Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself – Leo Tolstoy Change is a funny thing. We all want it for about a week, then it loses its shine and we’re back to being the same. Not that being the same is all bad–we seem to revel in it since that is “who we are”–but remember that for a fleeting minute we dreamed a bit higher and considered the option of being a bit more noble and a bit more… well… better, but, alas, it was just a quirky consideration best left for another day. […]
Today is a new day
Today is a new day. You will get out of it just what you put into it…If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, there is always another chance for you. And supposing you have tried and failed again and again, you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down. Mary Pickford I like the thought for today. Maybe it’s because I just got back from speaking in Pennsylvania where I heard, once again, how failing in the past is messing up the […]
What is taking up space?
What is taking up space? (The parable of the fig tree) Recently during the Easter weekend, I came across a reading about the parable of the fig tree and it got me thinking about the truths that were in the story and how they relate to me and maybe to you. (Mark 11:12-14) The story relates the incident of a fig tree that had leaves but no fruit, and since it was not producing, it had no value. Was it a beautiful tree? I suppose so, but it had a larger purpose, and that was to bear fruit. How disappointing […]
Do what lies clearly at hand
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? That is a question that has come up a lot lately with some projects that I am working on. Sometimes despite my best intentions I look down the path of life and wonder – what do I do next? I am sure it is an issue that many face since, in our world of plenty, we have many great choices. And sometimes there are more ways than one to get to the finish line. But how do you know what road to take? And what measurements should one use […]
Life is an Echo
I saw a poster the other day that said, “Life is an echo, what you send out comes back. What you sow you reap. What you give you get. What you see in others exists in you. Do not judge so you will not be judged. Radiate and give love and love comes back to you.” That is an interesting, thought that life is an echo. I guess I never thought about it that way. It seems to me that most of the time, when I do something, I assume it dissipates and does not stay around to be recalled […]
Mend the part of the world
“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés I have the great fortune to be a TEDx speaker coach. And with every TEDx presenter, I am blessed to hear about topics I never knew about or even considered–that’s the beauty of TED (Technology, Education & Design) and TEDx. This year, one of the speakers gave a talk about how we all have implicit bias; whether we know it or not or whether we admit it to […]
Walking Away
“When faced with senseless drama, spiteful criticisms and misguided opinions, walking away is the best way to stand up for yourself. To respond with anger is an endorsement of their attitude.” ~ Dodinsky How many times have you thought about walking away from the drama, the words and the noise but you stayed to play one more round, hoping it would not be as bad as you thought. No doubt, it ended up being pretty awful. And the worst part is you knew it would end up poorly, but you just had to speak your mind one more time, or […]
Great Things Are Done by a Series of Small Things
Today I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on, and my theme is a quote that is new to me; it’s by the famous artist, Vincent Van Gogh. He says that “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” I love that line, because it is so true. I know that sometimes it feels like you are spinning your wheels when you are trying to create an opportunity for yourself or others, or you sometimes feel alone as you’re building a business or as you do the daily work of the job and responsibilities […]
Your Destiny Is Determined by Your Decisions
Nothing is more jarring than to see someone you know on the six-o-clock news for doing something stupid or illegal, and now that they have been arrested, the whole world knows of their demise. Don’t you find it odd that people you used to work with, worship with or who were in your network end up on the news? And not because of something good they did, but for something unscrupulous that has now landed them in a place they never thought they’d be…prison. It is at those times I want to yell and remind all who will listen that […]