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Barbara Brooks created Flamingo Strategies LLC to help clients stand up and stand out, through telling and sharing their stories of impact and purpose.
Hacking Away at Happiness is her blog. 

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FLAMINGO STRATEGIES, LLC
Three ways love is like Apple TV's Severance
Mar 29

Mar 29 Three ways love is like Apple TV's Severance

Barbara Brooks
Romance

Severance is not only a dark farce about corporate domination and workers who bond in their eagerness to belong. It’s also a commentary on love.

The Self-Help Dopamine Hit
Mar 18

Mar 18 The Self-Help Dopamine Hit

Barbara Brooks
Mindfulness, Life

I’m kind of a junkie for long-form podcasts designed to make us better people. But I never thought of them as a drug.

A few more thoughts on love
Mar 8

Mar 8 A few more thoughts on love

Barbara Brooks
Aging, Romance

As I spend less time alone, I’m noticing the practical compromises one has to make in order to truly share physical life with another human.

A few things I’m learning about love
Feb 15

Feb 15 A few things I’m learning about love

Barbara Brooks
Romance, Aging

Two years ago, I bumbled my way into a relationship that actually works. I haven’t wanted to jinx it by putting too many certain-sounding words on the page. But now it’s time to try.

How to live with the unknown
Jan 24

Jan 24 How to live with the unknown

Barbara Brooks
Aging, Mindfulness, Wellness

If we’re aware of what scares us, and we have a plan, then maybe can find calm in the eye of the crazy storm we don’t see coming.

How to make room for what's next
Dec 29

Dec 29 How to make room for what's next

Barbara Brooks
Life, Simplicity, Romance

In order to make room in our lives for what’s next, we need to understand what’s holding us back. We need to understand our WHY NOT.

How to get unstuck
Dec 22

Dec 22 How to get unstuck

Barbara Brooks
Creativity, Storytelling

Stuck is relative. I, too, have cycles of repetition and paralysis. But over the years, mine have gotten shorter. And I’ve learned a thing or two.

The creative way of being
Dec 5

Dec 5 The creative way of being

Barbara Brooks
Creativity, Art

Lately my brain and my body are on fire. And so, too, is my heart. So I’m suddenly seeing and feeling details I’ve long been missing. You can do this too!

Make art every day
Nov 9

Nov 9 Make art every day

Barbara Brooks
Creativity, Storytelling

It will take monumental creativity to craft a new story about ourselves and the world around us—especially now. And we all—every one of us—have an obligation to participate in making it.

Hindsight is 20/24
Feb 10

Feb 10 Hindsight is 20/24

Barbara Brooks
Creativity, Mindfulness, Storytelling

I read somewhere that the only reason to look back is to see how far we’ve come. But I think there are other reasons too. Especially when we’re feeling lost. Or itchy to discover what’s next.

The promise of peace
Dec 28

Dec 28 The promise of peace

Barbara Brooks
Religion

The challenge of Christmas isn’t believing in Jesus. It’s believing that peace is possible. Peace is within our reach, if only we do the work.

Why happy is hard
Nov 22

Nov 22 Why happy is hard

Barbara Brooks
Family, Romance, Life, Race

So here we are at Thanksgiving. Appreciating our plenty. Acknowledging the people we love. But it’s also okay to feel a bit afraid.

 Vacation “Days of Awe”
Sep 23

Sep 23 Vacation “Days of Awe”

Barbara Brooks
Travel, Religion

Whether planning a vacation or deciding where to have dinner, we should take that old rule from journalism and turn it on its head. We should alwasys start with why.

The things we carry
Aug 23

Aug 23 The things we carry

Barbara Brooks
Aging, Life, Simplicity

I packed in a hurry because I’m a girl who beats deadlines. And I’m an editor, so I knew I’d have other chances to crystallize my thinking.

How to stick the landing
Aug 6

Aug 6 How to stick the landing

Barbara Brooks
Creativity, Life, Home

For us mere mortals, to stick the landing means to complete a process in an impressive and conclusive manner. So, how can we land squarely the next time we’re lost in space?

Safe, not sorry
Jul 11

Jul 11 Safe, not sorry

Barbara Brooks
Aging, Mindfulness, Philosophy

We’re all living on borrowed time. Squatting on borrowed land. Eeking out a borrowed existence. So what does safety even mean? And how does it change as we age? 

Change is sneaky
Jun 19

Jun 19 Change is sneaky

Barbara Brooks
Wellness, Travel, Aging

Thanks to the coffee mishap, ideas are percolating. So here’s what I’m thinking about change.

Love is not a project
Apr 12

Apr 12 Love is not a project

Barbara Brooks
Friendship, Romance

So here I am again. Thinking things through and putting words on the page. Maybe love is not a project. And I’ve been going about this all wrong.

Third eye blind
Mar 25

Mar 25 Third eye blind

Barbara Brooks
Aging, Mindfulness

My whole life I’ve been on a quest for 20/20 vision. Perfect vision, I thought, meant perfect clarity. But of course that isn’t true.

Dog is my copilot
Feb 26

Feb 26 Dog is my copilot

Barbara Brooks
Life, Wellness

When I got Greta, I imagined she’d be the best dog of my life. But that’s a lot of pressure to put on a dog. And even more to put on myself. 

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