“You’re no good. And you’ll never amount to anything!” This is the most insidiously hurtful story a child can hear from a parent or authority figure. It can become faulty wiring that short-circuits your ability to overcome setbacks throughout your entire life. Ironically, the accusation is often a projection of that authority figure’s own frustrations…
Are you waiting for someone else to encourage or “hand you” courage? I believe we all have an immense amount of courage placed inside us from birth, but it becomes unavailable when it is locked in a cage called fear. Sometimes the key that opens that cage is a crisis. We’ve heard many stories…
I believe you want your life to matter, in the work you do and with the people you influence. I certainly want my life to matter. How do you go about building a lasting legacy? What can you do that will make your future eulogizers look back and say “Well done!” I attended a memorial…
On Monday I taught a workshop on public speaking for video, and as usual I ask the audience to segment themselves into three categories. I use a color code similar to the homeland security threat levels. Green is for those who are agreeable to speak when asked; yellow for those “hesitant but willing to do…
It was not what I expected. The transition to the New Year is usually all about me and how I’m going to achieve fitness goals, fulfill my mission as a speaker and make more money. Instead, I was presented with an opportunity to help an Army veteran and his family after suddenly losing their home…
I just spent a long day doing “donation triage” at the Petaluma Fairgrounds, receiving generous amounts of supplies for the victims of the Bay Area fires. It was my first time volunteering at a center for evacuees and I must say… it was chaotic. Cars and trucks were dumping off bottled water, diapers, pillows, blankets…
Why do personal conflicts escalate so quickly with non-profit volunteers? Why do factions form like tribal alliances on Survivor? What’s the secret to harmonious teamwork? I was asked to facilitate a mid-year review and planning meeting for a group of 15 active volunteers who rescue German Shepherds in Northern California. As each person introduced themselves…
Being a mom’s not a job, it’s more like a mission For some it’s an accident, for some a decision Whatever the reason, the reason it’s rough Is that you never believe you are doing enough For these kids who at first need your help every day But eventually don’t want you to get in…
We saw warning signs at mile seven. Jeff was already beginning to feel tightness in his legs. Due to ongoing chemo treatments, he was only able to do up to a 15-mile run in his training. Brad and I looked at each other and realized it was going to be a long day for Jeff.…
Early politicians had it SO easy. They literally stood up on a stump and gave a rousing speech to a couple hundred people, and reporters without a strong bias one way or the other reassembled it the best they could for actual “news” papers. It would take a few months for the story to reach…