I spent 2 days in Huntsville. Standing on concrete. Hands through the bars that secure 7'x9' rooms containing two bunks, a small seat and a steel toilet. I heard stories from men in their 20s through their 80s. Black, latino, white. All putting their faith ... possibly in blind desperation ... in God. A Vietnam vet who claims innocence. A recurring petty criminal. A man who made a mistake in judgement and is desperate to restore what is probably already lost. I sat in the mess hall. … [Read more...]
The Top Reason Your 3 Year Old Is Terrible
November 21, 2014 by
http://gty.im/185664072 She was writhing naked around on the bed. She was excited with a huge smile on her face. My heart rate was rising. We had to be somewhere in 20 minutes. We were running out of time. She didn't care. I was frustrated. She wouldn't cooperate. Why would she? I was cramming her into a modern construct that is meaningless from a biological evolutionary perspective. 3 year olds show us how we've gone astray in our attempts to scale and find meaning. Jen, … [Read more...]
Of fear and faith
October 24, 2014 by
Do not eat from the tree of knowledge. The first commandment. Why? Because our natural state is one of needing to know. We need certainty. And when we can't have it ... Which is always, we make a choice. Fear or faith. We hesitate and doubt in the face of the unknown. We fear. Or we head forward and quest to prove what we hope and trust for. We faith. The realities do not vary. The attitude and perspective does. We create a possibility and choose to believe in it to the point where … [Read more...]
Tis the Season
December 24, 2013 by
Tis the season to ask big questions.... The depth of winter is upon us. The pendulum swings toward new life for the next 6 months. What new life will be born in you? What new life will you birth into this world? What fear will you face down? What wrong will you forgive? What unjustice will you stand up to? What life giving words or actions will you take toward a friend, an enemy, a stranger, a neighbor? These are life or death questions. Life or death answers, too. Which … [Read more...]
How Tired Are You, Really? 3 ways to know
December 11, 2013 by
On any given day of the week the alarm goes off. The alarm is either my phone or my kids. The first thought that floats on the cloudy surface of my mind is, "I'm so tired. I need a break". I haven't even started. Yet I need a break already? I go to the gym three days of the week. It's a group workout. I sign-up in advance. I groan when the alarm goes off. Then I roll out of bed. I have to be somewhere. Class starts at 6am. After my first set, I'm fired up. I get … [Read more...]
Are you too busy? Ask these 4 questions.
October 21, 2013 by
Steve asked his son, Stone, if he wanted to go and do something together. Stone said, "I can't. I'm busy." Steve went on about his business. Stone did, too. An opportunity to connect lost. We're all too busy. We all have a reason to keep doing what we're doing. The work in progress is uninterruptable. Our tendency is to assume that what we're doing now --- no matter what it is --- is too important to stop. Responding to e-mail. Creating a Powerpoint deck. Taking a … [Read more...]
What’s the Best Time of Day to Water Tomatoes?
June 27, 2013 by
We pulled into the driveway. We got out of the truck and went to visit with our neighbors, who were in their driveway. Jen said, "The tomato plant is drooping. Looks like it needs water." I went to the hose, turned it on, dragged it over and started watering. It was the middle of the day. Heat was at peak. A new conversation started. "Is this the best time to water the tomatoes?" "It's pretty hot." "I think you're supposed to water it in the morning or night." I … [Read more...]
Learn This Easy Magic Trick. It’s quick!
June 24, 2013 by
I walked in the door to the office this morning. Joe, the security guard, waved and smiled. I caught him in the corner of my eye, over my shoulder. I turned and waved back. A smile crossed my face. I realized this was a ritual that started my day with pleasure. It was small. But valued. I stopped, turned around, and walked to Joe. I opened the glass door to the small reception area where Joe sits. I told Joe how much I appreciated his wave and smile in the morning. I … [Read more...]
Lost in Distraction: Do you have blinders on?
June 11, 2013 by
Donald asked me a question. He's working on a project scheduled to complete in the next 5 weeks. I started to answer his question. Then I went on. I told him about stuff happening in 8, 10, 16 weeks from now. Don asked a follow-up question ... he was confused. Don was thinking only in terms of the June project. I screwed up. I confused him by showing him a picture broader than he was looking for. The only thing he cared about was the June project delivery. Don had blinders … [Read more...]
Are you qualified?
May 23, 2013 by
We are all in sales. Whether it's selling our idea of a great vacation to our wife or selling a Ford Pinto to a bizarre classic car enthusiast. We are all buying something, too. It can be your 3 year old's proposal to have a cookie before dinner or the ill-advised, 3,000 calorie loaded potato skins at Hooligans. Qualifying is the key to make the most of our time (and effort) for selling and buying. A key goal is to get to 'No' quickly. So you can know whether the prospect … [Read more...]
