Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton may have looked like two very different American icons, but they had more in common than you might think. Their lives leave us with a question worth asking: What do you want to be known for—and does the way you're living express it?

As children, we looked forward to filling our backpacks with fresh school supplies and the promise of a new beginning. This September, instead of asking what you can add to your life, consider what truly deserves a place in the backpack you'll carry into your next season.

We spend so much of life trying to fit in that we sometimes lose sight of who we really are. A quiet moment on the lake reminded me that authenticity isn't about standing out—it's about refusing to disappear into a sea of sameness.

Summer is going by so quickly. Instead of being surprised when Labor Day arrives and the season is suddenly over, pause right now and make a Summer List. What are some of the simple things you want to experience in the next eight weeks?

“Count your blessings” may sound old-fashioned, but it might be one of the most useful instructions we have. What happens when we stop being vaguely grateful, and instead literally start counting all the good things in life?

Some days go exactly as planned—and then there are the days that absolutely do not. This month, we’re talking about those “not on my bingo card” moments and what they can teach us about how we respond to the unexpected.

April 1st may be known for pranks, but it’s also the Day of the Penny — a small coin that quietly served its purpose for more than two centuries and is now retiring. It’s a gentle reminder that sometimes the wisest thing we can do in life is recognize when something has done its job… and let it go with gratitude.

Today, March 4th, always makes me smile. “March Forth” sounds like a command to move, push, begin. But what if this year, instead of charging ahead, we honored the quiet wisdom of late winter and chose to move forward gently?

The start of the year feels hopeful and focused, and the end always brings a burst of urgency. It’s the middle—the wide open, unstructured stretch—that can lull us into thinking we have more time than we actually do. Read here to prep in advance before this happens to you.

Before we jump into planning for 2026, it’s worth pausing to ask what we actually want more of—and what we’re ready to let go of. A Word of the Year offers a simple, powerful way to anchor that intention.

This season, I find myself reflecting on three words that seem to capture what the holidays are really about: honor, awe, and joy. Honor for the people and traditions that shape our lives, awe for the beauty that surround us, and joy we feel in spending time with loved ones.

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, November always invites reflection. This month’s Wednesday Wisdom is about holding gratitude and uncertainty side by side—and finding peace in both.