The scene: Woman behind me at the airport, struggling to scan her ticket to board the flight. Airport gate agent: Are you flying Aer Lingus? Woman: Yes Airport gate agent: This is the line for United. …Oh. We’d all been in line for over 20 minutes in Dublin at the flight gate heading to Chicago. […]

What if the things that make Disney magical are the same things proven to boost our physical and mental health—AND actually help us avoid the biggest regrets people have on their deathbeds? Today’s Tuesday Tea Time was inspired by this therapist who recommends Disneyland as a mental health strategy. 🎉 If you’ve been around me for a […]

I slid into an MRI machine yesterday…not because I knew something was wrong, but because I wanted to know before something was wrong. The company, Prenuvo, calls it “proactive health.” A full-body scan that can flag issues early, before they become serious. The scan I chose took about 45 minutes. It was loud with beeps and buzzing, […]

I don’t feel like writing a note about happiness and thriving right now. I feel…all kinds of other things. Stuck. Sad. Scared. Angry. So, I thought I’d share what I do when I’m feeling this way in case it helps even one person. We benefit from taking space and processing those negative feelings. Moving through them. And […]

Last week I was at a conference for entrepreneurs (look at this beautiful background!)… …and the topic of “balance” came up on the panel. One person said they prefer swapping in the word “harmony” instead of balance. This made me think of a symphony: some notes are louder or last longer; different instruments add their […]

Like it or not, you already have a personal brand. Maybe you’ve been intentional about shaping yours, or maybe it’s something you’ve never even thought about—but either way, people are making up their own story about who you are. (Today’s Tea Time was inspired by this article: “Having a Personal Brand at Work is Key for Introverts.” […]

I asked ChatGPT to write an obituary based on what it knows about me from our conversations. It’s long, but here’s exactly what it said: Nicole Bensen—beloved mother, devoted partner, cherished friend, and spirited mentor—left this world having lived it to the fullest. Known for her magnetic blend of warmth, humor, and grace, Nicole had […]

The woman sitting next to me at a networking event last week shared this story, and I can’t stop thinking about it. When someone died in ancient Egypt, their soul entered the Hall of Two Truths. There, they were asked two questions: That’s it. Not “Did you make your bed every day?” or “Did you hit […]

Now, you have $444 million in your bank account. No debt. Taxes are paid. You’re free to spend your days however you’d like. What would you do? That’s one of the prompts in my Ultimate Vision Board Workshop, and last week after a session, I got this feedback: “Ugh, I got a lil teary during the […]

Are you a morning person? I got up at 5:45 this morning (early for me 🥱) to lead a session of The Ultimate Vision Board Workshop for a group at Google. It was a lovely group who asked some great questions. I wanted to share the answers I emailed back, in case they’d be helpful to you […]