Category: Inspirational Stuff

  • Do Resolutions Really Work?

    Do Resolutions Really Work?

    It’s that time of the year when you sit down and create your New Year resolutions.

    Statistically, by February 1st, the far majority of people give up, forget, or just settle back into the same-old, same-old routine.

    It’s human nature to default to familiar patterns.

    Rather than resolutions, I set intentions of HOW I want to live. This includes short term and long term goals. How you live your moments, is how you live your life. Create AWE moments of joy, fun, and adventure throughout your day, your month, your years. An AWE moment can be something as simple as a walk in someplace new, a sunset, a jump off a cliff in Cabo, or a new skill.

    My friend, Chris Brogan, has a process in which he selects three words to live by for the year. The three words he choses has meaning only to him. Chris chose “Showrunner, Monk, and Options” as his words for 2021. What do those words mean to him? Learn more here: Chris Brogan’s Three Words for 2021.

    Last year was a doozy of a year for many of us. Several of you have wrote to me saying you feel trapped and that you’ve put life on hold until the day the coronavirus subsides.

    Here’s the thing–there’s ALWAYS going to be something in your way. There’s always going to be risk in life. There’s always going to be one barrier, obstacle, or challenge ahead of you.

    So ask yourself this:

    HOW do you want to live?

    My three words for 2021 are: Serenity, Water, and Love.

    Serenity: I intend to create serenity throughout each day via the practice of gratitude, reflection, and meditation.

    Author, speaker, and entrepreneur Karen Putz puts on a smile after Unitron partnership announcement.

    Water: I love water in every form. I intend to barefoot water ski on the Finger Lakes this upcoming summer and continue my quest to barefoot water ski in all 50 states (thanks to Unitron for joining me on the journey!)

    Love: The world needs more love. I truly believe if we operate from a place of love, we can diminish the negativity that’s around us. I intend to send more cards to people, to do more acts of service, and to radiate the energy of love.

    Think about three words that are meaningful to you and that reflect the way you intend to live in 2021. Write them down where you can see them every day. Identify actions that support those words so that you can transform your life. At the end of each day, reflect with gratitude on how you lived.

    Here’s to an amazing year ahead!

    Want to increase your income streams in the new year? Learn how you can create A Better Way.

  • How the TODAY Show Changed My Life

    How the TODAY Show Changed My Life

    Way back in 2009, my husband sent me a link to a TODAY Show segment that changed my life.

    Barefoot Water Skier is Landing on Her Feet at 66,” was the headline.

    My heart skipped a beat.

    You see, way back as a teen, I loved the sport of barefoot water skiing. One day, I turned to cross the wake and took a hard fall. When I climbed in the boat, I was deaf.

    Fast forward to age 44. I had long ago abandoned the sport. I was overweight, out of shape, and figured I was “too old” to barefoot again.

    The TODAY Show segment changed everything.

    You can view the original TODAY Show segment here:

    In 2010, I flew to Florida and I met with Judy Myers and the two-time World Barefoot Champion Keith St. Onge to take a barefoot water skiing lesson and get back into the sport. The minute I put my feet on the water–the old passion came flooding back.

    Embracing my passion again has lead me to a whole new life. I left a sales job that wasn’t right for me. Today, I do the things I love to do–write, speak, coach, travel, and work for a non-profit that provides support to families with deaf and hard of hearing kids. And I’m currently on a quest to barefoot water ski in all 50 states with the help of my sponsor, Unitron.

    There’s a reason why passion is important–that energy elevates YOU to a new level. When you live YOUR passion, you draw people into your life who share the same interests, values, and energetic vibrations. The world doesn’t need you going through each day feeling mediocre–the world needs your talents, your unique abilities, and your PASSION.

    The TODAY Show that changed my life brought me full circle with my own segment on the TODAY Show:

    How about you? Are you struggling to figure out how to enjoy life at a whole new level? You can learn how to Unwrap YOUR Passion.

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She is the author of multiple books, including “Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.”

  • Inspired Conversations with Linda Joy About Passion and More

    Inspired Conversations with Linda Joy About Passion and More

    “The moment we stop learning is the day we start dying.”  ~Karen Putz

    Linda Joy is the founder and producer of Aspire magazine, one of the most uplifting magazines out there. Every Tuesday, Linda has a radio show on OM Times called “Inspired Conversations.” Linda invited me on her show to talk about passion–and we had a great conversation! For those who can hear, you can access the radio show here:

    http://bit.ly/InspiredRadio  (replays available for one week)

    Or you can read the transcript here:

    [00:01] Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and tune in for inspired conversations with publisher Linda joy on Tuesdays at 2:00 PM Eastern. Linda creates a sacred space for leading female luminaries, empowering authors, Heart centered female entrepreneurs, coaches and healers, a soulful venue where guests openly shared their fears and obstacles they’ve overcome, wisdom and lessons learned, and the personal journey that led them to the transformational work they do in the inspired conversations to empower you on your path

    [00:38] to authentic, soulful living.

    [00:43]  LINDA: Hello, welcome to inspire conversations. I am your host, bestselling publisher, Linda Joy and all the conversations that I love to bring you through the radio show. Then we’ll always have been a common thread that runs through each one and it’s stories in conversations with women who just touch and inspire me because their life of their life journey, right? And we all have different things that we’ve overcome in our lives. And I always find these nuggets of inspiration in someone’s story. And that’s as true for today’s guest as it’s ever been. You know, we always hear the phrase, follow your passion. We hear that phrase all of the time, don’t wait, but what does it truly mean? And more importantly, how do we discover what and always is? Today’s guests, Passion, mentor Kevin Putts, interviewed over 200 people in her passion study. Today we’re going to talk about the hidden meaning behind the word passion and the three clues that will help you unwrap yours.

    [01:51] LINDA: And before I get on, introduce Karen and I just want to give a little side note. You may notice brief pauses between my question and Karen’s answer. Karen is deaf and we’re doing this interview using an interpreter and I got to tell you, Karen’s a true inspiration, I’m excited to have her here, Karen, known as the passion mentor, is passionate about living life to the fullest. She is dedicated to helping people in Midlife who are tired of being stuck in mediocrity, who are looking for more meaning by teaching them how to unwrap their passions and live with gratitude and joy. Without self doubt. Karen’s a certified passion test facilitator, the author of several books, including Unwrapping your Passion, Creating the Life you Truly Want. She’s been featured in the Chicago Tribune, CNN, Headline News, More magazine and Chicken soup for the Soul Find your happiness. For fun. Karen walks on water as a barefoot water skier. Welcome.

