If there's one thing turning 40 taught me, it's that our stories are always evolving, and we get to be the conscious authors of what comes next. But perhaps most importantly, you deserve to be celebrated for the story you've written so far. And sometimes, the most radical act is throwing yourself the party—and trusting that your people will show up. Mine did, in the most beautiful ways.

What started as a simple 40th birthday project—finding one photo from every year of my life—became the most transformative work I'd done in years. After sorting through 20,000 photographs, I discovered patterns I'd never noticed: the consistent thread of bringing people together, the periods where I lost myself in work, and most surprisingly, that many limiting stories I'd been telling about myself simply weren't true. This visual journey through my life chapters revealed that sometimes looking back is the only way to see forward clearly—which inspired me to create a gift that helps you do the same with your own story.

Read my full journey + get your free Life Chapters Map

A $1 pamphlet in the redwood forests changed everything I thought about professional "failures."

The Dyerville Giant—370 feet tall, 1,600 years old—crashed in 1991 with such force that a neighbor a mile away thought it was a train wreck. But that "dead" tree now feeds over 4,000 species as a "nurse log."

Your career setback isn't your ending. It's creating conditions for breakthrough.

I bet on a horse named Sovereignty at a Kentucky Derby party—and won. But what stuck with me wasn’t the $75 prize or the winner’s sash. It was the unexpected reminder that we get to author our own stories—and that asking better questions (like a good journalist) is often where that authorship begins.

Reflecting on my dear cat Indy’s passing two years ago, I've come to realize how much he taught me about life. Indy wasn't just my pet; he was my family, my companion, and my source of joy during a tumultuous period in my life.

How the experiences and people I encountered during the Olympics inspired me to embrace sports in a new way. Plus story prompts to help you think about your connection to sports!

To celebrate Women’s History Month, our Storytime theme for March was Superheroes. We talked about all the female superheroes (real and imagined) that have made a difference in our lives. This is the story of why my mom is my superhero, and why we have matching ginkgo tattoos.