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 […]
Leadership
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 […]
Sometimes You Have to Be Your Own Hero
I have been looking through the past years of files of the online version of my writing and reviewing all the themes that I have written about. As I scrolled through week after week of posts, one thing that struck me is the fact that I am drawn to a few themes. This is interesting since so much of my writing has been, in a very real sense, random–thoughts that just happened to pop in my mind (after a prayer for guidance) and then five, six or seven pages later, Shazam, and a newsletter appeared. For those who have asked […]
Remember people are looking up to you – don’t let them down
There is a small church near where I live, and on the outdoor board that shows the church service times and the pastors name and other information, I saw that they had put up this phrase, “Remember, people are looking up to you – don’t let them down”. I really like that thought, because it is so true. I know I speak about this a lot, but, friends, hear me—you never know who is watching you, and you never know who is following your steps, as they live their lives. You matter. Your words matter. Your actions matter. How you […]
Taking Care of Business
I am sure you have a lot going on in your life these days, but allow me a minute to gently remind you to make sure you’re taking care of business–the business of doing what brings you joy, happiness or simply what gives you a place or sense of rest, relaxation and good times for today and tomorrow. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle of doing what everyone expects or demands, that sometimes we forget why we are doing what we’re doing, as life becomes routine and rote, and for many, boring. I don’t mean […]
To Act
“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one’s better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk, and to act.”– Maxwell Maltz “To act” is my theme for today, because, just like you, I hear the most amazing dreams and plans and ideas from very capable people who never do anything to make any of it come true. It has gotten so repetitive with a few of my friends that I really don’t enjoy going out with them, because just like last time, the […]
Living a shadow life
I just finished reading a book called “Turning Pro” by one of my favorite writers, Steven Pressfield. His other book, “The War of Art,” is a classic, and I can tell you it changed my business life when I read it years ago, so when a friend mentioned that he had read another good Pressfield book, I had to pick it up. And there’s an idea in the book that is so simple, yet so true, that I couldn’t get away from it; I have been thinking about it for days, and I wanted to share it with you. It’s […]
Are You Addicted to Doing?
I know you’ve heard the phrase, “just say no.” And while it was used to take aim at the war on drugs, I am here to encourage you to “just say no” and stop willfully taking another drug of choice that many people take and tend to overdose on, especially at the holidays–the drug of doing. I’ve never understood why so many good people are addicted to the need for doing, especially when they don’t enjoy it and can’t afford it. What I see is that they feel pressured by others because they feel have no way out. We are […]