    [03:00] KAREN: Thank you so much for having me. What a great introduction to walking on water. Yeah!

    [03:08] LINDA: Well, I got to tell you, I am so excited to have you here and I want to invite you to share your story of becoming deaf from a fall while you were barefoot water skiing and what your journey has been like since that.

    [03:25] KAREN: That has been a very interesting journey. I was born with normal hearing. I can I can remember being able to hear as a very young child. I started losing my hearing in elementary school and I got my first hearing aid, at the age of nine and I hated it. Absolutely hated it. It didn’t really do much good for me. In High School I discovered the sport of Barefoot Water Skiing and oh my goodness. I love that sport. Every time I got out on the water, put my feet in the water. I just came alive. It was definitely something that I was very passionate about and then one day at the age of 19 on a Sunday, I turned to cross the wake and I took a hard fall into water. I just couldn’t do a normal tuck and roll. When I got into the boat, I was deaf–only I didn’t know it.

    [04:29]  KAREN: There was no sound coming out. My friends were talking, but I dismissed it and I thought, oh, I have water in my ears. Something. But that night when I laid in bed tonight and Tinnitus started, this horrible ringing sound. You can’t shut it down. You just constantly hear this sound over and over and over again, and that lasted for several months. I thought my hearing would come back, but being deaf was here to stay. So for me, it was a very dark time in my life because I had struggled my entire life being hard of hearing and trying to fit in, trying to understand people, being left out of conversations and just a poor self esteem growing up and now I was deaf. So it was just a very dark time in my life. One day I woke up and I realized I had two choices. I could continue to fight what was going on, continue to struggle, continue to grieve, continue to cry, or I could accept the journey. It was a very pivotal time in my life because when I woke up and I realized I wanted to accept the journey, I started learning American sign language, I met my husband. We have three deaf and hard of hearing kids and life opened up and it’s very different, very beautiful way because that was no longer fighting who I was meant to be.

    [06:25] What a beautiful way of looking at your challenges, Karen. That’s the kind of conversations that I love having on this show because as you know this, someone listening right now that’s struggling with something in their life and they may be ready to give up in your story is a true inspiration. No, it lead you. It sounds like your accident, your fall, lead you to exactly the work you’re doing today. What led you to start researching passion.

    [07:01] That is so true. I really believe that we’re on this journey of life for different reasons and I couldn’t see it as a blessing back then, but it is a blessing today. For me, passion started eight years ago when I saw a Today Show segment and on the Today Show was this 66, you have women, barefoot water skiing, 66 years old. At that time I was 44 years old. I had long ago given up the sport and I thought that I was too old to even enjoy that sport ever again and here I’m watching these 66 year old woman on TV. So I got in touch with her name is Judy Myers and she invited me to Florida to barefoot water ski again and I was 200 pounds, out of shape, all the way, but I met the world barefoot champion and he gave me a barefoot lesson and the minute I put my feet back on the water, oh my gosh. The old passion can just flowing back and I have been barefoot water skiing for eight years now and it’s been absolutely amazing. I have met barefoot water skiers all over the United States. I’m actually doing 50 states for my fifties.

    [08:35] I love it. It’s like you reconnected to your childhood passion in mid life and what a powerful message for all of us in mid life who’ve given up on our dreams and our passions.

    [08:49] Absolutely, and that is my message to people is that literally you can unwrap the gift of passion til the day you take your last breath. It is so very possible because passion is a gift within us and it’s something that needs to be unwrapped for us to live it.

    [09:14] How did you decide to follow the path and become a certified passion test facility facilitator and do the work that you’re doing in the world? Was the Today Show episode your impetus to start that journey?

    [09:28] It was actually the path of me rediscovering passion again, but won’t really. That leads to depression with the fundamental steven. He said, Oh, you need to read this book is called the passion test, and so I ordered the passion test by Janet and Chris Atwood. I sat down with the book and I set the intention to meet Janet. I want to meet Janet and a friend of mine told me about Janet coming to Chicago and I was kind of stuck because I had committed to a fundraiser and it was on the very same night that Janet was coming to Chicago, so I didn’t know what to do and I opened the book and it came out and it said, “when you are faced with a choice, a decision or an opportunity, choose in favor of your passions. My heart was not in that fundraiser. I had done the work that was supposed to be done for the fundraiser. They really didn’t need me, so I chose to meet Janet that night and it was just absolutely amazing.

    [10:48] I love that you followed your intuition, right? And a lot of people struggle with that. They struggle with following intuition and you tapped in and followed your passion and the whispers of your heart.

    [11:05] KAREN: That’s been a lesson that comes up over and over and over again, and I think it’s something that many of us we have never been trained to listen within. And when will you listen? Listen, I mean I hope starts opening up and it was really getting into a gift and it’s a beautiful thing. Can you imagine a word it? When you listen within you really tap into the gifts that we have. There will be so much joy and happiness.

    [11:42] LINDA: Oh, I live my life that way, so I agree. I agree. We’re going to ask. Well, thank you. We’re going to take our first break and I’ll be back in a moment with Karen Putz. agelesspassions.com,

    [12:01] a conscious lifestyle for a mindful life, sometimes. Radio

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    [14:34] This is OM FM, part of the OM radio network.

    [14:39] LINDA: Welcome back. You’re listening to inspired conversations with me is that passion mentor, Karen Putz and we’re talking about her life defining moments when she rediscovered her passions and how he or she is writing books and spreading her message. And I am so grateful that you were able to join me today. Karen.

    [15:02] KAREN: Such a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.

    [15:05] LINDA: Well, one of the things that I lead my life by following my, I call it soul whispers, and in that moment that you chose to attend Janet’s event over the fundraiser, you tapped in and listened. Did that begin your journey towards learning a new way of navigating life?

    [15:29] How do you want to live? and I often think about that sentence, you know, when I’m faced with what are the that I should do something or feel I want to do something. I always asked myself in the long run, am I tapping into my gifts? Am I using my passion? Am I sharing others with it? And when I asked those questions, me down the right road,

    [15:59] LINDA: Same here, same here. I like, I have to follow my truth. I need to follow my heart. That’s what gives me fulfillment. Yeah, absolutely. So you discovered in your work that this three clues that help us unwrap our passion. What are those three clues? Karen?

