When I was 25 and just a couple of years out of college I started writing a memoir entitled, “Successive Approximations: The Wisdom of a Quarter Century of Life.”  I wrote diligently for months.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I never finished.  I now laugh at the thought that I had “so many” stories and words of wisdom to share at the age of 25.  However, almost 20 years later I still find myself drawn to sharing life stories–both my own as well as others.

“Successive approximations” is a term that I learned while earning my psychology degree.  For some reason the term stuck with me.  It refers to the learning and shaping that occurs in child development.  From my original manuscript: “A baby does not suddenly walk or talk, he or she must learn to scoot and crawl or coo and babble first.  Each attempt on the baby’s part is usually encouraged or reinforced in some way by the people around him or her.  Thus, each try is closer to the desired end result.”  I was immediately struck by the fact that this shaping did not end in childhood.  Every new job, new relationship, and new circumstance we experience in life shapes us–sometimes in positive ways and sometimes in not so positive ways.

I have always held the belief that we are given challenges in our lives for a reason. Unless we take the time to examine the experience–we are missing an opportunity to learn and to grow.  On “Life Re-Examined” I will be telling some of my own stories, musing about common issues we can face together, and sharing lessons learned from my friends and family.  My hope is that you will come to Life Re-Examined to learn about others, share your own thoughts, and hopefully be inspired to boldly live your newly “re-examined” life.