My most humble and sincere thanks to Nicola Auckland and Kat Myrman for nominating me for the Liebster Award!  What better way to end Week 2 of Blogging 101 than to exchange this kind of acknowledgement and encouragement?  Thank you, thank you!

I feel like I’ve just moved into a wonderful new town, with throngs of welcoming neighbors, all who own unique and beautiful shops filling the diverse downtown square.  I have to work, but my mind wanders to downtown, trying to remember which stores I want to visit afterward.  I can’t wait for the weekend, to explore all I want!  Thank you, my fellow bloggers, for your warm welcome!  I will set up my own shop here, and continue getting to know the neighbors, day by day.

I hereby nominate some of you, as per nomination rules (see below).  I know some of you have been mentioned already, but I want to add my acknowledgement of your excellent work!  Here’s to our amazing little (not so little?) town, and may we have a collective positive impact on our world!

1. Nicola Auckland writes fiction.  I normally don’t read fiction, but her ‘attempts’ at creative writing grabbed me instantly and made me follow!
2. Kat Myrman writes everything with wonder and wisdom.  You can get poems or recipes, check out her blog!
3. Sandy Sue shares her experiences living with bipolar disorder, in the most articulate and insightful ways I have ever encountered.  I intend to learn much from her.
4. Nancy Faerber was one of the first blogging neighbors to extend a welcome when I moved onto the block.  Her thoughtful writing helps me reflect and connect.
5. Pam Kirst, a fellow pen and paper enthusiast, has much wisdom to share–a teacher, mother, writer, and thinker.
6. Audrey D Cunningham writes about her faith, its origins and evolution, and keeps it simple, like PB&J.
7. Donna Cameron may be my sister from another life.  She writes with deep conviction that her mission in life is to make the world a better place.  I think it’s working.
8. Michelle, another student of the Inner Work, challenges me to learn and apply everyday lessons.  She validates the struggle to live authentically, to Walk the Talk, with compassion and kindness.
9. Anand is my new friend on WordPress!  A prolific blogger driven by love and wonder, whose apt blog title “Vibrant” only begins to describe his blogging presence.
10. James provides comic relief from the daily grind, especially when I imagine his words in a British accent.
11. Rachel Griffin, a young woman, shares her complex life with humor, poetry, and art.  And she uses emoticons, a woman after my own heart.

My Answers to Questions from Kat:

1. If you could interview one person from history, who would that be? …Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Elizabeth Blackwell, Margaret Thatcher, Madeline Albright, Richard Feynman, can’t decide.
2. What makes you happy?  …To see my kids happy, being in nature, communing with my tribe(s).
3. Pick a number from 1 to 10. Now tell me why. …8.  It’s round and smooth, and looks like the symbol for infinity–no beginning, no end, all connected, forever.
4. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?  …Summit County, Colorado.
5. What inspires you to write?  …Life and all its complexities.
6. What is your favorite color?  …All shades of blue.
7. What types of books to you most often choose to read?  …Psychology, emotional intelligence, memoirs and writings of people I admire.
8. What is your astrological sign?  …Leo.  Some would say Virgo, but I’m a Leo, trust me.
9. Dogs or Cats?  …Dogs.
10. What is your favorite song?  …”Ticks,” by Brad Paisley.
11. When you are not writing, how do you spend your days?  …Thinking about writing, seeing patients, thinking about patients, parenting, thinking about parenting, connecting with friends, trying to live in the moment, wherever and whatever I’m doing…

My Answers to Questions from Nicola:

1. What was the most inspiring book you read?  …_The Art of Possibility_ by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander since 2009, and now also _Start With Why_ by Simon Sinek.  I read and listen to them both again and again.
2. What song gets you “pumped”?  …”Beer For My Horses” by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson, and almost anything by Brad Paisley.
3. How have you created meaning in your life?  …By maintaining excellent connections with fellow students of the Inner Work.
4. What are you working on at the moment?  …My blog as platform for a future book, building awesome collaborations with a diverse group of amazing people.
5. Any other interests besides writing/ blogging?  …Making greeting cards, public speaking, reading, communing with friends.
6. What is you favourite time of the year?  …All times that are not winter in Chicago.
7. What do you enjoy most about blogging?  …The community.
8. Do you believe in love at first sight?  …Yes.
9. Are you multi-lingual or know parts of a few others?  …Yes.
10. If you had live this life again on repeat, would you?  …Yes.
11. Who was your first follower on WordPress?  …Linda at The Task At Hand.

Below are my questions for the people I nominated (I vote that previously nominated bloggers may claim exemption, if they wish!).  Please feel free to comment your answers to any or all, regardless of your nomination status! 🙂

1. What inspires you?
2. How do you aim to inspire others?
3. What do you most admire in a leader?
4. What gives you meaning in your work?
5. What personality trait has been the most enduring and representative of you?
6. What genre of movie do you like best, and how has it evolved over your adult life?
7. Who is your hero?
8. Where do you feel most at peace?
9. What song makes you sing along out loud, and/or break into dance?
10. What do you want people to remember most about you after meeting you for the first time?
11. What are you most proud of?

Once again, my most sincere thanks to all of my neighbors and classmates.  Planning to live here a while! 🙂

The rules:

1. Make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
   Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post too.
2. Nominate 5 -10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
3. Ensure all of these bloggers have less than 200 followers.
4. Answer the eleven questions asked to you by the person who nominated you, and make eleven questions of your own for your nominees or you may use the same questions.
5. Lastly, COPY these rules in your post.