    [16:22] KAREN: before we jump into that, let me tell a little bit about passion and stuff and exploring the meaning behind it. I mean passion is your joy as the is simple version of thinking, of passion, is passion, is your joy, how you live your life with joy, passion, and bliss. And a surprising meaning behind passion is the willingness to suffer. If you are willing to suffer, you will go above and beyond to do the thing, didn’t experience the things that you will are passionate about. So that is the definition of passion that I use and the three clues to where you can find your passion. The first one is by looking in your path. Think back to the activities that you engaged in when you were full of joy. Activities in which time, just flow by seamlessly, activities that you look back on and say, wow, I wish I could do that again.

    [17:33] KAREN: So those are some of the clues you get by looking back in your past and identifying those moments of joy that you were engaged in. So that’s one. The second clue to your passion. Thinking about the present, have you ever been standing in line somewhere? And then you’ve got a million thoughts going through your head. Some of those thoughts are clues to your passion watch where your mind goes when you are sitting in a very boring meeting and you’re not engaged. Your mind will start wandering for things that you wish for, the things that you wish you could do. Two things that you maybe even some of the moments in life, so when you are in the present watch where you thoughts go, that’s the second one. The third one is what I call the Someday Syndrome. Think about things that you’re putting off for Someday, Someday when I have money, I will…fill in the blank. Someday when the kids leave home, I will fill in the blank. Someday things are big clues to things that you wish for, things that you hope for. So with us, we have though, if you sit down and think through those three clues, you will often come up with a list of things that will guide you, steps that you can take to invite more passion into your life.

    [19:14] LINDA:  I love it. The someday syndrome. I remember living in my twenties and thirties that way I was always looking, oh, one day I’ll do that. Someday I’ll do that, and that one really resonated with me because I did that for many years. I put off my joy and that’s such a sad way to live and I’m so glad that you shared that. For the listeners who may be doing that in their lives, what would your advice be to them?

    [19:50] KAREN: Well, I can tell you right now, you can search calendars over the whole world and you will not find a Someday on them. Things that you are putting off. In many, many cases they are your passions and take steps in that direction, one of my someday things was that, you know, oh, barefoot water ski when my kids are grown and gone. Wow. I’m really glad that I didn’t wait for that. My kids were still in school. I was traveling and barefoot water skiing, when I came home and the kids had a happier mom because I was out there experiencing my joy. So don’t put off your joy for Someday because your family, your kids,  the universe benefits when you capping into your joy and your passion. That’s your gift back to the world when you tap into that passion.

    [20:57] I believe that I believe that joy is contagious. I also believe that women are the nurturers of the next generation. And when our children see us living our joy, we’re teaching them that it’s okay to experience joy and follow our passion. So what a beautiful gift you gave your children.

    [21:22] KAREN: You know, my kids have really benefited from that in different ways, especially my daughter. She loved acting and she was going to college. She was kind of frustrated and she really wanted to act. So she made a decision to leave college and then she got a call on Broadway as a swing and she did that and it was an amazing, you know, openness for new life for her today. She’s performing and acting at the school that she dropped out of.

    [22:00] LINDA: Oh, I love it.

    [22:02] KAREN: Funny how that works.

    [22:05] LINDA: Life comes full circle when we follow our passion and our joy and it’s no different for me. I started aspire magazine 13 years ago with no experience in marketing or publishing, but a deep joy for the message I wanted to share and I just kept trusting in the next step in staying connected to my joy and passion and here we are 13 years later with radio shows and book publishing and the magazine, all because I follow my joy and passion. So I love the work you’re doing in the world to get that message out.

    [22:46] KAREN: Thank you for that. Your work. You have spread joy to so many people out there. Such a wonderful feeling to know that your gifts, your passion has an impact on others.

    [23:03] LINDA:  It’s such a fulfilling feeling as you know, because you do a lot of speaking and coaching and sharing this powerful message and it must feel so. I’m so not validating, but so empowering to you to know that you’re making a difference in the lives of others.

    [23:24] KAREN: I think it’s a wonderful feeling when someone connects to their passion and and it doesn’t have to be a huge big thing. I’ll give you an example of a woman that I had given my book to. She went home. She opened the book and literally by the third chapter, she realized she was missing the passion of dance in her life. She was newly divorced and a grandma. Right then and there she signed up for dance lessons. It has been exactly one year later and she has been dancing every week since then. She reconnected with an old dance partner. Like I’ve been told people. Their passion comes in little gifts as well as did get a lot of people think, oh, I need to find a passion, quit my job and move to an island and that’s going to be my life. For some people that may be, but for other people, passion is smaller gifts and even though smaller gifts, big, big joy.

    [24:36] LINDA:  I believe that too. I truly believe Karen, that not everyone is called to be an entrepreneur or an author or a coach. We’re all here to share our joy and our passion in our own unique way, and she following her passion for dance is spreading joy, spreading love and inspiring others in her own magical way.

    [25:01] KAREN: Absolutely.

    [25:03] LINDA: So what would you tell someone who comes to you and says, I don’t know what my passion is can you help?

    [25:11] KAREN: I love that it happens to me.

    [25:21] KAREN: but passion is a gift. I want you to think about an onion for a minute. There are many layers of an onion. For some of us, we find passion in the outer layers. Some of us find it immediately, some of us have to peel through the layers to get to that core, but an onion, just like us is a living thing. If you leave it sitting on a shelf for too long, it’s going to rot away, and for many of us were at that point of rotting way where we feel like, okay, I don’t have any passion. When I have someone who comes to me like that. The very first thing you need to do is we need to change something. When we turn something into action, what does that. We change the thoughts, and the attitude, and the action itself. So we start there and the other very important key to the whole thing is that you must learn something new. You must invite something new into your life and it may not be the first time. It may not be the second time. Sometimes we have to present something new. We feel like a fool because we’re inexperienced with something new and we might give up too soon. So if you’re on that path where you feel like I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what my passion is, we take action with something new

    [26:59] LINDA: and I love your analogy of the onion because that’s what it felt like for me is just unfolding and peeling layers until I remembered the things that gave me joy as a child. And and for me, it was really just being committed to doing the work to reconnect with my passions. Which I’m 56 now and I think I’m still unfolding because I think we evolve as we age.

