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

Do your job…and a little more! You’re getting better or you’re getting worse! So what’s your standard? Getting your job done is a good start. Knowing what you contribute, and why you matter, is a good start. Can you describe that to others? If you don’t do your job, what suffers? How do we fail? It’s important to consider. There’s nothing insignificant about what you do. But what if your standard is to do your

You don’t have to look far to find someone going through a tough time. The stories are all around us. People suffering through persistent, mysterious pain and illness; parents and grandparents worried about their children’s difficulties; folks mourning the loss of loved ones. Hardships abound. When challenges and disappointing circumstances arise, it’s easy to become downcast and wonder “why me?” Writer and speaker Michael Hyatt poses a question for all of us to consider as

I’ve been asked at times, “What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were beginning your career?” My short answer: “This too shall pass.” Here’s what I mean by that. When you are young, setbacks can seem big and daunting. You can easily imagine that the setback will be fatal. You find it difficult to believe there will be better days again. Getting discouraged is easy. You might abandon a good

Christina Tosi, founder of the Milk Bar bakery, was interviewed on the podcast, “How I Built This.” By the way, this podcast is a favorite. The host, Guy Raz, interviews business leaders on how they and their businesses came to enjoy their success. Almost every story features the “where it almost failed” moments, the “big break” moments, the “isn’t it coming” moments, the “dumb luck” moments. It’s great listening. Tosi pursued her passion for baking

In our work settings, there is a great need for teachers. Not many days go by that we don’t have new folks demonstrating new methods and practices. A recent report said that when you teach, it makes you better. Teaching makes you reflect on the “right” way to do things. You have to “know” something really well to “explain” it. When you endeavor to teach what you know, you make it simpler. Becoming the “teacher/trainer”

Peyton Manning was changing football teams after spending the bulk of his career with the Indianapolis Colts.  He was a free agent for the first time.  He had a bunch of options. While he was interviewing and considering options, he returned to his college coach David Cutcliffe to help continue his development.  Manning was describing for Cutcliffe all the thoughts he was having about his options and the pluses/minuses of each. Cutcliffe told Manning he

The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War on September 3, 1783. More than seven years after declaring our independence, it was finally acknowledged and granted to the United States. More than 50,000 died in the war. Many more were wounded. If you study the war, you learn King George’s strategy was to wage a war of endurance. He planned to throw more people and guns at us until we were exhausted and quit from

My wife and I moved into a different house and discovered the air conditioning wasn’t working right. We had an AC company send a technician out. It took him all day, but he fixed it. Here’s what I appreciate about him. He arrived with a ready solution to fix our problem, but after we explained our issues, he put those thoughts aside and began a fresh investigation. Before we knew it, he was on the

“We don’t coach energy and effort. You’re great players. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. Great players don’t get tired.” – Geno Auriemma, Hall of Fame basketball coach Do you always have the energy? Great players make sure they have the energy for what will be asked of them. They are rested. They are nourished. They are hydrated. They are concentrating on the task at hand. Do you always make the effort? Effort is