For me, September has typically represented new and exciting beginnings. As an eager student, I was always super excited for the first day of school (the smell of new school supplies still makes my heart sing).

Many consider a good conversationalist to be someone who is great at engaging others in conversation. (Every dinner party needs at least one. I am not one of those people.)

Cue the montage and fast forward a couple of decades and here I am. Four businesses, one (former) husband, one incredible child, and an incredible network of friends and business colleagues that I’ve amassed along the way. I’ve lived in eight different homes (not one with a picket fence). I’ve woken up, broken up, soared high and sunk low. And I’m still here. (I’ve even got the tattoo to prove it.)

Are you stressed out about making a decision right now? Whether that’s about the direction of your business, committing or ending a relationship, or even which outfit to wear (been there), we all struggle with determining if we’re making the right choice.

How many Italian restaurants have you been to in your life? And how many emergency room dramas have you binged?

With many of us coming out of our shells to resume life (as normally as we can), some are getting the itch for a full metamorphosis. As someone who has had my fair share of breakups, from business partnerships, to marital ones, and some others in between, I seem to have become a confessional for those looking to make a break.

A few blogs ago a reader reached out and commended me on my writing skills and wanted to know about my background. He asked whether I had a degree or previous experience in journalism or creative writing. I’m certain he was surprised when I told him I majored in math and finance!

If quarantine has taught us anything (aside from the fact that pants are overrated), it’s how important our connections are. (And I’m not referring to WiFi, though that’s also critical to my sanity.)

We’ve all heard the famous saying, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” While I believe that to be mostly true, it’s somewhat binary. So either you win or you lose? How about what’s in between?

So right now we might be donning our masks, and keeping our distance, but we don’t have to like it, or accept it as the new normal. It is what it is. For now. But I challenge you to look around and examine what else you’re masking and ask yourself if it’s actually making you sicker? If so, it may be time to look for your abnormal.

When I was in high school, I had a very quirky, yet effective teacher, who used to screech “CLOCKWATCHER!!” at the top of his lungs whenever he caught a student checking the time. (He was also often seen walking down busy streets of Toronto flapping his arms like a bird, but I digress…)