Right outside my window I have the most amazing birdbath. What makes this resting place so awesome is the many visitors that come to drink, and wash and play…at least I think they are playing in the water… When a bird lands on the rim of the bath I will stop what I’m doing and watch… watch them peck at the water, jump in and wiggle, flex their wings and groom themselves. It’s a good thing the bath is not near my office window – goodness knows I’d get nothing done. I wasn’t always a bird person – in fact […]
Encouragement for Your Life
A Little Bit of Kindness
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” –Henry James “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” –Plato It doesn’t take much to show a little bit of kindness, and if there ever was a time that your city, your community, your family and your friends need that smidgen of love, friend, it is now. We all need a little bit of kindness. It doesn’t take much, but it does take some work in advance to make sure […]
Be gentle with everyone you meet
If there is one thing I have learned in life it is this, Be gentle with everyone you meet–you have no idea what has happened to them on their life journey. As most of you know, I am a speaker. I stand before audiences of 100 to 1,000 on any given week, and it never fails–really, it never fails–that someone who looks like a million bucks or who is the life of the party or who carries themselves with such apparent ease is the one who carries the deepest scars. Over the years, I think I’ve developed something like a […]
You can never leave footprints that last
You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe. Leymah Gbowee If you’re like me, you see a quote and it just strikes you as a great mental stop. That is what happened with today’s quote and theme. Those who know me know that I am not someone who tiptoes around issues–it is a time matter for me. I don’t like to waste time when, with a direct response, decision or action, I can move on to other things. No doubt this has gotten me in trouble at times, but chalk it up to impatience […]
You Matter
In thinking about this week’s show and having overheard some conversations of a few people that I know well, I was struck once again about the power of words that sink into the heart of everyone and rattle the fragile understanding of one’s self worth. It seems to me that words are so many times callously thrown about and off-handedly imply to anyone who will listen that they (the person) are damaged and, believing their pain, they question one eternal truth that has stood the test of time through the ages, and yet so many people struggle with the concept […]
You can dwell on it for the rest of your life.
One of the great joys of doing this radio show is all the nice people who call or email me and tell me how a certain show was meaningful to them, from how much they liked a certain guest, to some asking questions about who to turn to for help. Since I am not a licensed counselor or an HR person, I like to suggest some good people I know who may be able to help those who reach out to me seeking answers. I cannot help everyone, but I certainly will try to send them to those who might […]
You are NOT responsible for how people treat you
You are not responsible for how people treat you, but you are responsible for how you treat others and yourself. Recently I was watching a show about re-entry from death row prison to freedom. The man who was telling his story said that, through it all, his mother would tell him that no matter what happens in life or death, that he was not responsible for how people treated him, but he was responsible for how he treated others and himself. A tear came to his eye when he recalled the words of the one woman who never stopped loving […]
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was happy to see you?
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was happy to see you? I mean really happy to see you every time you came around. Recently I saw a photo online of the most adorable little boy who was at an amusement park where he met someone in a costume who looked just like Tinker Bell. She was beautiful and looked very kind and sweet as she kneeled down to hug him and speak to him, and the look on his face for his parents’ camera is so full of happiness, glee, thrill, elation, excitement and pure joy. When I posted the […]
Do Not Rush
Without a doubt, I think most of us feel we are on limited time, so in order to fill every minute of every day, live life to the fullest and then to overflowing, we rush. We rush from the moment our feet hit the floor in the morning to when we crash into bed at night, and then we do it all over again for the next five days. Then the weekend comes, and we rush to fill every minute of time with the fun, family, food and football. It just seems to be that most of our lives are […]