“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” – W. Clement Stone Years ago, I finished up some business in Oklahoma and was headed to the airport. Christie was nine months…
Oh, to be twenty-one again. No thank you! When I was 21-years-old, I’m not sure I listened to anyone. But maybe I would’ve listened to the older me. Who knows? Either way, I would’ve needed a good firm talking to for the message to get across. So what might that little talk sound like? What…
Passive aggression. It’s the plague of relationships. And you can find it in all its glory on social media. I loathe passive-aggression. I’m careful not to do it. When aimed toward me (we all know when it’s meant for us), I refuse to give it any mental or emotional calories. Another post on how to…
“People never stop writing books. Too much studying will wear out your body“, declares the wisdom writer, Solomon. Apply that loosely to technology and social media and we’re on to something. Every other day I check about four media outlets to read up on personal growth, healthy habits, time-management, and productivity. I receive daily emails…
Sons want to capture their dad’s awe. Daughters want to capture their dad’s attention. John Elderidge, in his little booklet, You Have What It Takes: What Every Father Needs To Know, states it this way: “Little boys look to their dads to answer the question: ‘Do I have what it takes? Am I a man?’ Little…
Your buttons got pushed. Or punched. You’re offended, and hurt. You’re irked at best, reeling at worst. Because it’s personal. But think about it: To take things personally is to make yourself a victim. It places you under someone’s control. And then bitterness takes root and poisons your peace and joy. You have to rise…
Disappointing people is part of the deal in life. We can disappoint others by poor attitudes, bad decisions, and ill behaviors. But I’m not talking about that kind of disappointment. I’m talking of disappointing people because… …you didn’t live up to their expectations. …you didn’t give them what they wanted. …you said no. …you went…
I look to hire people not with just a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but a “suffering degree.” In interviews, I ask candidates to share where they’ve suffered, how they navigated it, and who they are now as a result. I care more about the suffering degree than the others. Having all the degrees is a…
Beware. Beware of imagining yourself at the center of drama. Beware of emotions getting the best of you. Beware of grudges. Beware of taking anything personally. Beware of dwelling upon words and actions of others and arriving at conclusions without evidence for those conclusions. Beware of ingratitude. Beware of not believing the best of others…
The time will come when we must confront someone(s) with truth to protect them from themselves and/or protect others from them. But truth must always involve love. And love must always involve truth. If you have truth but not love, they will hear nothing you say, only the way you say it. If you have…