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Blog #757: I Am My Sneakers

by Ana | August 13, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I felt it.I really, really felt it. All of it. The serious heat.My empty legs.My slowing pace. ______ I had been walking over an hour. I started the walk when it seemed a manageable 79 degrees. Looking at my phone at that moment... It had climbed fast to a scorching...

Blog #756: Is Your Try Running Out?

by Ana | August 6, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

He is tired of trying. ______ “Hey Shawn, Thanks for always showing up. When I’m at my lowest, you write what I need to read. I need something big now. I keep trying, but it feels like I’m getting nowhere. I’m wondering if it’s time to throw in the towel.” ______ I...

Blog #755: Don’t Walk Past Yourself

by Ana | July 30, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Most people walk past them.I couldn't. For 35+ years... I’ve eaten rice, beans, and saladsbecause I love animals. But there's a little life my heart can't ignore. ______ Snails. I’ve written before about saving worms struggling across hot sidewalks. I’ve also carried...

Blog #754: The Teachers I Almost Missed

by Ana | July 23, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I see it clearly now. Two of my greatest teachershave never spoken a word. Two little dogs teaching big lessons. ______ For 15½ years… My Chihuahuas have taught me more about life than I’ve taught them. They taught me to celebrate. When I walk through the door, they...

Blog #753: The Uncomfortable Mirror

by Ana | July 16, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was getting ready to go for a hike. My shoes were waiting by the door.My backpack was loaded down and ready. Then a thought quietly walked into the room. ______ "I don't feel like it." Nothing unusual. Except this time... I heard it differently. A second thought...

Blog #752: I Couldn’t Look Away

by Ana | July 9, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was flipping through TV channels...until one of them stopped me cold. I didn't know the singer.I didn't know the song. But I couldn't look away. ______ It wasn't his voice that caught me. It was how completely he gave himself to the moment. He wasn't just singing.He...

Blog #751: I Pressed Send Anyway

by Ana | July 2, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

#750 is behind me.#751 is right now. Still going.Still showing up.Still giving it my best. Every.Single.Thursday. ______ #751. That’s a lot of Thursdays. More than I ever imagined when this began. And although I'm acknowledging #751... I'm celebrating #1 more. That’s...

Blog #750: What Are You Leaving in Them?

by Ana | June 25, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

At first... This blog was about a frog named Camino.Then it became a question. Ready to see where this leads? ______ First story... There’s a little frog that’s lived outside my front door in Sacramento for as long as I can remember. I call him “Camino.”Named after...

Blog #749: The Email Said She’s a Ghost

by Ana | June 18, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I read her email.I stopped breathing for a moment. "People don't say things like that." ______ The email read: "I’m a ghost. People don't see me. I don't even see myself anymore. I read your blog and maybe I'm not changing, but at least I see I don't want to be a...

Blog #748: It’s Time to Go

by Ana | June 11, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Moving forward. Not because it's easy.Because staying changes who you become. ______ The past has a powerful pull. A favorite memory.A former relationship.A great success.A missed opportunity.A different version of ourselves. It's easy to revisit what was. Especially...

Blog #590: It Got Me Here

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I've passed the house 100 times. Each time I do...I notice an extra happy flowerpot. ______ It's in the middle of the lawn. It's a pot turned flat on its side as if it were tipped over...and the flowers appear as if they're pouring out of it and into the world. It...

Blog #589: Don’t Offer Them Tea

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The "Unfortunate Unexpected." Out of nowhere...It can hit us hard. I know because I just felt its rude visit. ______ In Ketchikan, Alaska... I took a bite of a walnut, unaware that it was wearing TOO much shell. The harsh bite rudely shattered 1/2 of a back tooth to...

Blog #588: And Then It Got Tricky

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I’ve lived 1,000 great days.Today was one of them. ______ As I write this… I’m in Juneau, Alaska. I started the morning standing in line with a pre-paid tram ticket to take me to the roof of a mountain that overlooks Juneau. I lasted 60 seconds in the line. I turned...

Blog #587: Which Way Is My Head Walking?

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FLOW. From the moment our eyes open...things happen that push ours one way or another. As a day's hours pass...we choose whether we like its direction. ______ On Monday morning... My flow was being shoved hard the wrong way. On my morning dog walk, I saw a squirrel...

Blog #586: Breathing a Little…Indiana

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Have an all-timefavorite book, movie or TV character? This week...A reader's email inspires me to share mine. ______ Shawn, I love your Thursday newsletter! Your topics seem to be written specifically for me. How do you do that? I also love your weekly sign off - With...

Blog #585: Two Notes for Old Mirrors

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I've been asked OFTEN: "What would you say to your younger self?" BUT... I've NEVER been asked: "What would you say to your older self?" Today I'll ask. And answer. ______ Hey, O.G. (Old Guy)... It's ME. Young YOU. Well... YoungER YOU. So you knew it was...