I have been looking through the past years of files of the online version of my writing and reviewing all the themes that I have written about. As I scrolled through week after week of posts, one thing that struck me is the fact that I am drawn to a few themes. This is interesting since so much of my writing has been, in a very real sense, random–thoughts that just happened to pop into my mind (after a prayer for guidance), and then five, six, or seven pages later, Shazam and a new radio show appears. For those who […]
Encouragement for Your Life
Remember people are looking up to you – don’t let them down
There is a small church near where I live, and on the outdoor board that shows the church service times and the pastor’s name and other information, Recently, I saw that they had put up this phrase, “Remember, people are looking up to you – don’t let them down.” I really like that thought because it is so true. I know I speak about this a lot, but friends, hear me—you never know who is watching you, and you never know who is following your steps as they live their lives. You matter. Your words matter. Your actions matter, and […]
Taking Care of Business
I am sure you have a lot going on in your life these days, but allow me a minute to gently remind you to make sure you’re taking care of business–the business of doing what brings you joy, happiness, or simply what gives you a place or sense of rest, relaxation and good times for today and tomorrow. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle of doing what everyone expects or demands that sometimes we forget why we are doing what we’re doing, as life becomes routine and rote and, for many, boring. I don’t mean […]
What will you do?
Well, it’s bound to happen, and it did…. I fell down some steps as I was going off the stage to write something on the whiteboard. It happened so quickly, and I went down hard and hit my head against the wall and my backside on the steps, and my shoulder took the brunt of the fall. Probably one of the worst things that can happen to a speaker – in the middle of a 2-hour session is to fall down. Luckily, I was able to regain my composure, and I quickly stood and said, “And now I will take […]
To Act
“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one’s better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk, and to act.” — Maxwell Maltz “To act” is my theme for today because, just like you, I hear the most amazing dreams, plans, and ideas from very capable people who never do anything to make any of them come true. It has gotten so repetitive with a few of my friends that I don’t enjoy going out with them because, just like last time, the whole […]
Living a shadow life
I just finished reading a book called “Turning Pro” by one of my favorite writers, Steven Pressfield. His other book, “The War of Art,” is a classic, and I can tell you it changed my business life when I read it years ago, so when a friend mentioned that he had read another good Pressfield book, I had to pick it up. And there’s an idea in the book that is so simple, yet so true, that I couldn’t get away from it; I have been thinking about it for days, and I wanted to share it with you. It’s […]
You can’t fix yourself by breaking someone else
You can’t fix yourself by breaking someone else… You often hear the phrase that life is precious, and we need to be careful with our words, our actions, and our attitude. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement and believe it to be true. We all need to follow the wisdom of those words, but what I find so disappointing in watching others is the bizarre attitude of some people who think that by tearing everyone else down, they are building themselves up. Sorry, Charlie, it doesn’t work that way because you can’t fix yourself by breaking someone else. It’s just […]
Are You Addicted to Doing?
I know you’ve heard the phrase, “Just say no.” And while it was used to take aim at the war on drugs, I am here to encourage you to “just say no” and stop willfully taking another drug of choice that many people take and tend to overdose on, especially during the holidays–the drug of doing. I’ve never understood why so many good people are addicted to the need for doing so, especially when they don’t enjoy it and can’t afford it. What I see is that they feel pressured by others because they feel they have no way out. […]
Be a lamp – a lifeboat – or a ladder
Be a lamp – a lifeboat – or a ladder. I came across this saying a while back, and it made me stop and think about who in our lives has been there as a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder. I’m sure for most of us; it would be easy to choose someone who is a lamp in our life – someone who believed we’d come into our own one day and be the person we were born to be. That one person who, against all odds of human reasoning, liked us, loved us and believed in us, and […]
