A while back, I was having some quiet time, reading a devotional book I love about prayer, and came across a quote from the missionary Hudson Taylor: “First it’s impossible, then difficult, then done.” Have you ever looked at a task and thought, Wow, that’s impossible! Then you stop, or you start to find other ways to get the job done, and you realize that it’s not impossible, it’s just difficult, and then you keep working, and the difficulty isn’t as bad as you thought. Now, it’s still hard, but before you know it, the job that was out of range, […]
Where You’re Heading
“Even though there are days I wish I could change some things that happened in the past, there’s a reason the rearview mirror is so small, and the windshield is so big, where you’re heading is much more important than what you’ve left behind.” –Unknown I’ve had this quote on my desktop for a few months now, and while I like it very much, there never seemed to be the right time to turn it into a show…until today. I have been forthright through the years with you about my desire to be the perfect person, but alas, that was […]
All Together Now
When I watch the birds outside my office window, I am reminded how they seem to work all together. Right outside my window, I have the most amazing birdbath. What makes this resting place so awesome is the many visitors who come to drink, wash, and play… at least, I think they are playing in the water. When a bird lands on the rim of the bath, I will stop what I’m doing and watch… watch them peck at the water, jump in and wiggle, flex their wings, and groom themselves. It’s a good thing the bath is not near […]
A Little Bit of Kindness
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” –Henry James. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” Plato It doesn’t take much to show a little bit of kindness, and if there ever was a time that your city, your community, your family, and your friends need that smidgen of love, friend, it is now. We all need a little bit of kindness. It doesn’t take much, but it does require some advance work to make sure you’re […]
You Are NOT Responsible for How People Treat You
You are not responsible for how people treat you You are responsible for how you treat others and yourself. Recently, I was watching a show about re-entry from death row prison to freedom. The man who was telling his story said that, through it all, his mother would tell him that no matter what happened in life or death, he was not responsible for how people treated him, but he was responsible for how he treated others and himself. A tear came to his eye when he recalled the words of the one woman who never stopped loving him, believing […]
Add A Word – Get A Third
This has to be one of my favorite learning experiences. Add a word, get a third? I have a client who is going to be a country music star. I’m working with her on interview skills so that when her time comes, she’ll be ready for the bright lights, big hair, and big city. One day, while we were working together and I was looking at her CD cover, I asked who the other people on the CD were since they were not backup singers. I knew they didn’t write her songs – she told me how she learned some […]
Wouldn’t It be Great if Everyone Was Happy to See You?
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone were happy to see you? I mean, I’m really happy to see you every time you come around. Recently, I saw a photo online of the most adorable little boy at an amusement park, where he met someone in a costume who looked just like Tinkerbell. She was beautiful and looked very kind and sweet as she knelt down to hug him and speak to him. The look on his face, captured by his parents’ camera, was one of pure joy, glee, thrill, elation, and excitement. When I posted the photo on Facebook, I […]
Do Not Rush
Without a doubt, most of us feel we are on a limited time, so to fill every minute of every day, live life to the fullest, and then overflow, we rush. We rush from the moment our feet hit the floor in the morning to when we crash into bed at night, and then we do it all over again for the next five days. Then the weekend comes, and we rush to fill every minute with fun, family, food, and football. It just seems that most of our lives are structured. And while I understand the need to get […]
Time Heals Nothing Unless You Move Along With It
I know you’ve heard the well-worn phrase that time heals all wounds. Well, I question that. Does it? It might help heal your hurt if, after a while, you begin to forget about all the intricacies of the situation that caused such pain. Or, most likely, it will not if you choose to hold on tightly to the pain that was inflicted upon you. Choices–always choices, either to move on or to hold on. Only you can decide what your future will be. I can tell you with certainty that time heals nothing unless you move along with it. Ah, […]