Seriously, I have no idea why people watch TV. Consider this a rant (and forgive me if you feel otherwise): in the space of two minutes of my clicking through TV channels in my hotel room, I saw horrifying and gruesome abuse (directed towards women), physical beatings of men and women, vulgar language and inappropriate insinuation of harm to kids. And we wonder what is wrong with our world! I have never been a big TV watcher. I taught myself years ago to put down the remote down and pick up a book. While I love any TV adventure that […]
Encouragement for Your Life
Listen and Silent are spelled with the same letters – coincidence?
I find great joy every Sunday morning in listening to the New York Times crossword puzzle editor and NPR’s Puzzlemaster Will Shortz. Will is an American puzzle creator and editor, and I think it is fascinating that he is the only person known to hold a college degree in enigmatology (enigma tology), which is the study of puzzles. Who knew you could go to college for that? I play along when he presents the on-air quiz to one lucky contestant and then gives a challenge for those of us listening at home. Sometimes, I can figure out the puzzle, and […]
The Emotion of Jealousy
I am going to continue with my theme of emotions, which are causing you harm… because I want you to understand that you are more than how you feel, and you can (with help) heal the damaged places in your heart and mind. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then, I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, and this […]
Normal Is for Others, Amazing Is for You
Recently, I was speaking at a conference, and one of the other speakers quoted Maya Angelou, “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” And I got to thinking that is a really great thought IF you could convince yourself to let go of the low expectations you have placed on yourself and then consider how working to be amazing would be a game changer for the rest of your life. What I have seen is that many people work and strive for “normal” (whatever that is), and in doing so, they give just enough instead of knocking […]
Outside of the Box
I was reading an article online last week and came across an interesting job interview question for one of my clients that dealt with thinking outside of the box. I know you’ve heard that phrase over and over, so it is not new, but I wonder why so many seem to stay in their boxes instead of moving forward, sideward, or upwards in life. Is it because they are so comfortable in the rut of sameness? Or have they ground their wheels so deep into the mud that they can never get out and go anywhere interesting? You’re familiar with […]
You are the message
You are the message Recently, I was having dinner with a friend, and we were talking about one’s life being the message they send to the world, and that got me thinking about the title of an old political book I read years ago by Roger Ailes called You Are the Message. For me, it was a book for those considering a life in public office to remind us that every deed, every word, every action is a reflection of who we are and how we would be seen by others. From the Amazon website about, the book, it says, […]
The Emotion of Shame
I am continuing with my theme of emotions, which are causing you harm because I want you to understand that you are more than how you feel and that you can (with help) heal the damaged places in your heart and mind. So, let’s continue… I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. And then I spoke on jealousy, that green-eyed monster that will wreck your perfectly happy home and make you (a […]
Your Two Most Valuable Assets
In an article in the Wall Street Journal, hotelier Ben Weprin said, “The best business advice I’ve ever received came from Sam Zell, who told me the most important thing is Shem Tov, which means your name and your integrity. Make all your decisions upon protecting those. I am an avid reader, and I love the WSJ for the front page and the weekend edition listings of all the amazing homes for sale. In the Life section, they feature celebrities and a listing of about twenty questions. In one of the questions, the idea of business advice was posted, and […]
Do What Is Best for You
I was listening to a story about the famous basketball player Rick Barry and his underhand free throw shot that he made popular back in the day. It was a great story that he told about why he crafted his underhand toss and how it became a force for free throw points for his team. He recounted for the reporter that his underhand toss never took off in the big leagues because of the simple fact that no one wanted to be seen as doing a “granny shot.” Imagine being so cowed by others that many basketball players would not […]
