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 at a conference where I heard, once again, how failing in the past is messing up […]
Encouragement for Your Life
Be Impeccable With Your Word
“Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz I would dare say that you know how to wield the power of words in the lives of those you love, those you like, and those you’d like to knock down a peg or two…or three. We all have a favorite phrase or a favorite word that we know with certainty can slay the mighty, uplift the […]
It is the courage to continue that counts
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” –Winston Churchill I am working with a terrific young man who will be giving the valedictorian address at his high school graduation in a few weeks. It’s been fun to hear him reminisce about his early days in high school when he “didn’t care,” to realizing one day that he was just a few points behind the smartest guy at school and knowing that with a little work he could overtake him, because, as he said, no one knew he was that smart since […]
What is taking up space?
What is taking up space? (The parable of the fig tree) 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 to […]
Do What Clearly Lies 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 […]
Opportunity is Everywhere
Opportunity is everywhere if you know where to look…. The funny thing about opportunity is that it seems to follow other people and not those who seem to need it…or does it? I have been pondering that thought for some time now. Why does it seem that some people just seem to luck into the best jobs, the best relationships, and the best opportunities more than others? Or do those who come across opportunity seize hold of it and make more out of it, so it seems effortless and looks as if they tend to win over and over in […]
They Broke Your Expectations
No matter who you attribute the quote to, the idea that Expectation is the root of all heartache speaks truth to a level that most of us would rather not see or ever have to deal with, yet it is a daily occurrence, one that can fell the mightiest of men and women who, under the weight of innocent hope, will crumble when expectations (real or perceived) are not met. It’s true in life and love: They didn’t break your heart; they broke your expectations. They broke your expectations, that expectant hope that something or someone you held dear and […]
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). 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 ourselves or […]
