Food for thought

Acceptance, Gratitude, and Change

Recently, a beloved friend texted me the sad news that his father had died. “It’s over,” he wrote. “Shikata Ga Nai.” He is right. Shikata Ga Nai is the Japanese phrase for “It cannot be helped,” or “Nothing can be done about it.” For those of us who like to…

Cathy WurzerFebruary 22, 2023

Food for thought Guest Blogs Purposeful Living

Purposeful Aging Checkup (Guest Post)

Richard Leider, founder of Inventure – The Purpose Company, is the author of 10 books, including three bestsellers, which have sold over 1 million copies. On April 28, he will join our founder, broadcast journalist Cathy Wurzer, for a live event at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley, Minnesota, to talk…

Christa MelandApril 19, 2022

Food for thought Guest Blogs Purposeful Living

Credo—This I Believe (Guest Post)

Nick Koch Part of End in Mind's mission is to encourage all of us to live with intention and purpose. This means figuring out who we are, what we believe, and how we want to show up in the world. One member of our community spent some time reflecting on…

Christa MelandApril 5, 2022

Food for thought Healing Stories and Storytelling

Resilience Expert Learns Firsthand: Laughter is the Best Medicine

Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson is a resilience expert who trains people in what she calls “the art of the return”—finding a sense of meaning and purpose after challenging times. But it wasn’t until she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2019 that she discovered one of the most important…

Christa MelandFebruary 8, 2021

Food for thought Guest Blogs Purposeful Living

Gratitude: No Action Too Little or Too Late (Guest Post)

Amy Gage, biking with her husband David Amid the post-holiday, mid-winter doldrums, as we wait with anticipation for longer days and warmer weather that sometimes feel like they’ll never come, we are excited to share a lovely reflection about gratitude. Amy Gage—director of neighborhood and community relations at the University…

Christa MelandFebruary 2, 2021

End of Life Wisdom Food for thought Guest Blogs

Longtime Palliative Care Chaplain Talks Life, Death, Healing (Guest Post)

We are grateful to be able to share a deep and rich reflection from a now retired palliative care chaplain. Katie Herman worked at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis from 1996 to 2012 and as a member of its Palliative Care Team immediately after it formed in 2003. Then from…

Christa MelandNovember 9, 2020