If you’re like me, you’ve heard the phrase often repeated by our parents, that we should “never, never, never, give up,” Quoting the great Winston Churchill. Well, although that sounds nice and good, the reality is sometimes you need to give up and find something else, do something else, or be something else, especially when the direction you’re going in is going nowhere. The damage you are causing will last a lifetime if you don’t stop. So, not to be disrespectful to my elders, let me rephrase that quote to say, Don’t give up…unless you should. Why? Because sometimes, the […]
Start Wading
When I was a child, there was nothing I liked more than to wade into the cold creek and look for crawdads, frogs, and other creek life. Then we started taking our summer vacation to the Isle of Palms on the coast of South Carolina, and my creek became an ocean. Back then, the island was row upon row of summer beach homes (not the spectacular ones you see nowadays). Our beach bungalow was easily recognizable, as we were very close to the famous island house called Tickled Pink, and yes, it was a bright, Pepto-Bismol pink. (My brothers would […]
Be A Weed
By now, you know that little things in life make me wonder. Big things make me wonder, too, like how many stars are in the universe, and what we are going to do about the trash in our oceans and overfishing by some countries. But sometimes my mind seeks to know how little things work, like how is it that a dandelion–you know, the little yellow flowering weed with a thick stem and hairy little leaves that I can crush with my hand and have it wither away quickly–can push its way up through asphalt, the road that my car […]
The Kindness of Strangers
I am sure that at some time or another, when you least expected it, a stranger helped you. The kindness of strangers–completely unexpected, gratefully accepted, and long remembered. It sometimes happens when a thought flashes in your mind; I could use some help here. And suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, someone comes to your aid, answering your silent prayer or your out-loud request to any visiting angels to hurry and help. I can remember many times when I uttered a prayer or word or even a thought that flickered through my mind requesting help when, lo and behold, someone in […]
The Emotion of Frustration
I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then, I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, and this emotion will wreck your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. Once […]
3 Things I Need Each Day
With the 4th of July upon us, I think it best to let you rest and take some time for reflection on the holiday. That being said, if you can spare just a little over four minutes, I’d encourage you to watch this video clip of Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech upon winning Best Actor at the Oscars a few years ago. His short message of 3 Things I Need Each Day has deep meaning, and it is one of the few clips that I keep on my computer because I agree with him on the idea that we each need: 1) Something […]
You Don’t Need More Time; You Just Need to Decide
“You don’t need more time; you just need to decide” – Seth Godin I don’t know about you, but I always need more time – a few more hours in my day. I know we all have the same 24 hours, but for some reason, I seem to lose a few and end up running late or behind schedule more often than I’d like. And that’s a problem since I have no patience for those who are chronically late. It’s my pet peeve, and yet I do it, too. I came across this statement online the other day from Seth […]
The Emotion of Scarcity
I am continuing my series on emotions. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then, I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, and this emotion will wreck your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. Once you’ve […]
Goodwill Garners Goodwill
Recently, I was flying to an engagement, and the in-flight magazine had a story about a staffer with a certain airline who had gone above and beyond what was expected of a passenger who had been stranded. When others in the organization heard about his good deeds, notes and letters poured in, saying his kindness was legendary, and everyone knew his name and seemed to recall some display of kindness he had shown to others at some time. At the end of the story, the staffer mentioned that the response from his fellow employees meant the world to him because, […]
