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How to Make Lockdown Lemonade
wIngredients Required To Make Lockdown Lemonade Bag Of Lemons (can Include: Health, Relationships, Finances, Death, Loss, Injury, etc) Optimism (Organic) Positivity (Personal) Can-Do Attitude (Unlimited Amount) A Pinch of Vulnerability A Dash of...
Stepping Through Fear
I often reference Strangers To Friends as, STF. Then one day I started thinking of what else "STF" could stand for. That's when it hit me: STEP THROUGH FEAR. Why? Because... to experience anything in life, from introducing yourself to the stranger at the coffee shop...
Why I Tattooed “♥ Life” On My Neck
“Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease” - Hippocrates MARCH 18, 2010: In 2007 I was one of the first 10,000 people in the United States to start taking the latest FDA Approved Multiple Sclerosis Drug, Tysabri. For 2.5 years, I'd go to Scripps Clinic...
It’s A Big Small Carlyn World… In Bali, Indonesia
Having lived life “turning strangers into friends” for the last decade, you can imagine the countless times I’ve called my Mom, slightly hysterical with a, “Holy Moly, you’re never going to believe this strangers to friends story!”. But after 10 years of me spewing tales of synchronicity, she’s never really surprised. Because…it’s me. And this is the story of my life. BUT, this story in particular, how I unknowingly created connection on November 20, 2018, took my “Holy Moly, Mom!”… to the next level.
Choose To Have No Shame
What do you do when something bad, that might have been preventable, happens to you? And by preventable, I mean... YOU feel you are the one who caused it to happen. Therefor, you beat yourself up thinking of all the ways you could have avoided it, happening. The more...
Self Motivation: Wanting VS Needing
The other morning a good friend called me and said, "You are so good at "Life Coaching" advice... and I need some". Always happy to help a friend I asked, "What seems to be the issue?" Immediately she blurted, "I can't get motivated. There are so many things I need to...
Carlyn’s 2015 Boston Marathon Speech: A Journey with MS & Running
A month ago I ran the 119th Boston Marathon with Marathon Strides Against MS Boston Marathon Team. Not only was I honored to make my dream come true along side 53 team members who raised money for the same cause, but I was asked to be the only team member to speak at...
Please Help Me Run The Boston Marathon for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Flashback 5 years ago: I was taking the MS Medication, Tysabri, a monthly IV Infusion. The idea of a 10 K scared me. The dream of running the Boston Marathon to support those with MS did not exist. 5 years later: I am MS Medication Free. I've officially run...
My “M”s — A Story About Life, Death, Friendship & Faith.
This is a personal narrative. In an 8-week writing class, I was given the assignment: write about an experience that changed your life. I had countless options, but immediately knew what to choose. This is my story. Though my best high school friends didn't...
To all my PALS (People with ALS) I say, ‘We Are Living’ – Gary Daitch
A few weeks ago the letters ALS were not spoken of in casual conversation, which is exactly what Pete Frates intended to change. By now the "Ice Bucket Challenge" has it's own Wikapedia page and you've either dumped a bucket of ice on your own head or have laughed...
The Space In-Between: The Silver Lining of a Toothless Smile
There are countless ways, every day, we have an opportunity to do something we feel called to do, having no clue of how far that act will carry on into the life of someone else. This story begins with the blog I wrote in May 2014, "Top 5 Lessons Learned from Losing my...
Giving = Receiving
"For it is in giving that we receive.†― St. Francis of Assisi I love helping others. I especially love helping others without them asking for it. It fills me with joy to take the initiative and choose to make a difference. Whether I surprise someone with a smile,...
Lessons Learned from Losing my Two Front Teeth
Whether it be a broken heart, being let go from a job, the death of a loved one... or something as unimaginable like...losing your two front teeth, life constantly supplies us with situations where we are forced to make a choice on how to respond to an unwanted and...
Has Social Media Changed the Art of Conversation — PART 2
The other day I wrote a story about bumping into a friend I hadn't seen in a year - and how being Facebook Friends influenced our initial conversation. My intention was not to cast a shadow over our ability to constantly keep our friends and family up to date on our...
Has Social Media Changed the Art of Conversation?
To ask or not to ask? To assume or not to assume? The other day I had this crazy AH HA moment. I was at a music festival in downtown Denver, CO, flowing through the crowd of colorful people when all of a sudden… I bumped into a girl friend I didn't know would be...
Choose Love, Blow Bubbles
5 years ago I stumbled upon a 12 week class teachings of the book, The Artist's Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering your Creative Self. Feeling the flow of my personal journey, I immediately signed up, excited to dive deep and learn more about myself. One of...
