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…
Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words really can hurt me. Many of us grew up saying a slightly different version of the previous phrase, asserting that words could not hurt us. However, we now know that words are building blocks for our self-image and personal expectations. Our words create worlds. The English language…
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…
The Adherence equation has been field-tested for over 20 years and is featured in three of our books, including the best-seller Sticking to It. Here are a few of our quotes from those books to inspire you to stick to it. Sharpen Focus The most important decision in life is to decide what is most important. Complexity…
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,…
Comfort certainly has its advantages—our comfy chair in the living room, a comfortable routine at work, a comfortable relationship. With all the advantages of comfort, here are some things you should know about the comfort zone before you explore the edge. The comfort zone is where most of life is played. It is certainly where…
Your mindset reflects your past, describes your present, and predicts your future. Excellence, like leadership, is built from the inside out. Your organization’s excellence will rarely exceed your team’s excellence, and your team’s excellence will rarely exceed your personal excellence. Therefore, the most important question a leader should ask is: “What am I currently doing…
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.…
I am a pretty proficient texter, although I can't hold a candle to your average teenager. I recall when I purchased my first iPhone years ago, I was typing a text to my technology partner, Harry. I was encouraging him to do what he does best. I kept is short and sweet by writing, "Just…
