From Parade magazine comes the story of a millionaire, Eugene Lang, who greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem. Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth graders. What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school? He wondered…
My face in the mirror Isn’t wrinkled or drawn. My house isn’t dirty The cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovely And so does my lawn. I think I might never Put my glasses back on. -Author Unknown In my study of the brain, I discovered that concentrating your thought ten times on a piece…
Think about a compass and a clock two very important tools, but two very different instruments. A compass provides a sense of direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. A clock measures duration and the expenditure of time. A compass determines effectiveness-doing the right tasks. A clock determines efficiency-how long it takes to accomplish a task.…
We probably have all been in situations of conflict where we have felt the sting of caustic comments and perhaps been the author of a few. On the other hand, we have had confrontations that have brought us face the face the reality of our situation and this had led to positive change. When it…
For many the statement, “I want it yesterday!” describes our expectation of immediate production. When I was a child, the introduction of fast food meant the shift from the coal/wood stove to a propane stove. As a young boy I read the incredible story of the building of the Hoover Dam. The Encyclopedia Britannica gave…
I was asked to see a young man who had tried to commit suicide and failed. He lamented the fact that he couldn’t even succeed at killing himself. A young lady jumped off the roof of her house in an attempt to “end it all.” She succeeded in paralyzing her body from the waist down…
Ruth Graham, the wife of evangelist Dr. Billy Graham, is quoted as having requested that her tombstone have the words, “Thank you for your patience. Construction is finished.” Someone has said, “Patience tis a virtue, possess it if you can. Seldom found in a woman, never in a man.” So, what is this elusive virtue…
On December 31, 2019 who would have thought that the New Year would put us in a place where we would have to choose lives over livelihood. The consequences of the coronavirus are staggering. Isolation, financial loss, and for some there has been the pain of sickness and even death. Our world has been turned…
A young boy loved baseball. His final game of the season wasn’t going too well. He was the “catcher.” With two down, the tying run on third and the go-ahead runner on second, the tension mounted. The batter hit a line drive down the third base line. The third baseman scooped up the ball and…
There was one instrument on my brother’s plane that he called the “attitude instrument.” This device determined whether the plane was climbing or descending. It indicated whether you were gaining altitude, maintaining your altitude or headed for the ground. Attitude isn’t everything but it certainly is important. John Maxwell describes it as “the paintbrush of the…