.

6 Consecutive days
3,712 Miles flown round-trip
14 Presentations
2 Cities
2 Colleges (Thank you University of Iowa and Loras College for your warm hospitality)
1 Education Center (Thank you Regina Education Center. By the way, I loved being there on pajama day!)
1 Nurse’s group mixed with some amazing volunteers (Thank you University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinic nurses and volunteers for the wonderful gift of caring and compassion you provide to your patients daily.)
COUNTLESS conversations with incredible people who were willing to share their time and join me in a journey to help others learn from the lessons our lives have taught.

It was a whirlwind trip, but I always find myself gaining more than I could ever hope to offer when I hear of the impact we are capable of having on one another.

Weekly Serving of Optimism: Quotes & Thoughts (What’s Within You?)

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Weekly Serving of Optimism: Quotes & Thoughts (Man’s Value)

“The best things in life aren’t things.”   John Ruskin

 

“I had to live in the desert before I could understand the full value of grass in a green ditch.”   Ella Maillart

 

“The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.”   Albert Einstein

 

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”   Albert Einstein

 

 

“The value of life is not in the length of days,

but in the use we make of them;

a man may live long yet very little.”

Michel de Montaigne

Between the Covers

What is in my book BrainStorming: Functional Lessons from a Dysfunctional Brain?
Between the covers you will find:

• 187 pages
• Over 5 years of planning
• 100+ essays divided into 9 categories
• Lessons guided by people who have spoken to me from around the world

I started this blog based on a few questions I was asked by research scientists regarding coping techniques for prosopagnosia. These questions led to more questions. I soon started to write answers to questions I had been pondering in my own mind and were not yet thought of by doctors. And so, years of writing began.
This blog has become my outlet for self-discovery and offered wonderful connections with readers around the world. A long time ago, I started to entertain the idea of publishing a book. After every presentation I had given, at least one person asked why I had not written a book yet. This question was followed with when will I write the book? At first, I doubted my ability. I soon decided that there were people waiting for me to write it, and I loved writing. I went for it.

For nearly a year now, I have been rearranging essays from this blog and trying to determine which essays are the best. And so, the final product is nearly here. Publishers, my book editor (I have the greatest one by the way), and numerous supporters have paved the way for this book to be published. I will have it listed on my new website very, very soon. By the way, have you checked out tarafall.com yet?

Next week I will be traveling half-way across America for a book promotion tour. This will allow me to see old friends and celebrate new accomplishment. Yes, the essays are from the blog, but now you will see the ones I am most excited to share all in one book. Stop back soon to see information on how you can order your copy of BrainStorming: Functional Lessons from a Dysfunctional Brain.

“We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”

– Ursula K. Le Guin