The Sparks Blog

There is no better time to work on your mental health than during the supposedly lazy days of summer. The weather is warm, the sun is shining, and the living is easy. Or at least that’s how it looks in the movies. Reality might be more like the humidity is high, the kids are on […]

This is the kind of email every motivational speaker wants to get – one letting you know your words really had an impact, that they generated a good return on investment: Ms. Ryan, I recently attended your presentation during the NC Rural Water Supervisors conference.  The exercises from your presentation helped me to realize a […]

I’ve always wanted to go to Yellowstone. There’s an allure to the American West (or maybe it’s just all those episodes of Gunsmoke and Bonanza I watched as a kid). It’s one of those trips I figured I would get around to someday. But when I read 2022 was the park’s 150th Anniversary, I figured […]

As I’m writing this, Omicron is surging and it feels like March 2020 all over again. By the time you read it, we might be dancing in the streets, mask-free. No one knows and that’s the kicker. It feels like being on a seesaw, but a lot less fun. Here are some tips to help: […]

Ah, for the good ol’ pre-pandemic days! I only thought I was stressed then. Here are some things I’m doing now to lower my stress: Let go of drama. My former neighborhood is on nextdoor. It’s mostly people selling stuff and complaining. They complain about wildlife, they complain about HOA rules and dues, they complain […]