“All glory comes from daring to begin.” – Eugene Ware The start of a new year or the beginning of anything new, brings excitement, fear, doubt, and many other emotions. We all know it is often easier to just stay with what is comfortable, stay right where we are, and risk nothing. But, we also know deep inside that there is more to be experienced, more growth to be had, and more that is…
As you solidify your plan for the coming year in your personal life, with your team at work, with your spouse or family, or the organization you serve, I invite you to reflect on a different question. The typical questions we race to are What Do I Want To DO Next Year? What Are My Goals? These are good questions. We’ll get there. But first, I encourage you to step back and ask the questions…
I like giving presents to people at this stage in my life more than I can ever recall. I will give some gifts this Christmas that will bring joy for both the recipient and for me. It will be fun and I’m grateful that I can do that. But, in my most honest moments, the best gifts in my life right now are not physical “presents.” I do very much enjoy them, but they aren’t…
This is a reminder to myself. But, I’m also giving you permission to consider for your life and work. We’re at that time of year when we begin to put our plans together for the upcoming year. We’re wrapping up one calendar year and turning our excitement to all that lies ahead in the New Year. And with that comes many of the same conversations and planning patterns that we’ve done in the past. In so many…
Okay, I’ll say it. Meatloaf has the worst brand of any food on the planet. Okay, I’ll explain. I guess I must since you’re not in my head. I can’t recall ever having bad meatloaf. But, it still would never come to mind on the list of my favorite foods. As a child, I remember my mother making meatloaf once or twice a year and it was always delicious. However, there was always a bit of a…
fester : to become painful and infected : to become worse as time passes I remember getting a scrape on my arm as a child while playing football in the yard with neighborhood kids. It was nothing out of the ordinary, or so I thought. After a week, it was still red and had gotten a bit bigger. A few days later it was white and not the most pleasant to look at. Eventually, this…
The car door slammed shut and my son’s fourth grade body leapt into the back seat of my car. His football pads rattled back and forth as he slid into his seat and his tiny, smiling face looked at me through the gigantic helmet consuming his head. “How did practice go today, buddy?” I asked with a very inquisitive tone. You see, this was his second year playing youth football and his team was not off to…
“This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing that I know—that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.” – Mary Oliver In a multi-tasking world, attentiveness is often elusive. Have you ever been trying to have a conversation with a co-worker, a friend, or even your spouse, but their attention was stuck down at their phone? Do you know that moment that happens in a meeting at work, when in the midst…
You can see the enthusiasm in his eyes when Shaka Smart, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Texas, encourages those around him to, “Attack The Day.” It’s a rallying cry to live fully, be grateful for where you are, and give your best to the moment. I’ve seen that look in his eyes before. You see, I was lucky to go head to head with Shaka for a couple of years in college when…
The challenge was on. I was standing at the most creative retreat center on the planet, sparkspace, and staring at their founder and good friend, Mark Henson. Our mind-blowing creative meeting was about to begin, but first things first, we needed something to eat. We looked up at the dry erase board in their office and saw the tally of the delivery times from the last 7 orders from Jimmy John’s. It was quite amazing…
