Nobody is immune to the virus of stress. All of us are vulnerable to the bacteria of stress. We all have to deal with three things that just come with life and they all cause stress. The boundaries between work and leisure, public and private, are dissolving so that we have no rest and we are forced to be time jugglers and multi-taskers. We’re all rats in the rat race. We’re all overwhelmed by all we have to do and we struggle with priorities to remember and agendas to keep under control.” Check out these ideas to get the stress out when you are stressed out!

While traditions certainly hold value, they can also involve stress. Holding too tightly to unreachable expectations can evaporate all of the joy out of the holidays. Letting go of expectations can eliminate stress and create room for happy memories.

Radical monogamy is a concept that is electrifying the world of relationship choices. When I first read about this idea, I smiled. I wondered if this was supposed to be funny. What could be radical about monogamy? Wasn’t this the same as another idea that started with “m” – marriage? So, I asked the obvious question, “What does radical monogamy mean? What is radical about monogamy?”

In 2014, on the day after Christmas, we loaded up the van and drove to Destin, Florida to spend five days with 24 family members.  It was a first for all of us. While that may sound overwhelming, it was a very memorable time that we were eager to duplicate. This first annual Vance Vacation was aimed at spending quality time together to build our family community. It worked. Check out how we accomplished such a large task. Don’t miss the helpful download full of “how-to” details.

Playing with mud as an adult has been insightful, even mind blowing. Who knew that taking up a new hobby of pottery would be a journey into spiritual and personal observation. Although we are just starting, here is what we have learned so far.

Do you have these 20 Social Skills?
Some people have work skills and academic knowledge, but not social skills to propel them to success. Some negative social behavior actually repels people. Some people lack self-awareness to identify what is repulsive to others. Some know, but don’t care. Some fail to weigh the cost of not caring about their interaction with others.

Whether you would like to improve the relationship with a child, a spouse, a parent, in-laws, a neighbor, a co-worker or a friend… the kindness challenge promises to increase the positives. Kindness is powerful!! It could be your new superpower.