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 […]
Life lessons
We Each Write the Story of Our Lives
I am not sure what it is about my theme today that captures me. I guess it’s because there is such truth in the simple statement that we each write the story of our lives one choice at a time. Regrets or joy, we make choices every hour, every day, every month, every year and will do so for the rest of our lives. And those choices will be a reflection of what we love or once loved, cared about or decided to toss out, something we fought for or something we fought against. The choices we make will, for […]
If You Want to Leave a Footprint
If You Want to Leave a Footprint Don’t Drag Your Feet I came across today’s theme by accident when I was looking for some other information about leaving a legacy that I spoke about last week. If you want to leave a footprint don’t drag your feet.—Arnot L. Sheppard This quote just stuck with me, so much so that I couldn’t shake it to work on something else. There is just something about the phrase that makes me stop and think…probably because I am very mindful that we will all leave a legacy of some sort, but in addition […]
Take A Chance
I’ve seen this poster a hundred times on school bulletin boards or coffee shop info boards and at Whole Foods on the community board. It was just recently though, for some unknown reason, it finally caught my attention. It’s an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and the bottom of the sheet is clipped so you can “pull a ticket.” The poster headline is “Take A Chance” and each ticket says: “Chance.” Interesting to see how many little slips of paper just hang on the sheet waiting to be taken. I guess some folks don’t see it as anything they’d […]
People will kill you
“People will kill you over time, and how they kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like be realistic.” Dylan Moran I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate it when people give backhanded, up front or behind the back slights to one’s life dreams, hopes and ambitions. And, yes, I used the word hate because, like you, I heard these phrases from others as I wandered through my early work years. And, because it frustrated me so much, I made mental notes to stay away from those who would be so bold to say something so ridiculous […]
The world needs you to share your gifts
“The world needs you to share your gifts and go for your dreams. There aren’t enough people who have the courage to go for it.” Lewis Howes As your friend, I want to ask you a question, “Do you have courage?” I mean, really, do you have the courage to do the thing you keep talking about, wishing for or hoping one day will come true? I sincerely hope you do, and I celebrate your success if you are living the dream. That being said, I also know, by watching countless people run to the edge of success, look into […]
Dreams are Free
I have a lot of great opportunities but one of the ones I’m privileged to be a part of is TEDx for which I am the speaker coach. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics – from science to business to global issues – in more than 100 languages. For a number of years, every Sunday, it was my practice to choose and watch […]
Everyone thinks of changing the world
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself – Leo Tolstoy Change is a funny thing. We all want it for about a week, then it loses its shine and we’re back to being the same. Not that being the same is all bad–we seem to revel in it since that is “who we are”–but remember that for a fleeting minute we dreamed a bit higher and considered the option of being a bit more noble and a bit more… well… better, but, alas, it was just a quirky consideration best left for another day. […]
Be Impeccable With Your Words
Today’s message may not be for all of my amazing readers. If the words do not add encouragement to your life, pass by this issue, and please come back next week. Be Impeccable With Your Words “Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz The Power of Words I would dare say that you know how to wield the power of words in the lives […]