Never Stop Day Dreaming
"Today is the first day of the rest of your life." This time last week I was employed as a Travel Nurse Recruiter. Every Monday I put on my business casual attire, prepped for my commute and committed 50 hours a week to my cubicle. I was unhappy in this role and had...
It’s About Time… Literally.
It's been 141 days since my last blog post. And, it's safe to say I've met at least 141 Strangers to Friends since that day, too! So... why haven't I written about them? The girl that blows bubbles. The guy that I met on a mountain. The small world connections. The...
Some days we guide. Some days we are guided.
Sometimes it's funny, the way life guides us. Days like today I have to laugh at the synchronicity of all the little moments that created my day. One in particular makes me giggle so much that I feel inspired to write about it and share with all of you. The...
10 Friendly Reminders
1. Greet everyone with a SMILE 🙂 2. If you have a question; ASK someone! You never know where the conversation will lead. 3. When MEETING someone, repeat their name; it makes a great first impression. 4. Practice makes Perfect! The more you introduce yourself, the...
Stand By Me: A Song and a Smile.
I'd like to introduce Jenna Goodhand, from London, Ontario. This is how she chooses to describe herself on her ABOUT tab on her Facebook Page: Every day is the best day of my life and I can't wait until tomorrow! ♥♥♥ In general I just want to live my life to the...
Practice Meeting People While Waiting in Line
 Compliments = Connections How often do you find yourself waiting in line for coffee? On average, a person spends 45-62 minutes waiting in line every day! AND, if there is a line, you obviously are not alone. 🙂 One of my favorite ways to "practice" meeting people...
A Promise Made Possible
Me & James hanging out in San Diego I always say, "People = Possibilities". This is a beautiful example of how the journey of two strangers that met in 9th grade gym class... became the journey to two friends with a mission to share my story of MS...
We’re In It Together
This is Annie.... ....but before I share the story she emailed me, I want to share with you how she and I are connected. On the day before what should have been the 21st birthday of her best friend, Annie found herself crying and reflecting on the tragic loss of...
Bumps = Blessings: Find Joy in the Journey.
In preparation for a week long writing class, I was given writing assignments. For these assignments, I was provided meditations aimed to clear my mind of the not so nice voice blocking the path to my inner wisdom.. Each assignment is meant to overcome a road block,...
The Art of Happiness by Deedee W.
My dear friend, Deedee wrote this email to me to share what transpired shortly after we talked about "Happiness". I found this very powerful & and asked her if I could extend this inspiration to all of you. 🙂 "SO the most incredible thing happened to me Tuesday...
From Strangers…to Friends. Written by: Vanessa Drake
I truly believe that the greatest gift a friend can give... is their friendship. The story of how Vanessa and I crossed the line from Strangers to Friends is one that has changed both of our lives for the better. Over the past few months, I've asked friends to share...
Cross Country Connection
Since I have not written in detail about the past few months in my life I will sum up how I came to this next Stranger to Friend moment. To make a very long (exciting) story short, I left San Diego, CA on Jan 14 to embark on a six week Cross Country Road Trip to start...
Public Transportion = People Possibilities!
I’ve always been fascinated with the various forms of Public Transportation. Having never lived in a city that relied on someone or something else to take me from point A to B, I jump at the chance to blend in with the daily commuters and submerge myself in...
A “Sign” from a Stranger
It's crazy that I can say that I've been "living" in Wilmington, NC now for 5 days. Five days doesn't make it feel like home, but every day gets better and better. But what really brings a smile to my face is looking back on the 6 week drive I created to get here!...
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Before I jump into my story about Stacey Fontaine-Skelly, I must give you a little background on where our journey of Stranger to Friend initially began... I had noticed that a beautiful couple (who I'd later learn to be Stacey & Mark) moved into the apartment unit...
Meeting in the Middle
While on my 2 week job training in Little Rock, I had the unbelievable opportunity to take a trip "home" to the Big D-- Dallas, TX!! I've been dying to get back so it was a win win: save the company some money on my expenses and see some of my most favorite people...
Continental Connections
I LOVE stumbling upon new people while I am traveling! I can honestly say it is favorite way to meet someone... ever. Traveling offers the best excuse to strike a conversation- for whatever reason. It puts you on equal terms with everyone around you. You are all...
What is a “Profile Page” ?
The other night I literally woke myself up from a dream, grabbed my newly purchased notebook from the sale section at Urban Outfitters and began to scribble down my thoughts. This is what I wrote: What really is a Profile Page? We are given a template. We chose what...
Happy Birthday, Margaret Stewart
Since everything happens for a reason, OF COURSE the weekend I decide to start blogging about the fascinating people that represent the puzzle pieces of my life… it is also the birthday weekend of my best friend whose death taught me the depths of a single...