We have all been placed on this earth to discover our own path, and we will never be happy if we live someone else’s idea of life. There is such joy in seeing happiness, contentment, and peace when someone finds their right path, their calling, or their life’s work. There is no greater joy than seeing someone settle gently into the path of their God-given talents, skills, and abilities. Now, there is another side I see: when someone is not following their dream. When they are following someone else’s dream, that makes for a rough road. I’m not saying it’s […]
Hopes and Dreams
Don’t Give Up Now
“Don’t give up now. Chances are, your best kiss, your hardest laugh, and your greatest days are still yet to come.” If there ever was a time not to give up, it is now. “Why?” You may ask. Because if you give up now, you will never know what might be waiting right around the corner. I know it seems so easy to say and so hard to do, but friends, you just can’t walk away when you are so close to the success of the dreams you’ve been working towards, or the answers you’ve been praying for, or the […]
Raise Your Words Not Your Voice
Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder. Did you know that most people don’t learn many new words, read many books, or stop and think about why their Public Speaking Skills are essential? This is interesting to me since those are the three things I think about all the time. As a speaker, I am always interested in words, not only for their meaning but also for the interpretations they evoke. How do others hear certain words, and how do they react to the words? And what about those words that have no […]
The Value of Your Name
I’ll be speaking to a ladies’ Bible study group in a few weeks, and, as I thought about what to cover, I decided to talk about something that has been rolling around in my head for a while: the value of your name and reputation. I liked that topic so much that it is my theme for today. I want to talk about the value of your name and reputation. When people hear your name, what do they think? What comes to mind when someone says your name? Now, for some of you, don’t fall out of your chair because […]
Everyone has an Invisible Sign
Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, ‘Make me feel important.’ Never forget this message when working with people. ~ Mary Kay Ash There is an age-old phenomenon that is back in full force today, partly due to social media and partly to our busyness in actually seeing those we say we care about. I hate to admit it, but I am guilty of what John Steinbeck said: “I wonder how many people I have looked at all my life and never seen.” It is not on purpose that I have seemingly overlooked others, but I have […]
You Are What You Do, Not What You Say You’ll Do
You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. I don’t know about you, but one thing in life that really chips me off is when people tell me they are going to do something and then never get around to it. Now, I’m also preaching to myself today because I made a list of things I had promised other people but never got around to doing. I had to go and make things right. Now, some folks had moved on, and when I didn’t keep my word, they did other things. At that point, I could just […]
Carpe Diem, My Friend
Carpe Diem. Seize the day… Make your lives extraordinary. It’s the fourth week on my topic, and I am just as excited and motivated by my themes of Commitment, Excellence, and Action as I was when I first introduced them to you a few weeks ago. When I started writing about these three themes you often hear about, they kept revealing themselves as much deeper than one-and-done. Commitment, Excellence, and Action seem so simple, yet so hard to master if you don’t lay the groundwork to get it right the first time…or the first ten times. It’s hard to put […]
Attract What You Expect
Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, and mirror what you admire. In Pennsylvania, I was speaking with those planning to run for public office. I teach Your Campaign Speech and how to engage your audience to listen to your message. And in Maryland, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at the Spouse Program for members of Congress. I must say they were both wonderful groups to spend time with, and my thought for today is a direct result of what I saw that week. If you’re in public office or would like to […]
Don’t Wait for Extraordinary Opportunities
Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. A few weeks ago, my show was about if you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way, and, although I thought I was done with that thought, in my mind and in my quiet time, I kept coming back to the BIG idea that anyone can take the steps in the right direction to do what they are called to do. What may seem impossible to others is not impossible for you. If you will, just put forth the effort to make it happen. […]