Contact with green space is known to have beneficial effects on mental health. In fact, this study suggests that it may also play a positive role in preventing cognitive decline in the elderly. In particular, this research shows that the loss in cognitive functions expected as part of the aging process is slightly slower in…
Students are graduating from high school, and many of them are about to set out on the adventure of a lifetime – college. Although it was many years ago, I can remember my first year of college as if it were yesterday. I remember being so excited to depart my comfortable state of Ohio to…
A typical day in business (and in life) contains a curveball or two that throws you off your plan. A customer complaint gets elevated to you, an employee matter erupts, negative press on social media requires an all-hands-on-deck meeting, an urgent project from the CEO lands on your desk, an unexpected expense requires your time to…
https://youtu.be/uGhg6o-AmlA The Speed of Success video reveals Simplify as the first of the seven S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Accelerators. In 1800, an average American had 300 products to choose from. Today, there are more than 1 million complex products on the shelves. When Julie asks me to pick up some bread on the way home, my eyes…
Measuring your life can be very subjective based on your own beliefs and values. So, we offer two similar but different ways to measure your life. The first is this quote from Clayton Christensen: “When I have my interview with God, our conversation will focus on the individuals whose self-esteem I was able to strengthen, whose…
A few weeks ago, our youngest daughter, Lexi, was a co-director of Wake ‘N Shake, Wake Forest University’s dance marathon fundraiser. This event supports the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. Brian played football at Wake Forest, then the Chicago Bears, before dying of cancer at 26 years old. The movie, Brian’s Song, chronicled his life. It’s been…
Video of 8vvE9Dhe9Jk Embarrassingly, this really happened to me! To really listen we must use our ears and our eyes. This was a lesson from my youngest child. There are 12 secrets YOUR kids want YOU to know in Please Listen Up, Parents. It's a practical parenting book written by my three children. Enjoy this…
You can find best practices everywhere. Observe the leaders in your life. You can find nuggets of leadership excellence from a parent or in-law, a clergy person, a speaker at a professional association meeting, a fellow leader, your child’s school principal, a scout troop leader, or a particularly helpful manager at a local store. Watch,…
I have the best older sister in the world. Donna was always (and still is!) maternal and caring even though we are only 3 years apart and much older than we were in the above photo. Like several of our relatives, Donna dedicated herself to the field of education, and more accurately, to the people…
Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. If you have children, you know they are great at maintaining their parents’ humility. My youngest child, Lexi, is particularly gifted in this area. Along with the books and columns I write, I have been writing this newsletter/blog for 22 years now. Occasionally I…
