Boulder County Real Producers-January 2023

PREFERRED PARTNERS

This section has been created to give you easier access when searching for a trusted real estate affiliate. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the businesses sponsoring your magazine. These local businesses are proud to partner with you and make this magazine possible. Please support these businesses and thank them for supporting the REALTOR® community!

AIR CONDITIONING

Squeaks Services (303) 280-5765 www,squeaksservices.com

ARCHITECTURE

Rodwin Architecture Scott Rodwin

1245 Pearl St. Ste. 202, Boulder, CO 80302 (303) 413-8556 RodwinArch.com

BANK/FINANCE

MidFirst Bank 840 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 (303) 376-3820 www.midfirst.com

CLEANING SERVICES

Perkins Detail Cleaning Service Denise Perkins (915) 270-3216 nextdoor.com/pages/perkins-detail-cleaning-service-brighton-co/

ESTATE SALES

Blue Moon Estate Sales Dulgunn Lkhagvadorj 390 E Mississippi Ave Denver, CO 80210 (720) 432-2726 www.bluemoonestatesales.com/boulder

FLOORING

McDonald Carpet One (303) 449-0011 mcdonaldcarpetone boulder.com

HANDYMAN/WOOD CRAFTSMAN

Omega Carpentry Omega Perkins, Jr (915) 249-9020 nextdoor.com/pages/ omega-carpentry-brighton-co

HEATING & COOLING

Meyers Heating & Air, Inc. (303) 442-6640 meyersheatingac.com

HOME INSPECTION

Beagle Home Inspections LLC. (303) 731-6891 beaglehome inspections.com

Inspections Over Coffee (303) 500-3378 InspectionsOverCoffee.com

INSURANCE

Superior Insurance Agency

Vicki Kupfner (720) 259-0444 www.superiorinsure.com

INTERIOR DECORATING & DESIGN 2212 Design Inc. Property Staging Services Laura Akahoshi (720) 791-4800 www.2212Design.com

MUSIC SCHOOL

Boulder Symphony Music Academy Andrew Krimm 4730 Table Mesa Drive Suite I-300 Boulder, CO 80305 (720) 328-8286 www.bouldersymphony musicacademy.org

PRESSURE WASHING

Premier Window Cleaning and Pressure Washing Nick Casso (303) 564-5574 premierwindow cleaningdenver.org

PRIVATE PRESCHOOL

Boulder Country Day School Diana Emerson 4820 Nautilus Court North Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 527-4931 x295 bouldercountryday.org

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Peak Property Management at Re/Mex Elevate Terri Ellerington (303) 974-5477 www.peakpmelevated.com

RESTORATION -

WATER, FIRE & MOLD 24-7 Restoration, Inc. Deb Barone (303) 485-1730 www.247restoration.com

ROOFING

Roof Check Inc. (303) 678-7828 Roof-Check.com

TITLE INSURANCE

First American Title Insurance Company 4940 Pearl East Circle, Ste 104 Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 449-8442 FirstAmColorado.com

WINDOW CLEANING

Premier Window Cleaning and Pressure Washing Tyler Byrne (303) 564-5574 Premierwindow cleaningdenver.org

BOULDER COUNTY

REAL PRODUCERS TEAM

John Mendez Publisher

John.Mendez@ realproducersmag.com 303-596-1685

Caitlin Berve Associate Editor content.co@ realproducersmag.com 505-402-4599

Kim Ash Ad Manager ads.rpboulder@ realproducersmag.com

Liv Berger Photographer theheadshotgal.com 312-208-1305

Brenda Saint Photographer b.saintphoto@gmail.com 970-988-8865

Kevin Snyder Photographer kevinsnyderphotography@gmail.com 720-438-0080

Darren Thornberry Writer

thornberrydarren@yahoo.com 720-453-8758

If you are interested in contributing or nominating REALTORS® for certain stories, please email us at john.mendez@ realproducersmag.com.

felicia@santellihealingcenter.com

Ruthie Urman Writer 720-620-5524

Dr. Felicia Santelli Writer

By John Mendez

Home inventory, interest rate increases, 1200 buyers and sellers from the Marshall Fire, and the combination of new teams and key REALTORS® joining new firms have all made 2022 one for the memories. From what we’ve heard, home inventory is down 20% to 25%, the rise in interest rates have had approved buyers priced out of their approved ranges, and this has had sellers looking to lower their price to accommodate the current market’s rates.

