I am going to continue with my theme of emotions, which are causing you harm… because I want you to understand that you are more than how you feel, and you can (with help) heal the damaged places in your heart and mind. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then, I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, and this […]
Normal Is for Others. Amazing Is for You.
Recently, I was speaking at a conference, and one of the other speakers quoted Maya Angelou, “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” And I got to thinking that is a really great thought IF you could convince yourself to let go of the low expectations you have placed on yourself and then consider how working to be amazing would be a game changer for the rest of your life. What I have seen is that many people work and strive for “normal” (whatever that is), and in doing so, they give just enough instead of knocking […]
You are the message
You are the message Recently, I was having dinner with a friend, and we were talking about one’s life being the message they send to the world, and that got me thinking about the title of an old political book I read years ago by Roger Ailes called You Are the Message. For me, it was a book for those considering a life in public office to remind us that every deed, every word, every action is a reflection of who we are and how we would be seen by others. From the Amazon website about, the book, it says, […]
The Emotion of Shame
I am continuing with my theme of emotions, which are causing you harm because I want you to understand that you are more than how you feel and that you can (with help) heal the damaged places in your heart and mind. So, let’s continue… I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. And then I spoke on jealousy, that green-eyed monster that will wreck your perfectly happy home and make you (a […]
Your Two Most Valuable Assets
In an article in the Wall Street Journal, hotelier Ben Weprin said, “The best business advice I’ve ever received came from Sam Zell, who told me the most important thing is Shem Tov, which means your name and your integrity. Make all your decisions upon protecting those. I am an avid reader, and I love the WSJ for the front page and the weekend edition listings of all the amazing homes for sale. In the Life section, they feature celebrities and a listing of about twenty questions. In one of the questions, the idea of business advice was posted, and […]
If only our eyes saw souls
“If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be.” ~ Unknown I came across a funny video the other day about how young people view older people. I’m posting the video here. How funny to watch the youngsters act out how an “old” person would walk across the street, text a message, or do a jumping jack. And then to see them blown away by the attitudes and actions of these elders is simply a fun way to waste a few minutes of your day, and it shows us all how […]
Push Against the Wind of Anger
This is part of my series on emotion. Recently, I was on a flight that felt like a roller coaster, with the wind jostling and jerking the plane to the right and the left. After a while, we did even out, and the flight was typical, but in those few moments, I began to think about how to overcome the turbulence we were experiencing. A few years ago, I took a few flying lessons to see if I was cut out to pilot my own plane to my speaking events, and in my private flight lessons, I learned pretty quickly […]
Keep Your Eyes on the Stars and Your Feet on the Ground
I came across two different accounts of people who have come to realize that their hero wasn’t what or who they thought they were. So, with truth in hand, these wise (albeit hurt) folks walked away. Not bitter, not really angry; mostly hurt and embarrassed that they fell so fast for the ideals that were portrayed to them as truth, but in the end, they realized that empty promises are just that–empty–so it didn’t matter what was offered since it was nothing but words without meaning. Those stories stirred me. I realized that although I admire many people, in the […]
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 […]