    [27:28] KAREN: Okay. Do you think about it? You actually will unwrap your gift, but that will be a beautiful way of looking at life to continually unfold.

    [27:42] LINDA: Yes. Because we don’t want to be stagnant. Like you said, we don’t want to sit on the shelf, you know, like that onion that just withers away and dries up and dies. We’re going to go to break Karen and when we come back, let’s talk about, you know, this false belief that we’re too old to follow our passion. I’ll be back in a moment with Karen Putz, the passion mentor. You can learn more @agelesspassions.com,

    [28:14] free your mind, expand your soul on times radio.

    [28:20] We can all use a little more peace and joy in our lives. Don’t you agree? Counselor, bestselling author and self nurturing expert, Kelly grimes of cultivating peace and joy.com is passionate about empowering, overwhelmed and exhausted women to live with more peace, joy and meaning through the practice of self nurturing. Through her experience working with individuals, speaking, providing workshops, and teaching professional and leadership development to forward thinking organizations. Kelly knows that nurturing piece in the world begins from the inside out. That’s why she created the free cultivating peace, enjoy mobile APP that brings you beautiful self-nurturing reminders, guided meditations, empowering practice tools, and daily prompts with an inspiring question to guide your daily self-nurturing practice. Download your free cultivating peace and joy mobile app today@cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com.

    [29:23] They bring you expert guest hosts, spiritual discussions, free psychic readings, and so much more. I can promise that you will not want to miss this one of a kind fun yet touching down to earth show. Join us every Tuesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern, nine PM Pacific on Ot, r, f, m Jay Parker,

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    [30:23] LINDA: Welcome back. You’re listening to inspired conversations with me today is Karen Putz, Passion, mentor, and author of unwrapping your passion, creating a life you truly want. You can learn more@agelesspassions.com. So Karen, so many people in it. You mentioned it earlier. Use the excuse. I’m too old to tap into their passion and find their passion or do the inner work. What do you have to say about that?

    [30:56] KAREN: I actually love when I hear that one too because I know how untrue that is. I think from the time we hit the age of 40, 45 where you get bombarded with messages, like slow down, that all my goodness were all getting older. We are told to slow things down, you could break some bones. We need to start taking 15 different medicines. We need to do this, we need to do that. They’re all the messages that we’re bombarded with. If you turn on the TV, every other advertisement is a drug, a advertisement. What if instead we had walmart or who showed us a snapshot of what life could look like at 80, 90 and 100 years old and what is the picture would be really different. Feel big media company and bought a car rolling back and they are doing exactly that. If you go to the website is filled with inspiring story.

    [32:01] KAREN:  The people at an older age of life. We’re living life completely fully so when we can start taking that magic and sending that out to people and getting them to be like that instead of slowing down at a certain age, we should be ramping it up. We have more time. We have more money. Kids are grown and gone. It’s the absolutely put the time in like the start exploring something new. There’s a man named banana George and I wrote a book by the same title, Banana George. He lived to 98 and at the age of 80 he started doing  amazing things, learning to snowboard. He barefoot water skied until he with 93, he rode a camel, he raced a car. He lived a full life , so we need a different picture of life as we get older and one that is fully, you know,  vibrant filled with people who are learning new things. We need to get that concept out there that we never stop learning. The moment we’stop learning is the day we start dying.

    [33:17] So beautifully said. I, I believe that. I believe that we need to stay connected to our souls, truth by passion and joy. And you know, I have grandchildren now and I have a little granddaughter who’s this spirited little sprite and I look at her and remember that as adults we forget the joy and passion that we were born with. Do you notice that too? That as children we came as such bright lights and we’ve just have to remember who we are.

    [33:54] That is so beautifully said. We can learn so much from children because we forget how to be a kid and they have so much to teach us. We can tap into that energy at any given moment.

    [34:12] She reminds me, I believe my grandchildren. I have an 18 year old grandson and a soon to be seven year old granddaughter and since they came into my life, I see life through their lens now. And I’m a busy entrepreneur and way back when my grandson was born, I didn’t take as much time as I do now to be in the present moment. Having him come into my life brought me back into that moment. And you’re so right. Children, um, a such beautiful teachers on every level, spiritual teachers that joy teachers. And um, why are you working on now in your life? I know you’re speaking and you have your book. Unwrapping your passion, creating a life you truly one. What do, what are you most passionate other than water skiing about right now?

    [35:11] KAREN: Oh my gosh. I just discovered painting. Never knew that had an artist like that. And I love getting up and painting. So that’s one new passion to me, but the other projects I’m working on, um, developing courses and I want to do more online. So next year instead of as much I hope to do teaching

    [35:38] LINDA: well, you have such a powerful message, I can see the doors opening up for you for that and this is such an important topic in your own inspirational journey of overcoming perceived obstacles. And I like to use that phrase because I don’t believe anything is truly an obstacle. It’s just our way of looking at it. Your personal story is an inspiration in which is why I wanted you here today. If someone asked what the greatest gift you’ve received since becoming deaf from that fall, what would it be?

    [36:18] KAREN: Wow. That is a good question. Since becoming deaf I think it’s that my world opened up because my entire life I felt very small. I always imagined myself next to people who could hear. I didn’t have deaf and hard of hearing role models to look up to. I played very small. After I became deaf I really stepped into the journey of being a person who is deaf, really embracing the American sign language, the deaf community, the hearing community. That’s part of my work that I do now as well. So I think the greatest gift becoming deaf was simply the gift of stepping into myself and I think it’s a gift. Our past, recognize that the things that happened to us in life, they shape us, but they don’t define us.

    [37:28] LINDA:  That’s so beautifully said. I like you for many years, but looked at my childhood as um, and things that have happened during my childhood as a weight I had to carry. And it wasn’t until about 1992, I think I was about, I don’t know, 30, 31 years old when I woke up to the truth that my past doesn’t define me, but my thoughts and actions on a daily basis define me. That’s when everything changed for me. And I went from welfare queen of self sabotage to the woman I am today. Because of that. That one aspect of our past does not define us in US circumstances. Don’t define this, so thank you for sharing that wisdom, Karen.

    [38:20] KAREN: You Bet. That’s an amazing journey that you’ve been on. Can I ask you that same question back to you?

