When the great American poet, the late Maya Angelou, reflected on her life and learnings, she said, “I’ve learned that… No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. You can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three…
Sparky didn't have much going for him. He failed every subject in eighth grade. In high school, he flunked Latin, Algebra, English, and Physics. He made the golf team but lost the only important match of the season, and then he lost the consolation match. He was awkward socially. He never once asked a girl…
After a recent visit to Washington, D.C., it struck me that all the war memorials were really memorials about courage. Taking a stand—for anything—requires courage. Courage is knowing what’s right and then acting on it. During the Nazi occupation of his country in WWII, King Christian X of Denmark noticed a Nazi flag flying over…
Every day is Mother’s Day … at least for our moms. They have to be moms EVERY day! It’s a job that never ends. As children (and husbands) to moms, we can never fully appreciate the most important job in the world. I have been blessed with a mom who gave me, among many gifts,…
The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the new seven wonders of the world and a cultural icon for Rio de Janeiro. A past summer Olympics cemented this image into the minds of millions. What really struck me was this video of workers making repairs from lightning damage. The workers take a real walk of faith on several levels (starting at 1 min.…
Here are 10 lessons Julie learned from her mom, Grace Davis. Julie shared these lessons at her mom's memorial service on Nov. 15, 1994, and we want to share them with you now: Always know how very special you are – God only made one of you. Believe in yourself. Make connections, touch lives. Everyone…
There is no exercise better for the HEART than reaching downand lifting people UP. - John Holmes Have a need? Help someone else succeed. If you are a servant leader at work or a servant leader to the world, take a moment to pause and lift someone up today. It's the fastest way to lift yourself up. Learn simple tips…
The book, Stick with It: Mastering the Art of Adherence, describes how reinforcing rituals creates connections that ignite passion for any team or family. Rituals help ignite passion, which is one of three components in the Adherence Equation: For years, I have written personal “Letters from Dad” to my wife and each of my three children…
One of our good clients shared his fortune with us that stated, "Your current plans are going to succeed if stick to them". In 20+ years of helping clients with strategic planning and execution, this is virutally always a true statement. Very rarely have we found clients whose plans are way off base. Much…
My father was an artist, so we never purchased holiday cards. Instead, he painted this Dove of Peace. At the bottom right, he added in elegant, white script, "PEACE from The Colan Family." It became our family's signature holiday card for many years. So today I wish you peace in your heart, peace in your…
