RiseUP Blog

The world is negative by nature. Let’s interject a bit of optimism, “wear a cheerful countenance at all times, and give every living creature you meet a smile.”

I hope this week has been good to you. As you know, with this time of year comes FOOTBALL TIME in Tennessee.

Although they were talking about fast food, the message is still valid in broader way...

No matter what new beginning may pop up in your life, I hope you face it with your head held high and a determination to do your best.

I must admit that when I read the negative review, it just about killed me. Then I put it into perspective...

Any time you think something is off-kilter within your body, you need to listen to yourself. It is better to go to the doctor and find out it’s nothing than to ignore the issue and later realize it’s serious.

The next few weeks will be a great time to reconnect with your friends who were not easy to communicate with during the summer. It is also a wonderful time to meet new people.

As the new school year begins, whether you are in high school or will pursue higher learning in a trade school, community college, or university, don’t be afraid to make time to do something fun.

Dating is how you get to know different types of people to see if they are compatible with you. So, don’t think you must have all of the answers now.

Murphy's Law definitely contains an element of truth. How you respond to situations that are not ideal (and certainly not planned) will determine how you get through them.

I’m deeply grateful for the vigilance of trained lifeguards. They do a great job of keeping those water-crazy people of all ages safe as they have fun every day.

I have to say that for me, this week has been a challenge. I think I have too many things going on.

Fathers don’t need to be blood related. They just must love you, accept you as you are, and encourage you to shoot for your dreams.

We need to do the “next right thing.” I believe that we as a people want to do better as soon as we know better.

We need to calmly pick up the pieces of our “bad day” and know that we can make the proverbial lemonade out of lemons. 

While military life isn’t for everyone, I want to thank not only the servicemen and women in our country, but also their families. They make many sacrifices when their loved ones are not home.

Since it is the end of the school year, this week I want to encourage you to pick one or two friends—fellow students, or just acquaintances—and commit to reaching out to them over the summer.

Your mom will always be your mother, no matter how many other mother figures you have in your life. As a mother myself, I can testify that raising children is not for the faint-hearted.

I hope you'll savor the last bit of school year with your friends and teachers. I will certainly miss my colleagues and the students over the summer.

If you have things in your life that you want to change, focus on only one at a time. If you try to change too many things at once, any failure to meet the desired outcome will cause frustration.