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matters that matter: We’re so proud to launch this regular new column by Molly Davis and Kristine Van Raden, co-founders of Matters That Matter™ LLC. We discovered these two remarkable women when we featured their book, “Letters to Our Daughters,” and we’re thrilled to have them on board. Their goal is to encourage and inspire you to clarify what is most important to you and to reflect those values in every aspect of your life. We know you’ll find rich food for thought here, and hope you’ll leave a comment to let them know the matters that matter to you.

Matters That Matter: Be Someone’s Reason to Give Thanks

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It is, indeed, the season for us to give thanks for all that we have. And, for many of us, in this part of the world, we have more to be thankful for than most. The giving of thanks is an incredible practice — one that we will hopefully continue to fine tune for the rest of our days. 

But what about giving the giving of thanks a slightly different twist? Rather than consider that for which I am thankful, maybe I should reflect on my own life, and whether it is a cause for someone else’s giving of thanks. 

The truth is that each one of us has our fingerprints on the lives of every person we encounter.  The question is, “Are we touching those lives with intention or not?” Do we give others reason to be thankful?  Probably, for most of us, the answer is sometimes yes — and sometimes no. 

While practice may not make perfect, it undoubtedly will make better. Like any other practice, we hone our skills by doing. Lucky for us, we are surrounded by opportunities to perfect our ability to be a reason for another human being to give thanks. In our homes, places of work, unemployment offices, gas stations, grocery stores, health clubs, doctor’s offices, planes, trains, cars, restaurants, check-out lines, street corners, cyberspace, telephone lines — even airport security lines. You name it … it is a place to perfect our craft.  

If you are like me, sometimes you will get it right, sometimes not so much, and sometimes I will get it dead wrong.  Thankfully, there will be other chances to practice right around the corner.  And, for that, I am thankful.


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image of Molly Davis

The eSSSence of Molly Davis

Style: Courage, contentment and grace for all to see -- and a great pair of cowboy boots.
Substance: Pay attention to what matters.
Soul: We are part of something bigger than ourselves.


Matters That Matter: The Choice is Mine

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Choose: to select from a number of possibilities.

Reflecting on the theme of Choices, I have been struggling to write something catchy and thought-provoking. Nothing seems to be bubbling up to the surface. The harder I work at it, the less I can find to say. Then it dawned on me. Maybe I am making this too complicated.  

So how about this?

We are the accumulation of our choices.  

The questions to ask ourselves are: Am I accumulating what I want? What matters?  What is important? What is reflective of who I am and what I value?

 The choice is, always has been, and always will be mine. 

 Choice. What a miraculous, powerful and amazing gift. 


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Matters That Matter: Ghosts of Halloweens Past

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Growing up, Halloween was always a treat.  Holding on to my dad’s hand (Mom was home, in costume, greeting all of the neighborhood kids), we would make our way up one driveway after another and knock at our neighbors’ front doors. “Trick or Treat!” I would say. The response was always some version of, “What little goblin might this be?  Is it JoAnne?”  I would shake my head.  “Liz?” Another shake of my little punkin head. “I know! It must be…. Molly!”  Gleefully, I would nod, and they would add a treat to my bag. I knew every house, every neighbor.  

I know I am starting to sound like my grandparents when I say, “Back when I was a kid …”  Well, no, I didn’t have to walk through freezing rain and snow to get to school, nor did I have to work in the fields until dark every day. But I did know the people in my neighborhood and they knew me. Our neck of the woods felt like a community of friends. I vividly remember spending hours with the couple next door. They had two Siamese cats, Sascha and Pascha, who would disappear the minute I came to the door. What I remember most was that they seemed to have an abundance of time and interest for and in me. Mrs. Pache made the best hamburger I have had to this day. Mr. Pache, a college art professor, let me sit in his studio as he worked on his latest painting. I would curl up with a good book and watch him paint, ask him endless questions and just plain hang out. I hate to say it, but I miss the “good old days” — the days when neighbors gathered for a block party and kids made their way from one kitchen to another, playing together for hours on end. I miss that familiarity and sense of belonging. 

The world has changed drastically since those days of trick or treating in my friendly little neighborhood. We are working more and playing less. Texting instead of talking.  Commuting instead of communing.  As we move toward the future, with the help of all of the incredible technology at our fingertips, let’s be mindful to carry forward what has served us so well in the past. Maybe the trick is in treating ourselves to a little more in-person talking — and just a little less tweeting.


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image of Molly Davis

The eSSSence of Molly Davis

Style: Courage, contentment and grace for all to see -- and a great pair of cowboy boots.
Substance: Pay attention to what matters.
Soul: We are part of something bigger than ourselves.


Matters That Matter: Open Your Eyes!

It’s that time of year again, when the world takes on a pink glow for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are pink ribbons, pink products from cookware to hard lemonade, races for the cure, stories of battles won and heroes lost. This year, all this pink has made me think... read full story →


Matters That Matter: Earth School

Fall is in the air, which means it is back to school time. For most of us, that brings back memories of shopping trips to buy pencils, crayons, notebooks, clothes, new shoes, both when we were kids and then with our own kids. I can still remember my own first... read full story →


Matters That Matter: Eat Pray Love — or, Life in 3D

Elizabeth Gilbert closed the door on her real life and set out on a yearlong journey to exotic places to find herself. Although most of us don’t have the luxury to do that -- which has been the source of some criticism of her book -- she did. And so... read full story →


Matters That Matter: Connected by Common Threads

Men and women.  As different as.... night and day, cats and dogs, sweet and sour, hot and cold.  It is true, we are pretty darn different animals. The differences have become the stuff of late night TV monologues, stand-up comics and stereotypical sitcoms.  We get a lot of mileage out of... read full story →