How to Give Life to Your Heart-Focused Values

The cardinal was perched on the hydro wire singing its little heart out. A spot of deep red in a sea of snow.

My filmmaker friend and I looked out the window in awe at this beautiful winged creature who'd interrupted filming we were doing for my Writing the Body course. Saucy devil! It was a freak ice and snowstorm that hit the city that weekend. And inserted into this monotone landscape, was this bird creating magic simply by its presence.

It made me think about how we try as entrepreneurs, writers and creatives to set ourselves apart, to show ourselves as unique entities because we want to stand out.

Yet until we truly recognize our gifts and our contributions to the world, this exercise in standing out is mere gimmickry.

Suzy Batiz, CEO of the $300-million-plus company of Poo-Pourri, said in a recent interview with