Three Thoughts for Thursday ~ August 2026

Be a Treasure Hunter

This month, I’ve been thinking about treasure hunting; not the buried-chest, X-marks-the-spot kind of treasure. I’ve been pondering the kind where we move through our lives looking for the moments, we might otherwise miss, and intentionally creating opportunities for more of them, more adventure, more noticing in the mundane, more savoring, more reflecting, reframing, and reevaluating.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the gift of two little adventures that reminded me just how much treasure is hiding in plain sight.

First, I took my kids glamping on San Juan Island. We played yard games – corn hole, giant chess, checkers, and Jenga, ventured out on a paddle board, pedaled around on a water trike, roasted hot dogs and made s’mores, played evening games by lantern light, explored, and Sally made her first tie-dyed t-shirt.

Then, while my boys all headed to the Oregon Coast for Scout Camp, my daughter Sally and I headed to Victoria with my Aunt Mellie from Arizona – two ferries to get there and two ferries home. There were gorgeous sunsets and water views along the way, but the real treasures were the people and moments waiting for us when we arrived – time with my Great Aunt Marie and dad’s and Aunt Mellie’s cousins Kelly, Kent, and Leslie. We picked peas from the garden and ate them on the spot. We painted rocks. Sally made GIANT bubbles with a dinosaur bubble maker. We ate good food, laughed, drank good wine, wandered through Butchart Gardens, had high tea, and visited butterflies.

None of these moments was particularly extraordinary on its own, and maybe that’s the point.

A beautiful life is made up of treasures we notice, and treasures we make space to find.

Thought One: Look for the treasure.

Kids are naturally good treasure hunters. A pea pulled straight from the garden is an event. A rock is something worth painting. A ferry is an adventure. Bubbles deserve your full attention.

Somewhere along the way, many of us get so focused on getting somewhere that we stop noticing what is around us.

Emotional intelligence begins with awareness. And perhaps one form of awareness is simply asking:

What is here that I might be missing?
The sunset.
The laughter.
The conversation.
The person sitting across from us.
The ridiculous fun of pedaling a giant tricycle across the water.

The treasure doesn’t necessarily need to be created. Sometimes it simply needs to be noticed.

Thought Two: Don’t just find treasure. Create opportunities for it.

Of course, San Juan Island didn’t just happen. Neither did Victoria.
There were reservations to make, ferries to catch, bags to pack, schedules to coordinate, and miles to drive. All the travel planning I do has had me thinking about how often we say we value connection, adventure, beauty, play, or family, and then wait for those things to somehow appear in our lives. Sometimes they do. And sometimes we have to create the conditions that make them possible, that create the space for us to pause and notice.

We have to send the invitation, buy the ferry ticket, put the dinner on the calendar, get out the paddle board, sit down at the table, take the detour, and we must SAY YES to possibilities and opportunities to be present!

Being a treasure hunter isn’t passive. Being a treasure hunter is an intentional way of moving through the world, making room for the things we say matter to us.

Thought Three: Know what you’re hunting for.

Perhaps the most important question is: What counts as treasure to you? What do you value?

For me, these past few weeks have reminded me that treasure often looks like beauty, adventure, play, and more than anything, connection.

Your treasure might look different, but when we know what we’re looking for, we become more likely to notice it, and more intentional about creating opportunities to experience it.

So this month, I’m asking myself:

What treasure is already here?

And…
What treasure do I want to create the opportunity to find, to really see and appreciate?

Treasure hunting is both a way of noticing and a way of living: some treasures are already there waiting for us to see them, while others require us to intentionally create the conditions for adventure, beauty, play, and connection.

Maybe that’s part of living with intention, not waiting for a meaningful life to find us, but becoming better treasure hunters within the life we already have.

Be a Treasure Hunter Reflection Questions — The Three I’s of EQ™:

Inward — Insight & Intuition

What counts as “treasure” to me in this season of my life?
What moments lately have brought me joy, beauty, connection, play, or a sense of adventure?
What treasures are already present in my life that I may be moving too quickly to notice?
When do I feel most present and fully alive?
What do my emotions tell me about what I want more—or less—of?
What have I been taking for granted that deserves my attention and appreciation?
Where might I benefit from seeing something familiar with new eyes?
What is here that I might be missing?

