A friend of mine recently shared with me a copy of the Christmas list that his nine-year-old niece gave him. I was blown away. The list was compiled with painstaking care. It contained 14 items. Each item was identified, described, and included a SKU code. Finally, the price of each item was included. It was handwritten on a sheet of looseleaf paper and mailed to his address.
Read MoreOne of my mentors used to say, "some things are nice, but they are not necessary." And this pandemic has reminded us of what is necessary. When this pandemic is over, I hope all of us maintain that point of view.
Read MoreCertainly, we should pinch pennies. But sometimes we can pinch the wrong penny. Being stingy is one thing. Being cheap is another. Stingy is making sure you don't overspend. Cheap is an unwillingness (not inability) to spend. And in the long run, being cheap is a losing strategy.
Read MoreIt is a fight to have our behavior match our uniform. I don't want to work somewhere and not like the food. Believing in where you are, what you’re doing, and what you’re selling is the key to lasting effectiveness, impact, and fulfillment.
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Some of us are in battles right now, and our opposition is not fighting fair. But just because the opposition may be cheating doesn't mean you have to. Paul reminds us not only to fight, but to fight a good fight.
But in some ways, I think that our obsession with who's going to the White House might distract us from what's going on in our house. The truth is, we can be so interested in THAT house that we forget about OUR house.
Read MoreBut please don’t allow the opportunity to overwhelm you! When you find yourself in a situation that may seem “too big” for you, realize that the situation is “an acknowledgement of your growth, and an investment in your future.
Read MoreMost of us have upgrade-itis (Yes, I made that word up). We are constantly bombarded with savvy marketing messages that attempt to persuade us that we need the newest and latest shiny object. Of course what they fail to tell us is that rarely do the new devices do a better job of what they already do.
Read MoreIdeas. Attitudes. Behaviors. These are the key ingredients to success in any realm. Find out how the people in your promised land think, feel, and behave. Then adopt those practices.
Read MoreWithout focus, we waste time, energy and resources. Without focus, we expend precious resources on a plethora of insignificant objectives and lesser aims. The result is unhappiness, frustration, boredom, and envy.
Read Moreday’s miracles.
When I learn how to interpret my situation from a seasonal perspective, it provides me with enormous comfort in the face of challenging times, because I spend less time grieving over the last season, and more time getting ready for the next one!
Read MoreFar too often, our prayers pass through our lips without having passed through our minds, lingered in our imaginations, filtered through our hearts, or coursed down our veins into our hands and on to our feet. And perhaps that is why some of prayers have not been answered. Maybe God doesn’t take our requests seriously because it is apparent to him that we do not.
Read MoreI don't believe there is a Clippers curse. If there were, that assumption would have some profoundly troubling implications, chief among them that losers always lose. Can losers win? That's the question that the Clippers are trying to answer. And that's why I'm a Clippers supporter. I support the idea of the Clippers. I think losers can win. I think the last can be first.
Read MoreWhatever you are planning, leave room for God's plan, He might surprise you.
Read MoreWhat is dignity? According to one definition, it is bearing conduct or speech indicative of self-respect. To exhibit dignity is to carry oneself with a certain poise. To exhibit dignity is to leave the impression that you are guided by an internal set of standards that are not determined or defined by your environment. To exhibit dignity is to be free from the need of approval, validation or applause.
Read MoreIt is important to be results oriented. We all wants results! We want better results on our jobs, in our relationships, and with our goals. But many of us fail to appreciate the relationship between our process and our results. The former usually explains the latter. If you want to change your results, examine the steps you took to get there. If you "show your work" you can see exactly where your thinking, praying, or choosing was off.
Read MoreWe cannot choose what happens to us. But we certainly can choose what to do with what happens to us. Life can throw all kinds of rocks our way. But when (not if) we survive the attack, it is wise to look at the rocks that were thrown to determine if we can use any of them to build a better life. Some of the best relationship building, wisdom building, and career building materials available are in the warehouse of unsuccessful attacks on our lives.
Read MoreWhat are you neglecting? Your health? Your children? Your career? Your marriage? Your retirement plans? Whatever it is, let the blast in Beirut remind you of what can happen when we allow critical issues to go unaddressed and unresolved.
Read MoreDon't be so quick to rid yourself of irritations or irritants. You may be ridding yourself of insight, effectiveness, and opportunity.
Read MoreMore of us would be much further along our life's path if we stopped getting off at the rest areas. Any place worth going, anything worth having, and anything worth doing is going to cost more than you think, and take longer than you expected.
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