I know you’ve heard the phrase, “Just say no.” And while it was used to take aim at the war on drugs, I am here to encourage you to “just say no” and stop willfully taking another drug of choice that many people take and tend to overdose on, especially during the holidays–the drug of doing. I’ve never understood why so many good people are addicted to the need for doing so, especially when they don’t enjoy it and can’t afford it. What I see is that they feel pressured by others because they feel they have no way out. […]
Life lessons
Be a lamp – a lifeboat – or a ladder
Be a lamp – a lifeboat – or a ladder. I came across this saying a while back, and it made me stop and think about who in our lives has been there as a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder. I’m sure for most of us; it would be easy to choose someone who is a lamp in our life – someone who believed we’d come into our own one day and be the person we were born to be. That one person who, against all odds of human reasoning, liked us, loved us and believed in us, and […]
Harness Your Power
Recently, I was reading a review about Laird Hamilton’s life that will be seen in an upcoming documentary called “Take Every Wave.” Laird is a legendary big wave surfing star who, according to the write-up, is as polarizing as he is acclaimed. I know a bit of who he is from magazine articles and his one-time marriage to volleyball star Gabrielle Reece, so in reading the write-up, I was curious about how he pushed himself to set aside his fear of the water and waves and sharks and whatever else lurks in the ocean to become the master of the […]
Fearless or Fearful
In a recent show, I was speaking with my guest, and I mentioned that it’s an interesting thing that when you are young–I find, for the most part, that many younger people are fearless—they’ll try anything from working extra hours to get ahead or speaking up in meetings to let their voice be heard, to spending time to learn a new program or system (which granted does seem to come easier to the youngsters) but then I see so many people reach an age where they cross the line from being fearless to fearful for no apparent reason and then […]
Who Is Modeling You?
I would be interested to know who you model your life after if anyone. Most of us grew up, I assume, with a role model that we sometimes eyed with awe and wonder and sometimes with suspicion and regret; either way, we watched someone live their life, and we either said, “I’m going to be like them,” or “I’m never going to be like them,” choosing to model ourselves in a similar fashion but separate enough to maintain our sense of dignity, pride, and individuality. I have always loved the artwork of Norman Rockwell. He seemed to bring to life […]
Leaving Greatness in the Graveyard
A while back, I saw a motivational video about pushing through the pain to achieve the goal of greatness. It was a video of famous and not-so-famous athletes who worked hard day after day, night after night, to be the best, understanding that success is a mixture of blood, sweat, and tears. Today, they are recognized sports figures who are greatly rewarded for their abilities. As the video is playing, you can hear voices—sort of sounds like preachers in the background giving the message of determination, power, fight, and success—and there is one section of the video where the words […]
It’s not what happens to you
It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters. Epictetus There is no easy way to say it, and no need to sugar coat the truth that, for many, could be life-changing, so I’ll hit you straight up and remind you that “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” You know this to be true, and yet it is so hard to let offenses, real and imagined, go without a fight or at least a great put-you-in-your-place-amazingly-smart-aleck comment. Recently, I was speaking at a leadership luncheon, and I […]
Is your life a grand adventure?
I’m reading a great book about a lady’s travels throughout the world, and each page takes me to another outdoor café, museum, or cathedral. I have walked alongside this lady as she tries new foods, buys tiles and trinkets, and smells the scent of the city where she and her husband are exploring. I can get lost in a book pretty easily, and I have found that I tend to like books that have an element of education for me and not just a sappy story. I admit I spend a lot of time reading, and it’s a habit I […]
Generosity of Spirit
Like many of you, I like to think of myself as a generous person, or at least that is the ideal I have in my mind about who I am and those I associate with. I have come to believe that we all hope and trust that we have a place inside us that realizes that it is good to be thoughtful, kind, and generous to others, and it’s at that foundation of our deep moral makeup that reflects who we are at our soul level. Now, I know that some people do not feel this way. While I don’t […]