Boulder County’s real estate market is so unique, such a bubble, it almost seems to have its own climate or (market) weather that is not in other markets in Colorado.

We’re starting to see companies laying off employees that support the real estate market from lenders, title, home inspection, home staging and builders. With the limited number of transactions in Boulder County, the

trickle-down effect on these key industries has started to weed out those that will not be able to weather this downturn of a storm. As companies consolidate or terminate employees, it will come down to those companies that have delivered on their commitments, delivered on their service, and have the ability to pivot to continue to be a part of those doing the majority of transactions. All of the companies that support Boulder County Real Producers have been vetted, and we have met with all of them to be assured they are some of the best in their industry. We humbly ask you consider supporting those you see in this magazine, as it’s because of our partners that we’re able to provide

this magazine to the top REALTORS® in Boulder County at no charge.

We’d like to thank all of those that allowed us to feature them in Boulder County Real Producers this past year! We hope you enjoyed getting to know something unique about one of your peers and hope that there might be something in their profile that creates a memory or impression of someone that you may not have known.

ANOTHER YEAR OF BOULDER COUNTY REAL ESTATE BUYS AND SELLS … AND WHAT A RIDE IT WAS!

MICHELLE MURPHY

Real estate is an intersection of Michelle Murphy’s life paths. As a REALTOR®, she gets to use the tools and skills she developed in other careers and areas of her life. “Real estate is a wonderful career. I feel very fortunate to be able to do this job,” says Michelle. She first got involved in real estate in 1997 when she and her husband began investing in properties. They renovated and flipped multiple homes in California, Idaho and Colorado and still do occasionally. That experience gave her a great understanding of the ins and outs of real estate.

Before becoming a real estate agent, Michelle was an educator. With a master’s in history and educational leadership and a bachelor’s in politi cal science from Berkeley, she taught high school history and then became a middle school principal. Her time in education gave her enormous per spective and compassion for people, which is a great asset in real estate.

One of Michelle’s favorite parts of real estate is getting to work with all kinds of buyers and sellers. “I meet the most wonderful, interesting peo ple, and I love getting to work with them. My goal is to be diligent and compassionate and serve my clients with integrity. If I’ve done that, it’s a good day,” she says. To do this, she stays on top of what drives each of Boulder County’s

County. They’d been to the area for a wedding and loved it. Now her parents come to visit every few months for long weekends, and they get back to California often to see family and friends.

Michelle and her husband are all about family, and moving a few times has tightened their family unit. With their 3 children, Ally (24), Ben (21) and Will (15), they cook, listen to music, travel, hang on the porch with their chickens and doodles and watch a lot of soccer. She says, “Raising our kids is our most important work. The only thing that really matters is if they are kind and productive [adults]. The rest is just confetti.” Real estate gives Michelle a rewarding, flexible career, so she can both work and be there for her family. “I find so much joy in this job. I love getting up every day and helping people on their real estate journey.”

You can reach Michelle Murphy at 303-877-8579 or MichelleMurphy@ elevatedrealestate.com

She grew up in the farmlands of California, where her father owned a tractor dealership and was the original “girl dad” with four daughters. There, her mother kept everyone rooted in family, and Michelle met her high school sweetheart/husband. In 2009, when her husband took over management of western North America for a German agricultural company, they jumped at the opportunity to move to Boulder

I find so much joy in this job.

MAX KABAT

The name Max B. Kabat might conjure Realtor® for you, but it also might have you singing along to one of his bluegrass songs on a local KGNU broadcast. Max is a talented man, and those talents extend well beyond his career in real estate. Originally hailing from New York City, Max came to Boulder to follow his passion for the outdoors and to pursue a career in music. He graduated with a degree in environmental policy from the University of Colorado in 2010, and has called Boulder home ever since.

After graduating, Max took a job landscaping where he was able to see firsthand the beauty and awe of some of Boulders’ most eclectic properties and neighborhoods. After traveling for three months throughout Europe and the Middle East at age 27, he came back inspired to put down deeper roots in the Boulder community. He began to further immerse himself in the Boulder area housing market, learning the quirks and nuances of each neighborhood. Inspired by the process of buying his first investment property, Max contacted the brokerage he had worked with and immediately felt a kindred spirit with

employing broker turned mentor, Mark Hochhauser. Max took the real estate exam in 2016 and has been with Homestead Real Estate in Niwot for the past six years. His dedication to his clients always comes first, and that is immediately apparent when getting to know him.

