Audrey Monke

All Posts by Audrey Monke

“What Else Can I Do?”

This simple question is a parenting tool that helps grow kids into responsible adults who employers will be beating down doors to hire. Last weekend, I heard Dr. Deborah Gilboa speak at a camp conference about “the 3 Rs”: Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience. I’m a fan and have already visited Dr. Gilboa’s website “Ask Doctor G”…

Daring Greatly, Brene Brown

The subtitle, “How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead,” says it all. “What makes this constant assessing and comparing so self-defeating is that we are often comparing our lives, our marriages, and our communities to unattainable, media-driven visions of perfection, or we’re holding up our reality against…

5 Tips to Start Running

“I’m not a runner.” “I can’t run.” I’ve heard variations of these statements many times when running comes up in a conversation. I try to respond in a convincing way that anyone can be a runner, because running has been such a life-changing sport for me. When given the opportunity (which is rare because many…

Get Savvy: Letters to a Teenage Girl About Sex and Love

“As a girl, I was really trained and enjoyed playing a certain range of ‘keys’ – that was being nice, being successful, being a good student. And I think the same is true of how we use our voice in the world – we train girls to use the ‘acceptable’ range of keys. What I…

Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul, Bill Hybels

Hybels gives sound advice with steps to take to gain energy, organization, and connection by focusing on what’s most important. “Simplified living is about more than doing less…It’s walking away from innumerable lesser opportunities in favor of the few to which we’ve been called and for which we’ve been created.”

Choose Wisely: 8 Questions to Ponder Before you say “I Do”

Do you ever get an anxious feeling when you’re on the way to the airport, leaving for a trip? You’re going through your mental checklist of what you packed, and you know you’ve forgotten something, you just don’t know what it is? I feel that way about my parenting. My three oldest—all girls—have grown up…

Flourish, Martin Seligman

Years ago, this book sparked my interest in positive psychology and started me on a path of learning that led to a master’s degree in psychology and a shelf full of books on happiness, well-being, gratitude, and positivity. Seligman (along with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience) started the positive psychology movement,…

Does our Family’s Schedule Reflect our Values?

A few weeks ago, one of our children (who shall remain nameless to avoid incrimination) made the choice not to go to a service event because he didn’t feel like it. He preferred to relax and watch TV. The event was a school commitment that could be missed if there was a compelling reason. Football…

The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work, Christine Carter

I learned a new term—“MED” (minimum effective dose)—and have applied it to many areas, including exercise, cooking, and reading. Instead of having lofty ambitions in every area, I’ve given myself permission to do “just enough.” This and many other lessons make this book a gem and a true life-changer. “Because we can’t do everything, we…

5 Ways to Stay Connected with your College Kid

We all know the dangers of helicoptering and over-parenting, but just how does a parent stay appropriately connected with a college kid who’s living away from home for the first time? We’re starting our fourth year of having our three oldest kids away at school, and we’ve found a balance of communication and involvement that works for us. It’s certainly way more communication than what I…

A Cherished Memory

“The most precious jewels you’ll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.” His eyes were locked on mine. He was oblivious to everyone else in the room. His smile was wider than I’d ever seen, and he exuded happiness from deep within. Amid the chaos on the dance floor, he clearly…

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy, Jon Gordon

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy I listened to The Energy Bus as an audio book and got inspired by the 10 simple lessons that show how one person – YOU! – can positively impact your family, your work team, and everyone you meet each day.…

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