All growth occurs when we are uncomfortable. So, act first, then feel the benefits of your actions. Celebrities and famous athletes often tout their “platform” to communicate messages. Well, we all have our own platform called our lives. One small act can change the world of another person … and our world also. Be the…
This poem by William Arthur Ward was printed on a magnet and stuck to our daughter’s locker when she was in 6th grade. The adventure of life is to learn. The goal of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The secret of life is to dare. The beauty of life is to give. The joy of life is to love. Take just one line from this poem and…
The warm feeling of well-being that washes over you when you've done something kind isn't just in your head. It's in your brain chemicals, too. Most research on the science behind why kindness makes us feel better has centered around oxytocin. Oxytocin plays a role in forming social bonds. It's tied to making us more…
We spend so much of our lives looking down at our schedules, our deadlines, our problems, our needs, and certainly, at our phones. Meanwhile, people are all around us. People who are hurting. People carrying burdens they rarely speak about. People feeling lonely, uncertain, ashamed, or overwhelmed. People who may simply need someone to notice…
Building healthy, human connections starts with one small act of reaching out. You must go first to take that action. Going first is like tipping the first domino in a long, intricate chain. At first, it’s just one quiet, deliberate, gentle push. But that single act sets everything else in motion. It creates momentum, invites…
As I anticipate cooking on my outdoor grill for a traditional Labor Day barbeque, I also ponder why Labor Day is, well, Labor Day. I love living during a time when any answer is just a Google and a click away. Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United…
Consider this: Your friends were strangers to you at one point. Our connections with friends are critical to our personal and professional well-being. In fact, having a best friend at work is the single best predictor of engagement at work from Gallup’s longstanding Q12 engagement survey. We are designed to connect, so we long to…
Watch your thoughts,they become your words. Watch your words,they become your actions. Watch your actions,they become your habits. Watch your habits,they become your character. Watch your character,it becomes yourDESTINY. —Frank Outlaw
Julie and I have been married for over 39 years. Our daughter, Grace, and our son-in-law, Teddy, have been married for just over 39 weeks. It’s a blessing any parent can appreciate—your little princess finding her prince. Although it was different amounts of time, both of our relationships started with being a bit vulnerable. Some…
Occasionally my youngest child asks me to send her a poem. It can be for any number of reasons. Typically, it is a quick text poem to hopefully brighten her day. In this case, she was challenged in a new role while working with colleagues who were 30 years her senior and feeling like she…
