What brings you to joy? What are you good at? Does anyone need you to do it? For some reason, I found myself reflecting this Holiday on a weekend spent with my twin brother as he facilitated a Boston College tradition called Halftime. This free, elective weekend is for sophomore or junior year students to step away from campus life and reflect on where they have been, where they are, and where they are going. It's all about journey, callings and decisions. As we sit in the middle of this summer what would happen if you gave yourself a Halftime? It is so easy to become caught up in the 24/7 frenzy and the depressing headlines, we can miss the real essence of work and life that revolves around these three questions. Break them down into their most simple elements and you find: JOY. TALENT. SERVICE. Spontaneous laughter. Constant learning. Teaching. Hugs. Children. Hands digging in the garden. AH that's joy to me! Making the complex simple. Crafting written and spoken words. Listening. Relating. Finding humor and story in the ordinary. These are my talents. Service? It depends. Might be the fellow residents at Mom's assisted living facility. Could be corporate teams trying to forge through the morass of a work load. It might be women gathering to become better leaders and support each other in that journey. This area seems wide open. Perhaps you will refine it for me? Please write. I'd love to hear your answers to these critical three questions.