Outside of real estate, Max has a plethora of passions and hobbies. He has studied guitar since age seven and has been teaching guitar since age thirteen. His career as a musician began when he moved to Boulder in 2006. He has toured from coast to coast with his former band Jet Edison, and was the songwriter and front man of the group, Bowregard; distinguished winners of the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Band Contest. Max and members of Bowregard were honored to record their first album, Arrows, at eTown Studios in Boulder with Nick Forester as their producer. Arrows can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and anywhere music is sold. Max continues to write and perform, and is currently working on a collection of solo work that he aims to release in 2023.

REALTOR® on the move

Article by R uthie Urman • Photos by Brenda Saint, B. Saint Photography

Max’s father instilled a deep love and appreciation for nature within him starting at an early age. Years later, he would experience what Colorado had to offer while participating in a backcountry leadership course. Years after that, he would return as a guide. From navigating river sections and canyons, to the high peaks, and volunteering on Navajo and Ute reservations, Max learned about the importance of environmental stewardship, and the value and power of nature. On any given day, Max can be found engaging in one of his many beloved outdoor activities. Often Max’s dog, Yoti will join him in the snow, beside his bike, or while ski touring. Yoti is a deaf Pyrenees/Aussi rescue that Max communicates with

using sign language. She is amazingly responsive and obedient, and emotes love with everyone she meets. Max’s soul connects deeply with nature, resonating with Thoreau’s philosophy, “One foot in the wilderness and one foot in civilization.”

To give back to the community, Max often plays guitar for residents at local retirement homes. He loves seeing how his music can evoke different emotions and experiences. Especially in this day and age, people need that personal level of connection, and the joy it provides for both the residents and Max alike make for a deeply rewarding experience.

Max has also served as a board member for The Rocky Mountain Mindfulness Center. With an established daily practice of his own, he sought involvement with the organization, which brings the practice of mindfulness into early education

curriculums. His uncle, Jon Kabat-Zinn, is the founder and creator of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Clinic (MBSR) at UMASS and has served as a deep influence in Max’s continued practice and involvement with meditation.

As an unexpected quirk to some, but known to all who are close to him, Max also LOVES cars. A love that began in early childhood and never faded away, Max grew up collecting Matchbox cars, brochures and attending the New York International Auto Show yearly with his father. Self described as “just a big kid”, Max now buys, sells and restores vintage cars and motorcycles- a hobby that he also considers meditative.

Max has always been a go-getter, working tirelessly for what his clients want to achieve and using his intuition and resourcefulness to help them get there. His enthusiasm for life is all encompassing. He would love to hear how he can support you.

Give him a holler at (914) 819-3598 or max@maxboulder.com www.maxboulder.com.

EXCEPTIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP | EXQUISITE DESIGN | EXTRAORDINARY VIEWS

This well-designed five-bed, four-and-a-half-bath custom home is as extraordinary inside as its views are outside. Set on a premier mountain-view lot overlooking the 18th tee of the Boulder Country Club Championship Golf course, this modern mountain home blends rustic and contemporary touches, immediately making you feel at home.

From the moment you walk in, you will be impressed by the design, finishes and quality of the home. The home’s design integrates various materials and textures, including rift-sawn white oak floors and doors, hemlock ceiling beams, steel, stone and glass, all working in concert to create a casually elegant setting that exudes stylish livability. This home offers every interior and exterior feature that today’s discerning buyers expect. Every luxurious, meticulous detail for today’s active country club lifestyle is included in this expertly crafted home.

Contact Tricia Dessel for information on this home at 303-475-6097 or tricia.dessel@compass.com.

4759 Old Post Court was on the market.

featured property

By Tricia Dessel

rising star

Article by Caitlin Berve, Ignited Ink Writing Photos by Kevin Snyder, Kevin Snyder Photography

MEET

HEATHER MCCHESNEY

Heather McChesney is a proud, fifth-generation Colorado native who was born and raised in Boulder County. She has always loved this area and never had the urge to try living somewhere else. To her, Boulder County will always be home. It’s not just the gorgeous mountains that keep Heather here; she loves how welcoming the community is and being a part of something bigger than herself by supporting local artists, businesses and organizations.

Heather’s philanthropic gift to the area is Good Morning Longmont, a social media and awareness organization she created to shine a light on the amazing local businesses and the good they do. She uses Good Morning Longmont to answer the question, “Why do we [consumers] always go to the same local store?” The answer she finds over and over is “Because we get to know the owners, their passions and why they get up in the morning.” Heather wants to jumpstart this connection by using Good Morning Longmont to give consumers an idea of who the people behind our local businesses are before they walk in the door.

