Buckle Up The Buttercup
Living Fiercely over 50
Tips for More Tranquil Travel

Tip for More Tranquil Travel

We have a trip coming up that requires a flight. Something I have learned after years of travel is that reserving parking at the airport before arriving reduces stress immensely. There is nothing more frustrating than leaving early for the airport, getting stuck in unexpected traffic, running later than you had planned, and then trying to figure out where the parking lot is, how much it costs, and whether or not there’s a shuttle from the long term parking lot (or if said shuttle circles frequently enough). Most large airports have a web site you can find using Google that will link to parking. *One word of caution here, take care not to link to off-site parking without intending to or you may find yourself parking at a local hotel and then trying to find a cab to catch your flight. Make sure you are on the official airport parking page.

Once on the airport’s official parking page, you can prepay for parking based upon your expected parking lot arrival and departure times. The airport parking team will send you an email with a link typically with a QR code which you can either take a picture of on your phone or download to your electronic wallet (also on your phone). This morning when I went through these steps for parking, the email I received also included an option to print the code, if you prefer a hardcopy. Once at the airport, pull the picture up of the QR code (or the piece of paper you printed with the code), scan it, and the arm should lift to allow you access to the parking lot. To get out when you return from your trip, show that same QR code to the scanner.

Zen Life

2 Minute Meditation: Snowy Day

Leading In Life

Listening Leaders

Throughout my career, I’ve held leadership positions at every level, from small organizations to large, multinational teams. One thing I’ve consistently observed is that as you rise higher in leadership, the pressure to constantly “transmit” information to your employees grows stronger. I can recall countless times when a line of people would be waiting outside my office door, each hoping for advice, guidance, or approval. In those moments, it’s easy to forget one of the most important lessons in leadership: sometimes, the best thing you can do is say nothing at all.

I know, it may sound counterintuitive at first. I was skeptical myself when I first heard someone suggest that “silence” could be a powerful tool for a leader. After all, as leaders, we are often driven to “lean in” to every problem, to step in and help our teams find solutions. It’s tempting to fill every moment of silence with words—offering advice, giving direction, or providing answers. But here’s the thing: by doing so, you can crowd out valuable ideation and stifle healthy, productive discussions.

Sometimes, the most impactful thing you can do as a leader is to sit back and listen. What is your team truly saying? Who might have an innovative idea that hasn’t been fully expressed yet? How has the environment changed since you last tried a particular approach? These are the questions that come to light when you step back and give space for your team to think and express themselves.

As a leader, your strength lies in your experience and wisdom. You have the insight to identify potential pitfalls and recognize patterns others might miss. But that doesn’t mean you need to have all the answers right away. Trust your team. Give them room to think, and sometimes, the best contribution you can make is to remain silent, listen actively, and empower them to find the solutions themselves.

In those moments of silence, you’ll often find that your team is capable of more than you might have expected. And by giving them the space to lead the way, you build a culture of trust, creativity, and ownership that can drive your organization to new heights. Don’t miss the perfect opportunity to “say nothing at all.”

Zen Life

Word of the Year???

What’s your “word of the year” for 2025? Mine is resurgence. Per Merriam Webster, resurgence is a rising again into life, activity or prominence. Resurgence resonates with me as I have spent the last year plus on sabbatical reading, listening, studying. Life throws a lot at us and I decided to take some time to step away from the chaos and reflect. I had been working 50-70 hour weeks for 33 years and I was both tired and feeling out of sync. Over the course of the year, I completed my career coaching certification, spent time with family, and read a lot. It was a great experience. I knew that I wanted to spend the next part of my life sharing what I have learned and experienced, I just wasn’t sure how. Now I feel like it is time for resurgence.

What about you? What word might you choose to focus or inspire your 2025? Rather than resolutions that are difficult to keep, a word can provide an anchor for your year. Here are a few ideas:

Fierce

Wisdom

Intrigue

Transition

Learning

Creative

Solid

Fit Life

Yoga with Tim

By now my husband is probably wondering who this yoga guy “Tim” is. At the tail end of my Army career, my body began to protest the decades of damage done carrying rucksacks, wearing body armor, and trying to crush every physical fitness test even in those years that my idea of fitness was running like a madwoman to pick my kids up from daycare by 6PM (my husband was deployed and I was hoofing it every day after working 10-12 hours!). After I tore my hamstring completely, I realized I needed to make some changes, so I picked up yoga.

I don’t know about you, but up until then, I thought yoga was a bit pretentious. I had this vision of me in spandex carrying a yoga mat to a fancy studio. Well, it can be that, but it also can be me, in my office at 7am rolling out a mat on the floor and getting a quick series of stretches in before the office gets crowded. I learned that yoga is a combination of all the things I had been told to do in many years of repeat physical therapy sessions that I would do for 6 weeks and then forget. Yoga has had an absolutely amazing impact on my body and mind and all I need to do it is a phone/tablet and some sort of mat or towel.

Who is Tim? My absolute favorite yoga teacher on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithtim

Where to next?