You know, it is a fact of life that sometimes you fall–you just hope that you don’t fall into the water on a leadership training excursion. A few years ago, I was with some friends, and we were doing the typical leadership adventures of bonding with the other team members. Now, something you need to know about me is although I enjoy the outdoors, I have never liked the said “team-building programs.” It’s never been my ambition to fall backward in trust and hope (and prayer) that my teammates will catch me. I don’t have faith or fun on a […]
You’ve Got A (Toxic) Friend
Recently, a client of mine who wants to change the world was taken aback when I told him that he would do well to walk away from his “loser” friends. “How do you know my friends are losers?” he asked. I told him that with all of his community service, non-profit ventures, and summer trips helping others that he had been telling me about, he’d also said that he’d been doing all of this on his own. To me, this was a sign that he needed different friends. “Out of your massive buddy group,” I said, it’s obvious that most […]
Sometimes when you least expect it – you will win
Every once in a while, something happens that restores my faith in how the world works… Recently, I came upon a story of hope where the good guy (or gal, in this case) has a shot to win. Not to say the others in the race are not as worthy, because frankly, they are, but this story touched me, so I want to share it with you. I’m talking about the Oscar nomination for Best Original Song sung by Joni Eareckson Tada for the movie Alone Yet Not Alone. What makes this nomination so unusual is that both the movie […]
It is not the critic who counts.
“It is not the critic who counts…” You know this phrase as well as you know your name, but have you really thought about the truth contained in those seven words that have gone down in history? The fact is that the world is full of critics whose words don’t count because they don’t know you, your story, or your future. And the sad part is that they really don’t care to know you; they find great delight in tearing you down because they need a stepping stone in their quest for significance. Never be misled by the critics who […]
Living to Your Full Potential
I am sure you’ve heard 100 times that you should live up to your full potential, and although I believe that is true, I have to ask what does that mean for you. Have you ever thought about your “full potential,” meaning is there something that you’d give your all to, holding nothing back and being empty when you’re finished, only to refresh yourself and start over? If you were to look online, most of the sites that deal with living to your full potential are about leading and living your life fully in the 7 Major Areas: Physically, Mentally, […]
You’ll never be the same again
You’ll Never Be the Same Again Steve Jobs said, “When you grow up, you tend to get told the world is the way it is, and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, and save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can […]
When Unsure, Take the Next Logical Step
Last year, I spent a lot of time encouraging you to chart a new course and get out of your comfort zone—learn to live the life you imagined and were born to do, big and small things, to move you down the path of life that would bring joy in big and small ways. Life is short, and I fully believe you have to take the reins and get going, or you’re going to miss out on some great opportunities, or someone else will take your space, maybe while you’re sitting around waiting. You may even lose interest, and then […]
Don’t forget that you’re human…
Well, friends, you survived the holidays, and now it’s a new year—a fresh start—and you have a great chance to start over and begin anew. So, what will it be this year? What new ideas do you have? What new places will you visit? What new adventures will you try, and what will you leave behind? What problem or, issue, or circumstance will you make a clean break from so you can start with a clean slate? What? You’ve not thought about leaving the old and finding the great adventures that this new year will afford you? Wait for a […]
A Word After A Word After A Word is Power
“A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood I have really come to believe that what you say to yourself about yourself is vitally important. I’m not sure I can prove it scientifically, but it just seems to me if you are not careful with the words you use when thinking about your skills, abilities, and knowledge base, you will undo years of education, years of building yourself up, and years of acceptance of the praise of others who see a spark of brightness in you. With the new year upon us, I will have […]