To better the Boulder County community, Heather is also a member of the Kiwanis Club and wholeheartedly believes in their motto to “better the community one child at a time.” The Kiwanis Club’s goal is to host a service project, social and meeting every month. “The service project could be anything from ringing bells for the Salvation Army during Christmas to running a golf tournament to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity,” says Heather. But her favorite service project so far is the one where she and her kids hand-crafted wooden toys to donate to places in need.

The Kiwanis Club and Good Morning Longmont mean Heather gets to be the person people turn to for local recommendations, which makes her the next up-and-coming Boulder County real estate agent that should be on your radar. With her kids heading off to college soon, she’s ready to dig into her real estate career.

Heather became interested in real estate when she and her husband bought their first house (out of 3) with Josh Landers. “He had so much excitement for what he did,” Heather says, “I wanted to be a part of that.” But first, she needed to get her kids to a place where she could both work and be the mom she wanted to be, so Heather ran a home-based preschool. This allowed her to raise her kids and give other people’s kids a safe, fun place to learn and be. And it gave her excellent people skills. Real estate has allowed Heather to be there for her kids, too, attending sporting and other events while also being a role model for them. “My kids are entrepreneurs at heart, and I’m paving the way for them,” she says.

At Keller Williams, Heather is grateful to be among real estate professionals who support one another and have the same goal — to get their clients to the closing table. Their team has the ability to ask each other for advice without feeling less than for doing so.

For fun, Heather is a fiber artist — she spins yarn, weaves and knits. She’d love the chance to work with or even specialize in fiber farms in real estate. With her husband, Rob, and kids, she hikes, camps and travels, but also spends a lot of time getting her son

Mason (15) and daughter Maddie (17) to cheerleading and their other activities. Last summer, the McChesneys visited Hawaii, Kansas City and Disney World.

Heather loves helping people realize their home ownership dreams, whether that’s figuring out how they can live where they want to raise their family or how they are going to downsize and retire. However, she has a soft spot for the farming community. One of her favorite clients had a dream to own a community-based farm to help people. After years of dreaming and praying, Heather made that dream happen and will never forget the huge grin on her client’s face at closing. Having lived in the mountains, Heather knows those properties require unique expertise, such as the different wells and septic systems and understanding the mountain community. She hopes to get back out into the farmland herself one day.

You can reach Heather McChesney at 303-578-8420 or heather. mcchesney@kw.com.

that sells HOME STYLING

A stunning and enduring impression will ensure your listing stands above the competition. Our staging designs highlight the best features of the home and help potential buyers see themselves living in the space. This emotional connection is often the difference between a good offer and a great offer.

VACANT HOME STAGING

At 2212 Design Inc, we don’t just furnish homes, WE FURNISH VALUE.

www.2212design.com 720.791.4800 Style2Sell@2212Design.com

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

& NISSA HALL

REALTORS® giving back

Article by Caitlin Berve , Ignited Ink Writing

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, or NAHREP, is a purpose-driven organization propelled by an entrepreneurial spirit, cultural heritage and the advocacy of its members. Its mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic homeownership. One of their main focuses is the Hispanic wealth project. It’s designed to educate Latinos so they build wealth in America. As a real estate agent, this organization should be on your radar because a key step in building wealth is owning a home and investing in real estate. Latinos make up 50% of new home buyers in the U.S. right now and are projected to make up 75% in the next 10 years. There are more Latinos in leadership in companies than ever before; the demographic is moving up economically.

As president of the NAHREP Denver chapter, a part of Nissa Hall’s job is to educate and empower the real estate professionals who serve the Hispanic community. Advocating for public policy and facilitating relationships

among industry stakeholders, real estate practitioners and other industry professionals. Nissa is the perfect woman for this job because she immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 15 and has always been involved in the Latino community. In particular, she regularly volunteers as a translator. Nissa considers herself lucky to have had a great experience in America so far. However, she knows other Latinos haven’t had her stellar experience.

Latinos move to the U.S. for the American dream: the liberty to work hard and make money to give themselves and their families a better life. Despite some people’s pessimistic attitudes, there really are more opportunities in America to build wealth than in other countries. What’s missing for many Latinos is education on how to take advantage of these opportunities. That’s where NAHREP comes in.

