“My story is the average story. It’s just filled with special people. What am I without them?” – Pharrell Williams Williams is a singer, writer, and producer who had a big year in 2014. His song “Happy” was No. 1 in 24 countries. He attributes his success to the “alignment of the stars,” and says that achieving great success was the result of many factors for which he is “thankful.” His testimony reminds me how

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and with each year, my appreciation for it deepens. I have so much for which to be thankful: I live in America. Most people in the world would choose to live here if they could. I have been presented with many opportunities. Some I have seized. Others I have squandered. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for all of them. I am more grateful that they keep coming for all who are open

It’s hard to get juiced up about pro basketball in the middle of football season and the baseball playoffs, but when the basketball season opened on Wednesday night, October 17, 2017, the Boston Celtics’ new star, Gordon Hayward, broke his leg in a gruesome manner, facing a long rehabilitation, and being out for the season. It’s a sad thing when your star goes out in the season’s first game. The internet was alive with basketball

Who have you thanked lately? Who has your heartfelt gratitude and you just haven’t said it? I read an article recently that said only 10% of those working in the United States thank someone daily. I don’t think this statistic applies to us, but it caused me to pause. The reasons given for not thanking others are varied: The person being thanked might get a “big head.” If you thank someone, he might ask for a

Can I take a moment of privilege here? You guys compliment me from time to time on writing these notes. I learned to appreciate writing by reading. My mom taught English and put books in my hands at an early age. Very quickly, if I had a book, I was content and out of everyone’s way. Sports Illustrated was one of my favorite reads. It was quality journalism and storytelling all wrapped into one publication. Some

I read this quote today: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King It reminded me of PalletOne people and how we happen to the world. Our goal is to be on a path of continual improvement. But we know that’s not always how it works. Some days, we make leaps that

“Whatever enlarges hope will also exalt courage.” – Samuel Johnson It’s a fine line, promoting hope. On one hand, there’s caution. You want to be aware of risk. Assess it accurately. Anticipate the obstacles and gird yourself to face them. But sometimes it sets you back. It causes stress and worry. It fosters indecision. Your assessment of risk pushes you backward. It causes you to pause. So we promote hope. We remember the challenges we

George Patton was a famous World War II general.  Yesterday I encountered two quotes of his from completely different sources.  I figured it was a sign. The first was an inspiration posted on Twitter that read: “You’re never beaten until you admit it. So, don’t admit it.” On one hand it sounds stubborn. But there is power in having that kind of determination when we come up against a challenge.  It’s the kind of belief

As you face the pressures of life, being resilient is a character trait that is often recommended. What does resilient behavior look like? In a TED Talk, Jane McGonigal described four types of resilience. When defining them, she said that people who practice these behaviors regularly live longer than those who don’t. Here are the four types: Physical resilience. You are physically resilient if you don’t sit still longer than an hour at a time.

We are facing a “new normal.” Still not certain what that will be. Early in adulthood, I was exposed to the idea that life would be a series of transitions, one after the other. “Same old, same old” wasn’t a thing. “Continuing change” would be. The person who taught me that idea went further by saying, “If there is going to be constant change, we should have a “process” for addressing it. We should develop the