Have you ever looked at a task and thought, Wow, that’s impossible! Then you stop, or you start to find other ways to get the job done, and you realize that it’s not impossible, it’s just difficult, and then you keep working, and the difficulty isn’t as bad as you thought. Now, it’s still hard, but before you know it, the job that was out of range—too hard to do, couldn’t figure it out—is now completed. Finished. Done. A while back, I was having some quiet time; I was reading a devotional book I love about prayer and came across […]
Encouragement for Your Life
Your Story Isn’t Over Yet
Your story isn’t over yet. In praise of the humble semicolon I know it seems odd to write a post about a punctuation mark, but recently, I was at a restaurant, and my waiter had a very pronounced semicolon tattooed on his arm, and I asked about it. He told me that the semicolon is now the symbol to recognize those who have struggled with depression, anxiety, addiction, and/or suicidal thoughts. I had not heard about this trend of using the semicolon as a symbol of hope. The waiter went on to explain that the semicolon represents “a sentence the […]
What’s Your Balance?
I don’t mean your physical balance – although that is important, but what I am asking about today is your “credit” in the accounts of “worthy organizations”… such as your volunteer activities… your kid’s school… your place of worship… what I find (more so at the holidays) is that for many of you – you make great deposits and have a lot of credit with good organizations and although that is a worthy endeavor I just want to make sure that those you need you the most are not short-changed. Suzanne Bates wrote in a recent column that – If […]
Where you’re heading is much more important than what you’ve left behind
“Even though there are days I wish I could change some things that happened in the past, there’s a reason the rearview mirror is so small, and the windshield is so big, where you’re heading is much more important than what you’ve left behind.” Unknown I am proud to say that this is show 200. Really. 200 radio and podcast shows, along with 200 blog posts. If you had told me a few years ago that I would stay with this project, I am not sure I would have believed you because it is a boatload of work each week, […]
How to be lucky
I have always loved the quote, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” It has been attributed to just about everyone, but the one who is consistently listed is Samuel Goldwyn of TV and movie producer fame. Interesting when you think that he might have said that line considering that he was–in a sense–the star-maker in Hollywood, but even he understood the long view of success or luck (as you’d like to believe). Just think back on your favorite movie star and then research how many times they had to do cheese ball commercials or TV sitcoms or print […]
All together now…
Right outside my window, I have the most amazing birdbath. What makes this resting place so awesome is the many visitors that come to drink, and wash, and play…at least, I think they are playing in the water. When a bird lands on the rim of the bath, I will stop what I’m doing and watch… watch them peck at the water, jump in and wiggle, flex their wings, and groom themselves. It’s a good thing the bath is not near my office window – goodness knows, I’d get nothing done. I wasn’t always a bird person – in fact, […]
A Little Bit of Kindness
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” –Henry James. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” Plato It doesn’t take much to show a little bit of kindness, and if there ever was a time that your city, your community, your family, and your friends need that smidgen of love, friend, it is now. We all need a little bit of kindness. It doesn’t take much, but it does take some work in advance to make sure […]
Be gentle with everyone you meet
If there is one thing I have learned in life, it is this: Be gentle with everyone you meet–you have no idea what has happened to them on their life journey. As most of you know, I am a speaker. I stand before audiences of 100 to 1,000 on any given week, and it never fails–really, it never fails–that someone who looks like a million bucks or who is the life of the party or who carries themselves with such apparent ease is the one who carries the deepest scars. Over the years, I think I’ve developed something like a […]
You can never leave footprints that last
You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe. Leymah Gbowee If you’re like me, you see a quote, and it just strikes you as a great mental stop. That is what happened with today’s quote and theme. Those who know me know that I am not someone who tiptoes around issues–it is a time matter for me. I don’t like to waste time when, with a direct response, decision, or action, I can move on to other things. No doubt this has gotten me in trouble at times, but chalk it up to impatience […]