As a REALTOR®, the Latino community needs your expertise to help them invest in real estate and find the perfect homes for their families, and sometimes, to let them know they are capable of achieving their wealth goals. One of Nissa’s favorite Latina success stories is how she helped a mother with a disabled daughter buy the condo her family had rented for over 30 years. This mother didn’t think she could afford to buy a home, but after working with Nissa for a year, she bought her condo and made upgrades and accommodations for her daughter.

NAHREP is made up of an entirely volunteer board of directors, and Nissa is working hard to open a chapter in Boulder County. She needs your support to do so. To join or learn more about the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, go to nahrepdenver.org or contact Nissa Hall at nissa.hall@gmail.com or 720-425-4870.

TOM MEET KAHN

TOM

BOULDER’S LUXURY MARKET MAN

Tom Kahn’s name is ubiquitous in Boulder’s luxury housing market. As the longtime managing broker/founder of RE/ MAX Alliance on Walnut, after nearly 40 years running Walnut Realty, it’s no exaggeration to say he’s a giant of Boulder real estate. Untold clients have bought and sold here with him, and REALTORS® he mentored decades ago still come around to seek his advice. His shadow is long, and he loves what he does. Tom and his wife, Kathryn Whelan, are the core of Kahn Team Real Estate — selling some of the most iconic properties in Boulder County. So if you find it hard to believe that the man who is synonymous with Boulder’s best homes was once a miner digging for gold and mica way up behind the Flatirons, there’s probably a lot you don’t know about Tom Kahn.

Raised in the suburbs of Highland Park, Illinois, Tom and his brother

James learned about real estate early and often. Their mother sold lakefront mansions up and down Chicago’s North Shore. While dad went to closings, mom was training and managing brokers in the Evanston-North Shore Board of REALTORS®. Between listening to his parents chat about earnest money at the dinner table and going to open houses, Tom learned the lingo and the principles that great brokers uphold. But when his mother eventually asked him to take over the family business, Tom declined.

He was already looking to the western horizon.

Tom applied to four western colleges and was accepted to all of them. He chose the University of Colorado, where he’d begin a probationary program by taking one class with the expectation of a C grade or above. And doggone if he didn’t get a C in English lit. Three years of school were enough for him, and Tom dropped out. Health concerns disqualified him from the draft, so what else was there to do than go live communally in

top producer

Article by Darren Thornberry Photos by Kevin Snyder, Kevin Snyder Photography

the mountains and dig for gold and mica? And that’s exactly what he did. “I learned the trade from guys in their 80s who had been doing this incredibly hard work for decades,” Tom recalls.

“We were drilling by hand, and if we struck it rich, we would share in it equally.”

It might have been a thrill to live and learn this way, but a couple of years of mining left Tom with a pretty bad back. And he’d seen enough danger with dynamite. He pivoted to a new venture: indexing available mineral production around the world and matching it with the needs of the mining industry. Miners, he had learned, don’t know how to sell what they have. And Tom’s business helped fill that gap. Eventually, he sold it and moved on again, this time to more familiar territory. In those days, getting a real estate license involved doing an apprenticeship first, which he did for a company called Dimension Investments. He earned his license in 1972 and started Walnut Realty with an emphasis on mountain properties. He knew many of them well from his time in the mines. “The threshold price for a home in Boulder when I started was $100,000,” Tom says. “A 1,200-square-foot home would probably sell for $99,900. But one day, someone tried for $105,000 and got it. And today, the million-dollar threshold is already in the rearview. The sky’s the limit now.”

At its peak, Walnut Realty had 50 agents, all of whom Tom trained that being straightforward and honest is more important than getting a deal done. Business sizzled for decades as the boutique firm dealt in luxury real estate, but over time, agents were asking to be part of a bigger brand with more back office than a mom-and-pop shop. Tom agreed this was needed, and the merger with RE/MAX Alliance on Walnut was set in motion. That was 10 years ago. And he has no plans to retire.

Like many in local real estate, Tom is all too aware of the Boulder paradox: It remains an extremely desirable place to live that is not affordable to the teachers and first responders who serve this community. “Unless a parent had the foresight to buy here years ago when things were cheaper, their kids are priced

out of the market,” he explains. “What we’re seeing now is that a turnkey remodel done to a T is very popular. Sellers are offering a buy-down on interest rates rather than price reductions. Good houses will sell for good money, and most of the people selling have stacked up appreciation and won’t get hurt if it takes longer than it did eight months ago. Boulder is too strong to crash, but adjustments happen as the market fluctuates.”