Integrate — Integrity & Intention

Do the ways I spend my time and energy reflect what I say I treasure?
Where am I waiting for joy, connection, or adventure to happen rather than creating the conditions for it?
What gets in the way of making room for the things I value?
Where could I slow down enough to notice, savor, or appreciate what is already here?
What invitation could I send, plan could I make, or opportunity could I say YES to?
Is there something ordinary I could approach with more curiosity, playfulness, or wonder?
What might I need to say no to in order to make room for a more meaningful yes?
What treasure do I want to intentionally create the opportunity to find?

Impact — How I Show Up & What I Create

Who benefits when I am more present, joyful, curious, and connected?
How does the way I move through the world influence the people around me?
What memories and experiences am I helping create for the people I love?
How might intentionally noticing beauty and goodness change the way I experience an ordinary day?
How could I invite someone else into more connection, adventure, play, or joy?
If someone watched how I lived this month, what would they conclude I treasure?
What small choice could create a ripple effect of greater connection or joy?
What kind of life am I creating through the treasures I choose to notice, seek, and make space for?

Ignite – Take Action!

What is one treasure I will notice—or create space to find—this week?

Notice it. Name it. Make room for it. Live it.

Quotes I’m Pondering and A Thought to Carry With You:

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
— Marcel Proust

“The secret to life is finding joy in the ordinary things.”
~ Ruth Reichl

Maybe being a treasure hunter isn’t about going farther. Maybe it’s about seeing more. What treasure will you look for this week?

What I’m Reading:

You’ve Got This: 101 Ways to Boost Your Confidence, Nurture Your Spirit and Remind Yourself That Everything Is Going to be Okay by Domonique Bertolucci

A self-improvement book by best-selling author, Domonique Bertolucci, this book offers short, practical advice and affirmations to help readers stop comparing themselves to others, practice self-kindness, and find joy in what they already are and have.

Core Themes of the Book:

Self-Kindness: stop punishing yourself for what you lack.
Gratitude: Focus on the good things you already have in live.
Mindset Shift: Move from feeling stressed and overwhelmed to calm and confident.
Energy Conservation: Save your time and energy for the things that truly matter.

Key Takeaways:

Look at your current life instead of wanting what other people have.
Appreciate simple treasures like a happy home, good health, and good friends.
Make small changes in how you think to feel more relaxed every day.
Take a deep breath and put your daily worries into a better perspective.

This little book by Domonique Bertolucci has been a fitting companion to this month’s adventures. Before bed each night, I’ve been reading a piece from and a one or two, or sometimes three, Its invitation is deceptively simple: spend less energy focused on what we don’t have and more attention appreciating what is already present – the people, relationships, laughter, health, and experiences that make life rich.

It feels like another version of treasure hunting, reminding me to breathe deeply, and to look around and notice there may already be more here than I realize.

What I’m Listening To:

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
This podcast explores the science behind what actually contributes to a good life and regularly challenges our assumptions about where happiness comes from. For this month’s theme, I’m particularly drawn to its exploration of connection and the ways our everyday choices shape our well-being.
Perhaps treasure hunting isn’t really about chasing happiness at all. Perhaps it is about noticing joy, finding beauty, and deliberately doing more of what makes life richer.

“Sight and Sound: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses” | Season 6, Episode 14 | April 16, 2023

Are you seeing what you look at? Or tuning into the noises all around you? We take our senses for granted – particularly when it comes to the sights and sounds of our everyday lives. Exploring your senses can be a great way to experience more fun and happiness right now.

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin was warned that her eyesight was in peril – which spurred her to rethink her relationship with her senses. In the first two interviews, Gretchen joins Dr. Laurie Santos to discuss her journey of discovery in her new book – Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.

This episode, features guest, Gretchen Rubin, and is very much about noticing: becoming more alive to the sights and sounds we normally take for granted and using our senses to experience more joy in everyday life. (Pushkin Industries) This episode emphasizes finding beauty in what is already around us.

“You Can’t Always Want What You Like” | Season Episode | September 12, 2021

This episode examines the strange reality that we often don’t initiate activities we know we’ll enjoy—things like adventures, trips to see family, or other experiences—and offers strategies for deliberately doing more of what actually makes life richer. (Pushkin Industries) Treasure hunters don’t only notice treasure; they create opportunities to find it.

Check out my Three Thoughts for Thursday, May 2025 on awe, as well as Laurie Santos’ podcast episode, “The Power of Awe… and Where to Find It.” In my Three Thoughts for Thursday, May 2025 I pondered awe, including the book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life and several podcasts on awe. Here is another Happiness Lab podcast, The Power of Awe… and Where to Find It, that also features author Dacher Keltner, and the theme of awe:

Laurie Santos talks with UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner about how awe can be found in ordinary life—through music, art, scenery, nature, and even a walk around the block. The episode explores how awe can reduce stress, shift us away from our smaller worries, and help us feel more connected to other people. (Pushkin Industries)

The treasure doesn’t have to be extraordinary. Sometimes the practice is developing “eyes to see” what is already there – a sunset from the ferry, peas picked from a garden, butterflies, a child making bubbles, laughter around a table, or beauty encountered along the way.

