Was Linus Right?
By Steve Gwisdalla
Originally Published on January 16, 2025
Hello Tribe of Up. Over the past several weeks, I have had the pleasure of speaking to several people from several local communities. People have had genuinely nice things to say about my little slice of The Sun Times News. The top two questions I am always asked are, what is the Tribe of Up, and where do I get my ideas for these articles?
To answer the first question, the Tribe of Up is an idea. As humans, we are always seeking a tribe of like-minded and like-goaled people. The Tribe of Up is a tribe I created for people who are tired of all the negative out there. Sick of polarizing news shows. Sick of political extremes. Sick of hate speech. Each week, I try to seek inspiration and write about things that are up. Positive. Self-promoting, not self-defeating. Positive advice. Now that the first question is answered, onto the second.
One of my early articles entitled, “Don’t Worry, Be Present” talks about my attitude towards each day. Every single sunrise I make a commitment to myself to be as present in that day as possible. I do not worry about next week. I do not fret about yesterday. I am in the moment now. Here is a QR code for that article if you are interested.

My inspiration this week is our new puppy. We recently rescued a puppy from an organization in Texas. A friend of ours fostered four pups and when I saw the pictures, I was smitten. We lost our last rescue a little over a year ago and anyone who has gone through the loss of a fur baby knows it can be hard to get back on that proverbial horse again. Losing our last dog prompted another article called “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge.” Here is a QR code for that article.

Well, our new puppy has her version of Linus’s blanket. It is one of my wife’s slippers.

How do you not fall in love with that immediately? My simple question to you this week is, what is your blanket? When you have stress or worry, what do you lean on for support? A friend, a comfortable pair of slippers? A large glass of wine? A warm blanket? My challenge for you this week is simple. Find the right ‘blanket’ when you need support. A like a good glass of red wine as much as anyone. Needing a glass of wine is a different story. Having good, positive, caring people around you…a tribe is essential when times get rough. Who are the first few people you thought of? Do me (and yourself) a favor and reach out to them. Reach out and say thank you for being in your tribe. Let them know how much they mean to you. Those words will not cost you a thing but can be priceless to the people you reach out to. On a personal note, I want to thank Jessica Rombyer and her family for fostering those pups. Thanks to her, little Clarice is now a part of our tribe.
Steve is a Dexter resident and the Owner, Chief Positivity Officer, and Vice President of Cute Puppy Picture Taking at Better Place Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in all things people. Reach out to me at steve@betterplacemgmt.com.