Tom’s knowledge of the Boulder market is deep. He specializes in what he calls Boulder’s “undermarket” — important properties that are not listed for sale but can be bought. One can only imagine how this baffles the competition, but this intimate understanding of Boulder homes makes Tom an invaluable asset. He’s a highly skilled negotiator who has stayed on the front edge of technology. Kathryn Whelan’s design background is crucial in the process, too. Many clients have been calmed, if not altogether saved, by her eye for interiors and her counsel on how to make a house a home.

Everybody starts somewhere, and Tom empathizes with new REALTORS® in Boulder. His advice goes like this: Learn the market inside and out, work your sphere, and do the right thing. When you go to every open house you can on the weekend, you start to know what’s overpriced and what’s a great deal, in addition to learning the nuances of neighborhoods. As for working your sphere (if you have one), church, the gym, a holiday party, your league baseball team, your colleagues on a nonprofit board ... there are lots of places to connect. And doing the right thing might look like putting a competitor’s fallen sign back in place when you arrive at a showing. People remember that.

In a career as long as Tom’s, there are bound to be awards, accolades and positions of influence along the way. He’s been a Distinguished

REALTOR® and president of the Boulder Area Board of REALTORS®, the president of the local I Have A Dream Foundation and Thistle Community Housing, a board member of Imagine (Center for the Disabilities), and president of the Boulder Brokers Network. In 2010, he set a record for the most expensive houses sold both in Boulder City Limits and close-in mountains. Heck, in one year, he sold three churches and three casinos! “The work I did with Thistle to create housing in town was gratifying,” Tom says, “And with I Have a Dream — to see 50 dreamers graduate, go off to college or vocational school with it paid for — that was special. Looking back, I feel good that I’ve also helped put bread on families’ tables and had a successful career helping people find a home. It has brought me a lot of joy to see my agents do well and to have been in so many amazing homes in Boulder.”

You can find Kahn Team Real Estate at 1911 11th St., Suite 107, Boulder, and luxurypropertyboulder.com and reach Tom Kahn at 303-579-4678.

LOOKING BACK, I FEEL GOOD THAT I’VE

ALSO HELPED PUT BREAD ON FAMILIES’ TABLES AND HAD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER HELPING PEOPLE FIND A HOME.

IT HAS BROUGHT ME A LOT OF JOY.

RESOLUTIONS & THOUGHTS FOR

health and wellness

Article by Dr. Felicia Santelli

BE YOU

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

John Wooden

I always find that reading a good empowering quote is one of the easiest ways to put my thoughts into perspective and help release a stubborn belief holding me back. Good thoughts echo what we know in our hearts to be true.

Never underestimate the power of the right thought at the right time.

People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos is that things are being loved and people are being used Unknown

Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.

Louise Hay

HEALTH

The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well-being.

Greg

Anderson

The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

Abraham Maslow Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.

Joseph Addison

Your body hears everything your mind says.

Naomi Judd

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Buddha

GRATITUDE

I write about the power of trying because I want to be OK with failing.

I write about generosity because

I battle selfishness.

I write about joy because I know sorrow.

I write about faith because I almost lost mine.

I write about what it is to be broken and in need of redemption.

I write about gratitude because I am thankful for all of it.

Kristin Armstrong

To know yourself as the being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment.

Eckhart Tolle

Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you live your life in awe.

Wayne Dyer

RISK TAKING

Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive and express what we really are.

Miguel Angel Ruiz

The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.

Leo F. Buscaglia

FAILURE

Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill

Character cannot be developed with ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Helen Keller

If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

Jim Rohn

Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to accomplish.

Unknown

I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying

CHANGE: THE ONLY CONSTANT

When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Alexander Graham Bell

You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.

Albert Einstein

By changing nothing, nothing changes.

Tony Robbins

Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.

Wayne Dyer

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.

Mother Teresa

I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself.

LIVE YOUR LIFE

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

Mark Twain

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw

Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.

Will Rogers

In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away.

Shing Xiong

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle

Albert Einstein

Michael Jordan

You missed 100% of the shots you never took Wayne Gretzky

Aldous Huxley

If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present Lao Tzu

God, grant me the serenity to stop beating myself up for not doing things perfectly, the courage to forgive myself because I’m working on doing better, and the wisdom to know that you already love me just the way I am. “A Different Serenity Prayer” by Eleanor Brownn (a motivational speaker): WISHING YOU A JOYFUL, HEALTHY, AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!