Not the headline you’re used to seeing, but recently, I was catching up on my reading and came across my AARP magazine (you know, the magazine that reminds us all that we’re over 50 and are on the slippery downhill slope) and the words of the question about having just a few more hours to live jumped off the page at me, and I thought to myself, well, what would I do in the 9 hours I have left? Honestly, I was torn between organizing who would get what and feeling sorry for myself for not having eaten my way […]
Don’t Complain About Things You Are Not Willing to Change
I have just about reached my limit with people who complain about things they are not willing to change. You hear it all the time from someone in your group. They are the ones who whisper loudly that someone else didn’t do their job, or someone else didn’t tell them some tiny bit of useless information, or someone else said something to someone. And you know the rest of the excuses of the one person who blames their lack of accomplishments on everyone else but themselves. Today, I have a lot to say to those people. What are we supposed […]
Deep roots are not reached by the frost
J.R.R. Tolkien, in his book “The Fellowship of the Ring” writes, All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes, a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be the blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king. We are all familiar with the opening lines of this poem: All that is gold does not glitter/Not all those who wander are lost…, and while I like those lines, […]
Learn to handle things on your own
People aren’t always going to be there for you. That’s why you learn to handle things on your own. You know what I think one of the hardest things in life is? It’s when you have to do things on your own. I tend to work alone—it’s just the nature of my business—but sometimes I like to work with others; I just like to hear what they think, or I like to see the process of working together to accomplish a goal come to realization. I also like the comradely that happens when you put good people together to make […]
The only person you are destined to become
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. Ralph Waldo Emerson Decisions, decisions, decisions. They are such a big part of our everyday life, and no matter how many times you and I decide to go with the flow and let life “work out,” in the end, we all make decisions that will have a lasting impact. I like today’s thought because, once again, it is a reminder that we all choose our outcome. I know that many will argue with me on that thought because they have bought into the belief that […]
Turn Yourself Around
I just finished reading a great book called “The Map Thief,” the story of Forbes Smiley, III, an esteemed rare maps dealer, who, as the book jacket says, “…spent years doubling as a map thief—until he was finally arrested slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library.” It was a great book, and I learned a lot about maps: how they were created and how, by simply changing a border, you could change a nation, but, beyond my own education about maps and their value, was the story of the failings of a guy who committed crimes against […]
I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends
I always liked the Beatles song I Get by With a Little Help From My Friends. Most of their songs, I’m ambivalent about, but something about the tune and truth of having strength in numbers makes me feel safe in the world today. Like many of you, I have groups of friends for different aspects of my life. I have church friends, work friends, former work friends, political friends (former political friends), my mom’s friends, my brother’s friends, and my sweet neighbors. I even have a small group of more mature friends whose company I love. In the midst of […]
Keep Going
Last week, I spoke about the idea of Swinging for the Fences—stepping up to the plate and taking a powerful swing with all your might and watching that ball sail over the fence so you can round the bases and be proud that you really gave something your all and were successful. I want to add to that thought this week with this directive. Friend, in this life, you need to keep going because there is a great chance that everything you need will come to you at the perfect time…if you continue on. And that is the key: continue […]
You’ve Got the Power
When I was younger, I often heard the phrase, You’ve Got the Power. In actuality, I think it was a commercial I heard on the radio, but I remember that it was also told to me to encourage me to move forward in whatever I was doing because, in the end, you and I have the power to do amazing things in our lives and for others. Power – Bing Dictionary defines power as: Capacity to do something: the ability, strength Strength: physical force Control and influence over other people and their actions Power: we often think of others having […]
