Recently I saw a reference to a poem by Emily Dickenson called “I dwell in Possibility.” Like most things that take me by surprise, I have to admit, I did a double-take on the title. Then I thought, “I hope that I am a dweller in possibility; that I leave the door wide open to allow all possibilities that come my way to run wild without my interference so I may follow the path to whatever is waiting on the other side.” I am guessing that possibility is not a word that gives many people much comfort. We want surety […]
Public Speaking
Be somebody who makes everybody feel like (a) somebody
Have you ever been around someone who makes you feel like you matter? Really that you matter to them and frankly that YOU matter in general? And it is not dependent on what time of day or night, or weekend, or if they are with other friends, or they find you by yourself, or even if they don’t see you for a while. But when you re-connect the way they treat you is with respect, kindness, gentleness, graciousness and sheer unbridled happiness that they got the chance to see you again. Now you might be thinking that I’m taking about […]
A man who wants to lead the orchestra
“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” ~ Max Lucado I have always loved this quote and I believe it, because I see so many people in leadership who spend a lot of time wanting to be “in the crowd” instead of leading the crowd. No doubt it is hard to turn our backs to the cheering crowd–it seems so fun to be in the middle of it all, but a man (or woman) who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. Why? Because leadership is strengthened when […]
We have all been placed on this earth
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 in the path of their God-given talents, skills and abilities. Now there is another side that I see and that is when someone is not following their dream. When they are following the dream of someone else, that makes for a […]
If the whole world was blind
If the whole world was blind, how many people would you impress? I travel a lot and I like to people-watch. I have this little ritual–as I walk through airports, I look at everyone running this way and that and at those sitting to make a flight or who are eating in the food court, and I think to myself that everyone in there has a mother. They may not have had a father (past the point of conception), but they all have or have had a mother. Then I usually think, my goodness, wouldn’t their mother be disappointed in […]
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.” ~ Author Unknown 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 […]
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 due to our busyness, when it comes to 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 […]
It doesn’t matter what others are doing
It doesn’t matter what others are doing. It matters what YOU are doing. I saw this poster a while back, and it hit me as such an obvious comment, that I almost laughed out loud at the simple message. Then, as life would have it, I did a double take and had to admit that I waste plenty of time wondering, questioning and thinking about what others are doing with their time and talent when I need to focus on what I should be doing. It’s not like our work is going to get done magically without us. No, we […]
Practice the Pause
“Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly, and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.” ~ Lori Deschene Oh, if I had only learned this earlier in my life, I would have saved myself from myself. I probably have too many stories to regale you with from all the times I spoke out when I should have practiced the pause, mentally and verbally. Even now, I catch myself chatting away when in reality my brain tells me I should just be quiet and let the conversation hum […]