    [38:28] LINDA: Yeah. The greatest gift, the greatest gift I’ve learned from my experience is that we are much more powerful than we believe we are and that when we turn inward for love and validation and self worth, instead of outward searching for those things, we will find everything we need to transform my life and now many years later, all of my brands are dedicated to inspiring woman to live from the inside out so they can discover their truth. That passion, that joy. So my. That was my greatest blessing because now I’m able to share it today.

    [39:17] KAREN: Oh my gosh. That’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing that.

    [39:21] LINDA: Thank you for asking. No, on your website, ageless passions, which I love the name, right? It’s like there’s no limit to when you can connect with your passion. Tell us about why you named your your business. That because it really resonates with me.

    [39:42] KAREN: You know, it’s funny, the name was actually chosen by another person, who was working with me in developing my brand and we were trying to come up with the name and she came up with it agelss passions, wow, that really fits. It is my message, you know, passion. Absolutely ageless and she just nailed it for me.

    [40:08] LINDA: Well, she did a great job because she really captured what you do and it really resonates with someone like me who is on the path. The moment I saw your url, I guess you can call it. I started following the links and that’s how I found you. And then I heard about your book and I said, Oh yeah, I have to get to know Karen. So here we are today.

    [40:33] KAREN:  I’m so glad you did that. I’m so thankful our paths crossed. I love the magazine.

    [40:39] LINDA: Thank you. Karen When you work with people, what do you notice that the majority of people are that come to is a woman? Because that’s what I noticed comes to me the most. Women are waking up knowing that they’re. They’ve been playing small in some area of their lives. Have you found that to be true?

    [40:58] KAREN: I think probably 75 to 80 percent of who I work with, are women and the other 25 percent are men. They are humans looking for something more, looking to make an impact, looking at ways that they can use to their gifts. Is there more to life than what I’m experiencing right now? That’s what I see coming to me because people are noticing my facebook posts and living with passion has been really amazing in terms of that experiences and being able to meet people and being able to barefoot water ski in 17 different states. So people come to me, they’re like, wow, I want your life. And I always laugh and I say, you don’t want my life because my life is designed for me. Let’s design something amazing for you. But what they’re really saying is that they want to tap into the joy. They want to understand and honor their gifts and they don’t know how

    [42:09] so true. So through ageless passions, they can connect with the yearning inside themselves that recognizes that something’s missing. And I love the phrase you just used life designer. That’s so beautiful.

    [42:27] Sure. We have helped from a bigger design on that for sure. But it’s true that we don’t lack in a how much we can design our own lives that we need to get up each day and set intentions for how we want to live. You can find answers, I’ve found in that sentence, “how do you want to live?” And the way you answer that is unique to you and contains the answers you need.

    [43:01] It’s so true. And you have to tap into your passions though to find and create the life that you wish to design because without knowing what those passions are, I feel that you would, we would create from that other place, from the show than the half dues. I don’t know if I’m phrasing that correctly, but from my own experience I used to follow the shoulds and have to’s instead of my passion, um, because I wanted to do what was right or what was expected. Do you find a lot of your clients use that language? Should have to, must

    [43:36] I think they do. the Typical American way of life encourages that kind of thinking and living, you know, hi myself. Even my husband is living somewhat of a traditional life in that sense, but we supplemented with that with other enjoyment. So for us, we’re still learning. We’re still learning how to tap into power and still learning how to create and design the life that we really want to enjoy. It’s a learning process, I think for us.

    [44:17] Oh definitely. Yeah. I believe we’re always, as you said earlier, always unfolding. That’s I’m part of the human experience. We are never quite there. We’re always unfolding to honor our truth.

    [44:36] Absolutely. You’ve just said it beautifully. We are with them. I think part of what is the struggle is when we achieve a goal, it is a letdown. We often forget that the journey to that goal is the goal itself, and that’s something that we are all in the painting, the goal.

    [45:05] LINDA:  It’s so true because we’re. The world has always pushing and striving and if we fall into that trap, we become disconnected from ourselves and I know that used to be my truth, especially in my thirties and forties, but now I like to drop down into my body and listened to my soul and spirit to create my life by design. As you so beautifully said earlier, and now when you teach, how do you get people to tap and how do you teach them to tap in and quiet down and listen to this, I’ll use the word soul. Um, instead of the shoulds and have tos

    [45:51] KAREN: Meditation. Just having that time in your day where you are reflecting, where are you when you’re looking within? When you get so quiet, the voices inside of you become so loud that you can’t ignore them. That’s their glow. That’s where we get our answers, this will we get the inflammation, we need the guidance in life by becoming still, becoming quiet. My daughter and I, we did a 90 minute meditation once with a group of women and it was so powerful to be in that group. I had a notebook and I literally filled that notebook up with all the thoughts that were coming in. Now I know that I have an advantage because I’m deaf. I can turn my hearing aid off and I instantly have silence, so it’s kind of a nice thing there. The blessing right there and I can meditate pretty quickly with silence.

    [46:58] LINDA: That’s another gift. You found your advantage.

    [47:05] KAREN: Absolutely. Absolutely.

    [47:08] LINDA:  So in our last few moments together, is there a piece of wisdom or insight more than you’ve already shared that you’d like to leave our listeners with?

    [47:18]  KAREN: That’s a good question Linda. Know and understand that you are beautifully unique. There Is not a single soul on this God given earth who is like you. Not a single soul. You are a unique fingerprint in the world and it’s up to you to take the gifts that you uniquely have, to recognize them and honor them and share them with the world I think that is the lesson that I want people listening to take away .

    [48:06] LINDA:  Such beautiful parting gifts that you left our listeners and I want to invite everyone, visit agelesspassions.com to learn more about Karen’s inspiring work and to learn more about her books, including unwrapping your passion, creating the life you truly want, and follow her on her facebook page too because as she said, she is painting now and I love seeing all her posts are inspirational in the creative out posts, so we tried to follow her. Karen, thank you for being here today.

    [48:42]  KAREN: Thank you Linda, Thank you for allowing me to have the pleasure to be here. Thank you

    [48:47] and everyone. I invite you to join me every Tuesday at 2:00 PM eastern time on the OM Times network for the inspire conversations radio show. Until next time, choose love. Choose Joy, choose happiness. My friends blessings.

