I didn’t set out to be an essayist, or a blogger, or to have a website, or to publish a collection of reflections ranging from mortality, to gardening, to chocolate addiction, to the view from the back seat of a Harley driven by a man in black leather pants.

I set out years ago to write an entirely different book…but as it often does, life got in the way.

Alien. Unwelcoming. A constant battle that saps your energy and spirit.

This is the way many women still describe the experience of trying to reach the executive suites of the corporate world. It’s also the reason many who finally make it to a corner office then choose to leave their coveted position to shape their own destinies by striking out on their own as consultants or entrepreneurs.

Frances Hodgson Burnett, an English-American playwright and author was an amazing woman – some might say the J.K. Rowling of the late 19th century.

Born into an impoverished family in Manchester, England, in 1849, from the age of 18 she would use her vivid imagination and writing skills to pen popular children’s books, novels and plays to support her brothers and sisters.

Lornah Kiplagat’s running career was born out of necessity. When the chore of milking her father’s cattle made her late, she ran the 14 miles to school to get there on time.

She has since gone on to become one of the world’s fastest women. Originally Kenyan, and now a Dutch citizen, she is an accomplished long-distance road, cross country and track and field runner.