Because of my being a speaker, I have the opportunity to travel around the world teaching public speaking, presentation and media skills to elected officials or those who would like to be. When I was speaking in the Middle East a while back, I was training some dynamic up-and-coming young women who were seeking a seat on their local council and one day at lunch I noticed that one of the ladies was reading a book of poetry by Rumi, a Persian poet and philosopher. It struck me as unusual that someone would be carrying around a book of ancient […]
The Emotion of Worry
I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started with anger because anger really hurts you and those around you. Remember, anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have a happy life you have to let it go. Then I talked about the pain of shame. Shame is a Failure to Meet Your Own Standard of Behavior, and this emotion will play havoc in your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. […]
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 […]
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… Today I want to talk with you about shame, which is closely related to but different from guilt. Probably the best definition I have heard of shame is that it’s a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, whereas guilt is a failure to meet others’ standards of behavior. This is the difference we’re […]
Do What Is Best for You
Recently 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 that, being so cowed by others that many basketball players […]
The reason most people give up is because
Today I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on. I saw a quote recently that said, “The reason most people give up is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far they have come.” And isn’t that true? Most people do give up because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far they have come. For many of us, we become discouraged at what seems to be either lack of progress, or how slow the journey has been or how long […]
If only our eyes saw souls
“If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be.” ~ Unknown I came across a funny video the other day about how young people view older people. I’m posting the video here. How funny to watch the youngsters act out how an “old” person would walk across the street, text a message or do a jumping jack. And then to see them blown away by the attitudes and actions of these elders is simply a fun way to waste a few minutes of your day, and it shows us all how […]
Keep Your Eyes on the Stars and Your Feet on the Ground
Recently I came across two different accounts of people who have come to realize that their hero wasn’t what or who they thought they were. So, with truth in hand, these wise (albeit hurt) folks walked away. Not bitter, not really angry; mostly hurt and embarrassed that they fell so fast for the ideals that were portrayed to them as truth, but in the end, they realized that empty promises are just that–empty–so it didn’t matter what was offered since it was nothing but words without meaning. Those stories stirred me. I realized that although I admire many people, in […]
No Act of Kindness Is Ever Wasted
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted! Aesop Well, I am back to my favorite theme again—kindness. And I am pretty sure you’ll agree with me, that the world at this very moment could use a little bit more kindness. Why? Because, friends, kindness matters—today, tomorrow and the next day. We just had Mothers Day, and I hope you took the time to show kindness toward mom, whatever your relationship. Today I want to talk about not only the value of kindness towards others, but also for you, as well. I love the quote that No act of […]