    [49:07] Thanks for listening to inspired conversations with publisher Linda Joy. Join our sacred space every Tuesday at 2:00 PM Eastern and me leading female visionaries, empowering authors, heart-centered female entrepreneurs, coaches, and healers inspired conversations with Linda. Joy is a soulful venue where guests share the obstacles they’ve overcome, along with wisdom and lessons learned on their personal journey that led them to the transformational work they do in the world inspired conversations to empower you on your path to authentic and soulful living.

  • How Do You Want to Finish Off 2018?

    How Do You Want to Finish Off 2018?

    The week of Thanksgiving is always the week that reminds me of how quickly the year flew by. This happens every year. I feel a sense of urgency to do the things I set out to do in the beginning of the year–the things I procrastinated because I thought I had lots of time.

    When my kids were really little, my mother-in-law always told me that motherhood would go by “in the blink of an eye.” That was back when five minutes felt like a year–and all I longed for was a few seconds of peace and quiet so that I could shower long enough to actually wash my body.

    But I blinked…and the kids grew up.

    I’m afraid if I blink again, the years will spin even faster.

    So I’m learning to live with intention and to be more mindful of my time. I’m still impulsively saying “yes” to things that suck away time so I’m learning to pause before I respond to a request.

    What really makes time stand still is the ability to truly be “in” the moments that you’re experiencing. It’s the process of living with intention instead of reacting through life.  As 2018 starts to wind down, you can actually ramp up your living by evaluating “how” you want to live.

    • How do you want to spend the last weeks of the year?
    • What projects/experiences do you want to complete?
    • What’s not serving you well–what can you “let go of?”
    • What is something new you can learn?
    • Who do you want to connect with?

    If you’ve spent the year reacting to things that are happening instead of being the catalyst–you can turn things around by creating new habits, new routines, and new experiences, all with intention. Whether you do a major pivot or a baby step in a new direction, that simple tweak can make all the difference in whether you end 2018 with a smile or a sigh.

    And here’s a tip:

    Instead of waiting until January 1st to begin the year with new goals and resolutions, start right now to make the shift in a passionate direction. Here are two courses to get you on your way:

    If you’ve got a book in you–this course will get you started (and finished!) writing your book: Stop Talking, Start Writing

    If you want to create a whole new life, this course will give you the tools to Unwrap Your Passion

    Karen Putz is known as “The Passion Mentor.” She is the author of several books, including Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.

    I was thrilled to join Best-selling Publisher and Host Linda Joy on the Inspired Conversations Radio Show on the #OMTimes network. Linda’s show is dedicated to bringing you intimate, authentic conversations with today’s leading visionary women in personal and spiritual development, success and mindset, natural health and wellness, conscious business and self-empowerment.

    You can access the show details and transcript here:

  • Passion Takes Time to Develop

    Passion Takes Time to Develop

    Painting is a new passion of mine. I unwrapped this passion in a roundabout way. My daughter suggested a painting night many moons ago. My first painting was simply a blend of different colors. I sold that painting for $100 and donated the money to a deaf school.

    I dabbled here and there with paint on canvas. I really had no instruction in this medium, I simply danced my brush in various ways and stood back to see what transpired. Then I discovered alcohol inks and fell in love. Most days I paint. On the days I don’t, I’m usually scrolling through Instagram for ideas or thinking about what I want to paint next.

    What I’ve discovered about passion in this process is that sometimes passion takes a long time to develop. Persistence is the key when you’re starting out with something that is new and requires skill to advance. As you grow, learn, and refine, passion can emerge from the process. If you give up too soon during the learning stage, you may miss something that could bring your life to a whole new level of living.

    Seek out mentors, teachers, coaches, and guides. Those who’ve walked the passion path before you can pave a smoother path ahead for you.

    Allow yourself to experience something new in a deep way–especially something that requires skill, expertise, or a big learning curve–give yourself the time to adjust and adapt. When you embark on something new–there are always dark moments, mistakes, blunders, and low points. Embrace the valleys, because on the other side, you may find great passion.

    Helen Keller said it best:

    “The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She is the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want. 

     

     

  • When You Hit The Rough Season in Life

    This winter was a tough one for me. I found myself dragging through the days. I didn’t want to get out of bed on some mornings. My energy was at a low point. My well-meaning, caring friends suggested a light box to get me through the gray days. No one said the dreaded word, “depression,” but it was pretty darn close. “Seasonal Affective Disorder”, they said.

    I stopped writing.

    There were several books in the works, but I couldn’t get myself “in a writing mood.” The muse left and didn’t want to return. I was perplexed, as we had moved to a new place and things had settled down into a comfortable pace, yet I found myself complaining left and right about little things.  I was turning into a grumpy woman and my husband was losing a bit of patience here and there.  I found myself grieving for the people I had lost in a short time–my mom, my nephew, my friends Patti and Peggy. Grief that had been stuffed down now poured forth freely. I was going to bed earlier and staying in bed longer. The pounds were packing on.

    Then the spring came.

    Like a blossom that unfolds overnight, I found myself with new energy and a new outlook. Can it really be that simple–that light and growth change everything?

    Indeed.

    To everything there is a season.

    For some of us, the season is counted in years. For others it is days or months. For each of us, it is a journey. It’s often when one season shifts to another that we find the shift of energy as well.

    I know I have much to be grateful for and when I drift from that state of gratitude, that’s when the darkness creeps in.

    A short time ago, I attended a Passion Summit. It was a breath of fresh air, the springtime boost that I desperately needed. A speaker, Hal Elrod, took the stage. Hal is the author of The Miracle Morning and he generously gave out a copy of his book to every participant. If you have not heard of Hal or read his book, I so recommend it. His podcasts have transcripts. His book is a life-changer. I started implementing his miracle morning steps shortly after the conference and it has made a huge difference. There are days when I don’t follow it and I give in to the sweet indulgence of staying in bed just a little longer–and I pay the price in a sluggish morning.

    During the summit, Hal shared his story–of dying in a car accident and being revived, of having his career come to a huge debt-ridden dip, and of being diagnosed with cancer literally overnight. The Miracle Morning process has changed the way he lives his life–putting many things in perspective and giving him extra hours in the day so that he can have even more meaningful time later.

    Sometimes it takes someone else’s story to “wake us up.” My sister in law was recently diagnosed with cancer. A friend’s daughter was diagnosed with a cancer entailing her spine. A barefoot water skier was recently killed in a boat race accident.

