With the 4th of July upon us, I think it best to let you rest and have a time of 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 […]
Friendship
If You Want To Be Trusted Be Honest
Seems like a no-brainer, to be honest, but you and I know that some of our friends will skirt the truth for various reasons, none being worth the damage that a lie will yield. It makes perfect sense as you go through life that if you want to be trusted, be honest. I had a friend who was notorious for telling (as she would explain) “little white lies,” as compared to green or blue lies, I guess. She wouldn’t even blink when telling a “little” mistruth, and over time, I started to wonder where the “little lie” stopped and the […]
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 wreak 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. […]
What’s in The Well, Comes Up in The Bucket
I was listening to the commencement address by Tyler Perry at Tuskegee University, and in his remarks, he made this statement: “What’s in the well comes up in the bucket.” It is the first time I heard this phrase, and it just stuck with me because it seems to be the perfect Southern phrase of how life really is, no matter what it seems like on the outside. I get that everyone wants to appear successful to friends and family (and enemies), and it is good for those who have made it because, no doubt, it took work to find […]
Go Where You’re Celebrated, Not Tolerated
A while back, I stepped down from a leadership position that I really enjoyed. I like to be called Boss Lady, but the reality is I do too much, so in order to take control of my world, I had to make some changes to protect the time I have to do the things that I am interested in doing and, in some cases, am required to do. It’s never easy stepping away from a project you birthed or, created or really loved. But the fact is that in order to leave a legacy of success, there comes a time […]
A shoulder to lean on
I am a bystander – a new friend – and an American colleague who has come to work in her country. Just for a moment, in the late afternoon’s dusty air settling on a few minutes’ worth of freshly fallen rain, we are family. It can happen to anyone. The police report said he had come from the eye doctor and had his pupils dilated. Instead of waiting for the appropriate time to allow his eyes to see clearly, he got up from the hospital bench and walked into the street. Not being able to judge distance with his fractured […]
Do what lies clearly 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 […]
Walking Away
“When faced with senseless drama, spiteful criticisms, and misguided opinions, walking away is the best way to stand up for yourself. To respond with anger is an endorsement of their attitude.” ~ Dodinsky How many times have you thought about walking away from the drama, the words, and the noise, but you stayed to play one more round, hoping it would not be as bad as you thought? No doubt, it ended up being pretty awful. And the worst part is you knew it would end up poorly, but you just had to speak your mind one more time, or […]
Why We Lie
Honesty is such a lonely word, and to add insult to injury, exaggeration is the name of the game, and that is a lie. Oh, I know I said the word lie. I said it because, well, that is what it is when you don’t tell the truth about yourself. I know the word is harsh, and it is tougher still to be called out on, but quicker than you can hide your lie from those who know you, the damage you’ve done to yourself will cut you deeply and leave a lifelong scar for all to see. I want […]