Be a treasure hunter. Notice what is already here and create opportunities to discover more of what makes you feel alive.

Stop to notice, and creating, he moments that make a life meaningful.

You can sign up to receive my Three Thoughts for Thursday post as an email on the third Thursday of every month by clicking here. If you’ve missed any of my Three Thoughts, you can find them all on my blog. If you enjoyed this post, take a look at my recap of 2025 in December’s Three Thoughts and last month’s July Three Thoughts for Thursday. You may also be interested in reading some of my other recent blog posts, like the four-part Lessons of the Run series –Endurance, Resilience, Rest, and Grit. Take a look at my latest post, The Gift of the Fog, and “YOU are the MISSING Piece!”

If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, I also offer leadership and emotional intelligence coaching and workshops. You can find more information on my website, or you can use this link to set up a free 30-minute introduction to coaching session.

I have partnered with my fellow Education and Coaching colleague, Dr. Joan Flora, to offer a new experience we are calling The Empathy & Attunement Studio. This new endeavor seeks to create space to take emotions and experiences to the “studio” to build and practice new tools and create new outcomes in emotionally charged conversations and relationships. This space explores emotions and their purpose, the information they hold about our human needs, and how we can learn to respond with intention and integrity instead of reacting and regretting. We are offering monthly Open Houses and Studio Practice Space where you can learn more and dive into creating new outcomes.

Come check out what we’re up to at The Empathy & Attunement Studio ~ Where Emotional Awareness Becomes Purposeful Action!

I also have the privilege of hosting the Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group for ICFLA. Please consider joining us for the remaining sessions of the ICFLA EI SIG in 2026! We began the 2026 series on February 24^th with Re-grounding Coaching in Emotional Intelligence: Foundations That Deepen Presence, Insight, and Impact. In April, Elena Sarango-Muniz joined us to share on the topic of The Art of Approachability – Build Bridges, Create Connections, Unlock Possibilities. On June 23^rd Erika Parker Price joined us and presented on the topic of What AI Can’t Do: The Case for Human Skills. Next week, on Tuesday, August 25^th, 11 am – 12:30 pm PT, we have the privilege of having Joshua Freedman, CEO and Co-Founder of 6 Seconds who will present on “What AI Can’t Replace: The Business Case for EQ and the Coach’s Role in Building It” in this multi-chapter event with ICF WA and ICF Oregon. Register here!

Want to know more about the ICFLA Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group and what we’ve covered lately? We kicked off our 2025 explorations and learning journey on February 25th with guest Dr. J.D. Pincus of AgileBrain, who walked us through The LA Wildfires through the Lens of Emotional Needs: Coaching in Times of Loss. On Tuesday, June 24^th, we both revisited and explored emotional intelligence in coaching through our topic, Emotional Intelligence Foundations for Coaching and Workplace Impact, with guest Maribel Hines, MBA, SPHR, CPLP. Maribel offered her insights, wisdom, and perspective through her in-house leadership and coaching and EQ practitioner lens. It was a great session as we translated theory and emotional intelligence into action and impact! Our August 26th session with Dr. Joan Flora focused on From Reactivity to Resilience: Coaching to Soften Reactivity and Strengthen Resilience. Our final session for the year was on Tuesday, October 28^th, with guest speaker, Nicole Venner, who created space to explore, discuss, and practice ways of holding space for Emotional Intelligence in Threshold Spaces.

If you are interested in joining and co-creating these learning communities, please use the links above to learn more about The Empathy & Attunement Studio, ICFLA’s Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group, and BrainByDesign, and email me to learn more about future Women’s Events. I hope you will come along for the journey!

I’m always looking for new inspiration, new books to read, and new podcasts to listen to, so please send your suggestions my way or comment on this post to offer some new recommendations!

Wishing you a season of looking inward with curiosity to notice the treasures already surrounding you, integrating intention into how you make space for what matters most, and creating impact through the joy, beauty, adventure, and connection you invite into your life and the lives of others. May you slow down enough to notice what you might otherwise miss, savor the ordinary moments that make life extraordinary, and say YES to opportunities to create more of what makes you feel alive. Be a treasure hunter.