    Just like that, life can take a turn down a road we never expected. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, we can’t assume that it will be there day after day. We must cherish with gratitude each day that we do have.

     

    ****I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Ziglar Legacy Conference in Dallas. The story I shared was a reminder not only for the audience, but it was a reminder that I needed for myself. When adversity strikes or we are going through a rough season in life, we have control over three things: our response to our thoughts, our attitudes, and our actions: When Adversity Strikes.

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She is the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want

     

     

  • A Passion for Alcohol Inks

    A Passion for Alcohol Inks

    I’ve fallen in love…with alcohol inks.

     

    A friend introduced me to Ranger Ink , a paint made up of colorful inks suspended in an alcohol solution. I’ve been playing around with this unusual medium and having quite a bit of fun with it. Painting with alcohol inks can be unpredictable, as the alcohol serves as a conduit as well as a drying agent. Amazon has been making regular deliveries of inks and Yupo paper to my house.

    Painting with alcohol inks has become my nightly meditation session. I have a studio set up in my basement with plastic covering my former dining room table. Night after night, different ideas come to me and they show up on paper almost as if my magic.

    This foray into the art world is new to me. I was inspired by a book written by my friend, Joanne Miller: Be Your Finest ART, Awaken Your Creative Self. Joanne tapped into her creative side in midlife–after her last child flew the nest. In her book, she encourages us to play–just as we did when we were a child. If it’s been a long time since you had some creative fun, seek out some classes and learn with an open mind. I took an art class with Joanne and learned to color and draw with pastels–something I would have never even thought to try.

    Last year, my daughter introduced me to painting with acrylics.  I enjoyed the process of slapping paint on canvas and seeing the blended results that appeared. I didn’t consider myself talented, because I couldn’t produce a reproduction of anything that resembled real life. But…if I called it abstract art, I could get away with it. Every now and then, I would share a painting on Facebook and someone would buy it.

    When I started playing with alcohol ink–that’s when passion came into play on a whole new level. Art on steroids, that’s how I describe it. I love how the inks flow, blend, play, and connect with one another. The unpredictability makes it beautiful. The vibrancy of the inks stand out on every piece.

    I started sharing my pictures on Facebook and little by little, they began to sell. At first, it was hard to part with some of the paintings because each one was a creation much like a little child of mine–how could I give that away? But with each one that I let go, I began to see the joy that appeared as each person received a painting. And I take great delight in heading downstairs each night to see what blossoms from the bottles of ink.

     

    Not all of the paintings turn out well. Some are hopeless beyond repair–muddied messes of ink that have pooled together. Art is like life–not everything is perfect nor should it be. Art is what YOU create–it is a manifestation of everything that is unique to you.

    All around me, I see people in midlife picking up new skills and trying new things. That’s exactly what keeps us young–the continual exploration of new experiences. And according to Art News, one actually becomes better in art with age!

     

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She is the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.  Want some color on your walls? Visit Designs of Serenity.

  • Are You Ready for a PASSIONATE Year?

    Are You Ready for a PASSIONATE Year?

    What does it mean to “have a passionate year?”

    It means a year of many moments filled with joy and bliss. Of doing what you love…and loving what you do.

    Even when things aren’t going well.

    A friend of mine recently posted that she couldn’t wait for 2017 to get out of her life and begin a whole new year anew.

    Yet, here’s the thing…

    At any given moment in your life, you can decide to live differently.

    You can change the thoughts that are floating around in your head. 

    You can change the way you see things. 

    You can change your perspective.

    You can choose your attitude. 

    You can create your actions.

    You can pivot in a new direction. 

    The end of one year is a wonderful opportunity to reflect back. What were your best moments? What accomplishments stand out? What was not so pleasant? What hurt?

    It’s all too easy to want to put the worse behind us and look forward to a better future ahead. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the many mentors I’ve had is this: if you keep repeating the same routines, you’ll end up with the same old life.

    Do you want this brand new year to be the same repeat of last year?

    Or even better?

    Knowing what you DON’T want can better point you in the direction of what you DO want.

    The first half of 2017 was the second half of my family’s downsizing journey. We moved from a five-bedroom house to a townhouse. On one hand, the convenience has been really nice–no more lawn work. We have a little plot of garden that we can grow tomatoes, herbs, and flowers and even that is mulched yearly by the service.

    On the other hand, it’s been quite the adjustment space-wise–my office is in my bedroom. The commute is short, but it sure is tough to write when the hubby is sleeping nearby.

    The move freed us up to travel more. We took an amazing cruise to several islands, including my favorite: Belize. My youngest son and I took a trip down to South Africa–another wonderful highlight of the year. I added Minnesota to my Barefooting 50 States for my 50’s quest.

    And the very best part of last year?

    The birth of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.

    Not just because it was fun to see the book on the shelves at various Barnes & Noble bookstores and hitting the number five spot on Amazon, but because the information in the book is changing lives.

    Yes, people are actually doing the activities, creating new habits, and living with passion.

    Over the summer, I gave my friend Edie Iles a copy of the book. She was just a few chapters in when she reached out and told me that she remembered she had a passion for dancing. She had buried it for so long that she forgot about it. Right then and there, she signed up for dance lessons again.

    Here’s what she shared:

    They say timing is everything and this book sure came into my life at just the right time! I was recently divorced and was not feeling good about where I was in life. My good friend, Karen Putz gave me her book, Unwrapping Your Passion. 

    After reading the first few chapters, my passion for dancing was rediscovered. I had not been dancing in years. I was out of practice, had no dance partner and not sure where to begin. Unwrapping Your Passion inspired me to think about how I felt free and uninhibited and full of life while dancing. I got excited just thinking about those feelings.

    Then, out of nowhere, I received a message on LinkedIn requesting a connection from a former dance partner I had 15 years ago! It was as if the universe had read my mind and provided me with my desire! Bill and I reconnected and have been dancing every weekend since.

    I highly recommend reading this book and Unwrapping Your Passion!!

    ~Edie Iles

    So here we are, at the start of a brand new year. It’s the time of year when people start out with new energy, and new intentions. New thoughts, new attitudes, new habits, and new actions will result in a PASSIONATE year. One of the things I do is to look over my Life List. It is always so fun to see what has been experienced from the list and add more to the list.  A Life List is everything you want to be, do, and have in your lifetime. It’s a way of LIVING, of experiencing life in the way that only YOU can.

