I was listening to the commencement address by Tyler Perry at Tuskegee University, and in his remarks, he made this statement: “What’s in the well comes up in the bucket.” It is the first time I heard this phrase, and it just stuck with me because it seems to be the perfect Southern phrase of how life really is, no matter what it seems like on the outside. I get that everyone wants to appear successful to friends and family (and enemies), and it is good for those who have made it because, no doubt, it took work to find […]
Encouragement for Your Life
Go Where You’re Celebrated, Not Tolerated
A while back, I stepped down from a leadership position that I really enjoyed. I like to be called Boss Lady, but the reality is I do too much, so in order to take control of my world, I had to make some changes to protect the time I have to do the things that I am interested in doing and, in some cases, am required to do. It’s never easy stepping away from a project you birthed or, created or really loved. But the fact is that in order to leave a legacy of success, there comes a time […]
You were born with the ability to change someone’s life
You were born with the ability to change someone’s life; don’t ever waste it. As I prepare for my weekly radio show and blog post many times, I speak with the larger listening audience in mind. I fully understand it is Saturday, and you’re busy with chores or errands, house cleaning, or finishing up lunch with the family, but today, I want to talk about you and speak to you directly. As I work with presidents of corporations, sales team leaders, authors who are out selling their books, or wise folks who are working to better their speaking ability, I […]
The Most Dangerous Risk of All
The most dangerous risk of all–The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later. Today, I want to simply remind you that time is running out for you, my friend, and no matter how much you wish, it would all slow down so you can get your bearings and hang on to the truth, time marches onward, whether you like it or not. The world is spinning, and if you’re like most people I talk with, you’re just hanging on for dear life…hoping not to […]
A shoulder to lean on
I am a bystander – a new friend – and an American colleague who has come to work in her country. Just for a moment, in the late afternoon’s dusty air settling on a few minutes’ worth of freshly fallen rain, we are family. It can happen to anyone. The police report said he had come from the eye doctor and had his pupils dilated. Instead of waiting for the appropriate time to allow his eyes to see clearly, he got up from the hospital bench and walked into the street. Not being able to judge distance with his fractured […]
We Each Write the Story of Our Lives
I am not sure what it is about my theme today that captures me. I guess it’s because there is such truth in the simple statement that we each write the story of our lives one choice at a time. Regrets or joy, we make choices every hour, every day, every month, every year and will do so for the rest of our lives. And those choices will be a reflection of what we love or once loved, cared about, or decided to toss out, something we fought for or something we fought against. The choices we make will, for […]
If You Want to Leave a Footprint
If You Want to Leave a Footprint, Don’t Drag Your Feet I came across today’s theme by accident when I was looking for some other information about leaving a legacy that I spoke about last week. If you want to leave a footprint, don’t drag your feet. —Arnot L. Sheppard This quote just stuck with me, so much so that I couldn’t shake it to work on something else. There is just something about the phrase that makes me stop and think…probably because I am very mindful that we will all leave a legacy of some sort, but in […]
Take A Chance
I’ve seen this poster a hundred times on school bulletin boards or coffee shop info boards and at Whole Foods on the community board. It was just recently, though, for some unknown reason, it finally caught my attention. It’s an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, and the bottom of the sheet is clipped so you can “pull a ticket.” The poster headline is “Take A Chance,” and each ticket says: “Chance.” Interesting to see how many little slips of paper just hang on the sheet, waiting to be taken. I guess some folks don’t see it as anything they’d […]
People will kill you
“People will kill you over time, and how they kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like be realistic.” Dylan Moran I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate it when people give backhanded, up-front, or behind-the-back slights to one’s life dreams, hopes, and ambitions. And, yes, I used the word hate because, like you, I heard these phrases from others as I wandered through my early work years. And, because it frustrated me so much, I made mental notes to stay away from those who would be so bold to say something so ridiculous to me or […]
