Category: Book Reviews

By Brenda Carrico

What does spiritual well-being mean to you? According to an article from HRZone, “Spiritual well-being means the ability to experience and integrate meaning and purpose in life through a person’s connectedness with self, others art, music, literature, nature, or a power greater than oneself.”

If you are already attending services, meditating, spending time in nature or participating in an activity that gives you a sense of peace, well-being and purpose, then you likely understand the importance of incorporating these things into your daily living.

By Jessica Searcy Kmetty

Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings―asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass―offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth and learn to give our own gifts in return. – Book Description from Amazon.com

By Jessica Searcy Kmetty

I heard about this book from a group member in a book club I joined last year on Facebook called “The Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.” I figured that since it is January, and she had highly recommended it, I’d give it a try.

By Brenda Carrico

For some people, taking care of their physical wellbeing is a part of life, and for others, it’s one of the biggest challenges. If you’re the type of person who can balance the healthy versus unhealthy food you put in your body – hats off! You’re probably also that person we see riding your bike down the street, going for a walk, lifting weights, or taking a yoga class. Not everyone enjoys exercise, can motivate themselves to keep moving, or finds it easy to control a balanced diet.

By Brenda Carrico

Are you still learning new things on a regular basis? Maybe you’re reading about a subject that you don’t know anything about, or you’ve joined an archeology club for example – credit to you!

Or, are you someone who doesn’t want to, nor feels like you should have to, learn anything new once you reach a certain age? If so, did you know that studies show if you force your brain to learn something unfamiliar that you may be able to stave off or even prevent memory loss and other cognitive issues?

In our industry, so that we can assist our clients with their changing needs as they transition through the different phases of life, we’re constantly learning about aging issues such as elder abuse and the impact that cognitive loss could potentially have on their futures. So, we are advocates for lifelong learning, especially if doing so can protect you against both elder abuse and cognitive decline.

By Brenda Carrico

Do you already schedule time for the most important people in your life? If your answer is yes, then kudos to you. However, if you’re not or you have found yourself faltering in this area lately, remind yourself that loneliness can undermine your physical and mental health.

Love is the Key! Through every stage of life, friendships come and go. The relationships often end with such ease that we barely notice the absence of those individuals in our lives. Sometimes though, our special friendships end for trivial reasons; you didn’t like who they were dating at the time, or they moved far away. You may not even remember why you quit talking.

By Brenda Carrico

Refire, Don’t Retire: Getting Started

Does the word retire conjure up an image in your head of someone being put out to pasture or of someone slowly melting into a recliner never to be heard from again? If so, let’s join the movement to redefine the word and end the stereotypes surrounding what being a retiree truly means. The individuals on this crusade are writing blogs, books and creating groups to change how retirees are viewed by society and by themselves.

If you’re ready to embark upon this endeavor, we recommend you start by reading a book called “Refire! Don’t Retire: Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life” by Ken Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz. The book takes you on a journey of emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual renewal. We would like to take you on that same journey through this blog series and become a part of your “Re-firing Gang.”

By Marc C. Shaffer

Kansas City always has something exciting to offer, but the excitement that has centered around the Kansas City Royals these past few years has made the city even more electric. I had the opportunity to hear Dayton Moore speak during a series called Break the Fast which is produced by Group O’Dell. Break the Fast is a way to get small business owners together to improve their businesses.

Mr. Moore was a great speaker for the group. He talked to us about building a championship culture, and it was great timing because it was just a few months after the Royals had lost the World Series in 2014. As we know now, they ended up winning the World Series the following year, but I thought it was more impactful to hear what they had been doing for years to get to a championship and how they exhibited character even when things didn’t always go their way. What a joy it was to see their hard work pay off the following year!

By Jessica A. Kmetty

As much as we try to plan for life, we know it’s not always going to be rosy. Back in 2009, I was going through heavy personal “junk.” As I was discussing some issues with my pastor’s wife, I mentioned that I was worried some of the things I had dreamed of for my future were slipping through my fingers. As strange as it sounded, I said I felt like I was mourning the loss of my dreams and she looked at me, patted me on the shoulder, and said those feelings were not strange and I absolutely was mourning a loss.