The Collapse of the Mink Jacket by Joan Gillman

This story is about a very special date Joan had in Chicago where she decides to wear a mink jacket (a family heirloom). The jacket falls apart before Joan ever arrives at the restaurant. It describes her attempts to fix it and her self-realizations. The point of the story is “heed your own heart.”

Trekking in Thailand by Nancy Sprecher

Sometimes we are presented with situations where there is only one possible course of action. The challenge is that it may not match well with our current skills and abilities, yet we need to embrace it and move forward. This story explores how Nancy successfully got through a situation like this by altering her self-talk and behavior based on learnings from the past. The point of the story is “go deep to go forward.”

Where No Man Has Gone Before by Lori Silverman

In life, sometimes you have to pounce on an opportunity as soon as it presents itself, independent of knowing what all the risks might be. If you do not grab it right away, the chance to do so may be lost forever. This story describes an experience Lori had in northern Thailand when her spouse rode the baggage carousel to the “other” side to capture their luggage. The point of the story is “dive right in.”