    If you’d like some help in planning a passionate life, I offer a 30-minute Passion session over the phone or via text chat–whichever you prefer. Simply email me at: karen at agelesspassions dot com and put “Passion Session” in the subject line. You’ll be on your way to making THIS year a passionate one!

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She helps people unwrap their passion at ANY age. She’s the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want. 

  • Life’s a Gift, Unwrap the Message

    Life’s a Gift, Unwrap the Message

    The email came out of the blue.

    “I wanted to let you know that we are using quotes and messages from your book in our Winter Play on December 21st to fit the theme ‘Life’s a gift, unwrap the message. I know you live out in Chicago, but wanted to share the invitation with you, just in case you were able to attend. If you can’t attend, maybe you could VP with us in the near future just so that the students can put a face to your amazing work. Lastly, we wanted to thank you for the courage it took for you to write this book (Unwrapping Your Passion) and for sharing it with us. We were inspired!”

    The email came from Heather Hapke, a transition teacher at the Rocky Mountain Deaf School. Heather came to a book signing for Unwrapping Your Passion at the Barnes & Noble in Golden, Colorado back in September.  She shared bits and pieces from the book with her students.

    December 21. It was so close to Christmas. It would be crazy to go…

    But…I’m a big believer in synchronicity. I believe things happen for a reason. It’s a lesson I learned from the many mentors I learned from when I wrote Unwrapping Your Passion.  Opportunities show up in our life and when they are meant to be, they fall into place.

    So I reached out to Southwest Airlines and explained the opportunity. Go, they said. We’ll make it happen for you. 

    It was a beautiful morning when we arrived at Midway to board our flight. My oldest son David was flying from Washington D.C. and meeting us out there. At the last minute, the hubby had to stay home–he was recovering from surgery and still not quite steady enough on his feet to attend.

    The Rocky Mountain Deaf School was the brainchild of Cliff Moers, the Director of the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The school began in 1997 with just 11 students. The current school was built in 2014 and today, it is home to nearly 70 students, providing instruction in American Sign Language and English.

    Our first stop was in the high school to meet up with Heather and talk to the students about #Passion. The students eagerly gave us a tour of the building and it was easy to see that they took a lot of pride in their school. Every inch of the space was designed specifically for deaf students, by a deaf architect working with a design firm. For example, the floor in a social area is designed so that students can stomp their feet to get the attention of another student, even from a distance. The classrooms are arranged in a semi-circle so that students can communicate easily. The hallways are wide and open–so that signs can be seen from several areas.

    Rocky Mountain Deaf School is not a residential school–students are bused to and from home each day. All of the staff are fluent in American Sign Language and the majority of staff are deaf.

    The play featured students from preschool to fifth grade. My co-worker from Hands & Voices, Jeannene, introduced me to a young girl who played a Lion. As I watched the student on stage, she confidently advocated to have one of the lights moved as it was blinding her and her classmates during their performance. The ability to advocate for oneself is a coveted skill and this student owned it.

     

    Afterwards, I signed a few books and donated the rest to RMDS to use as a fundraiser. The next day, we took a tour of Flagstaff mountain before heading home to celebrate Christmas.

     

  • An Adoption Story: A Deaf Brother

    An Adoption Story: A Deaf Brother

    “I have something to tell you,” my sister said. “Aunt Gertie had a baby and placed him for adoption.”

    The news was quite a surprise, for I was in my early 20’s and had no idea that my aunt had a baby many years ago.

    “I want to find him,” I said.

    I didn’t have much information to turn to — I just knew that the baby was a boy and I knew the name of the hospital he was born at.

    Several years ago, a group of researchers from the National Institute of Health came to my house and took blood tests of my family members. All of us were born with normal hearing and several of us lost our hearing in various ways. The researchers uncovered a very rare mitochondrial mutation — we were the third family in the world identified with this hereditary condition.

    “The gene passes from females to all children,” the researchers told us.

    As I pondered the gene’s path through our family tree, I realized that Aunt Gertie’s son had the gene. I started asking deaf and hard of hearing friends in the St. Louis area if they were adopted.

    One evening, one of my sisters was talking to a cousin and the cousin casually mentioned that Aunt Gertie’s son had called another cousin. He was looking for his birth mother.

    “What’s his name?” I asked.

    Luckily, my cousin had written his name down and kept it in a drawer.

    “Brian Crites.”

    I quickly Googled his name and on impulse, I added “deaf.”

    Bingo.

    As I stared at his picture, I realized the reason my cousin kept the information a secret from us.

    Brian looked exactly like my dad.

    Which would make him…my half brother.

    I quickly looked up his phone number and debated whether or not to call him. It was 9 p.m. on a Sunday night. I just knew I couldn’t wait another day. I dialed his number.

    Brian and I spent about 30 minutes talking on the phone, both in shock and awe. He had spent years wondering about his birth family and now he was able to get the answers he was seeking.

    Brian and I texted back and forth every day. We discovered we had so much in common — water skiing (he even tried to barefoot as a teen), triathlons (I had just signed up for my first one), a love for the outdoors, photography, leadership, and…food. To top it off, he graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, the same college that my three kids attended.

    And…Brian is deaf. Like me, he began losing his hearing in elementary school. He learned sign language at RIT. He obtained bilateral cochlear implants several years ago.

    Even though Brian looked just like my father and my brothers, we wondered how we could determine the genetic connection without any doubt. My father had passed away, there was no way to confirm paternity.

    We got lucky. A very kind counselor at the adoption agency went through the records and pulled out Brian’s file. He read through the file word for word. There, in the files, my aunt confirmed my father as Brian’s father.

    This story has an incredible, happy ending. My mother embraced Brian as both her nephew and my father’s son. Just days before we told her the news of finding Brian, she had been thinking about her sister’s son. (We never, however, told her of our conversations with the adoption agency and the news we had confirmed.) I believe the timing was so very right — my mom was in a place where she could love him with all of her heart.

    Brian and my mom share a laugh

    We love Brian as if he had always been with us. We’ve gotten to know his wife, daughter, and his mother. We’ve shared vacations, weekends together, and funerals. Growing up, we were a family of five siblings — and now we are six.

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. For a daily dose of passion, follow her on Instagram at The Passion Academy. For even more passion, hop over to her site: Ageless Passions. To unwrap your own passion, grab the book, Unwrapping Your Passion.