He used a device on a tripod and I had no idea how in the world it worked. That was his department. And someone else was hauling the fence posts. Someone else was mixing concrete. My job was to dig the holes centered where the stakes had been meticulously placed. Digging holes isn’t precise work. There are hidden rocks, impacted pockets of soil, and tree roots to work around. Still, the hold needed to be centered. I groused and grumbled at... Read more
When I was seven, I knew a lot about bikes and Lincoln logs and lunch. I didn’t know much about life. There were the rituals, waking up for school, eating oatmeal with a drizzle of honey, sitting in the class, dreaming of recess and riding my bike after school. But life? What was that? It was eating and breathing and always knowing my Mom was close by. Was there more? I didn’t know about the struggles of those around me. I didn’t taste... Read more
My brother rode over the home-built jump at the end of the road over and again, circling around to get just a little more air or turn the handlebar in a circle before landing. My pant legs was full of grease from getting caught in the bicycle chain, but there was no stopping until the darkness pushed us grudgingly indoors. The next day, we started all over again. I found a matchbook in the middle of street and flipped open the cover... Read more
____ My bicycle tire was in tatters, shredded by a jagged rock hidden in an open field. I pushed my bike home and that night showed it to my fix-it-father. He removed the tire from the rim, turning it over and over in his hands, and finally, with a grunt, declared it unfixable. “So, can I have a new one?” I pled, my green eyes caked with the dirt of a long day outside. He handed it back to me and said, “After you have enough... Read more
Competition is healthy, as it keeps us producing and advancing. The race to the moon, or to build a faster chip, or to launch a product helps society create. But there is a path of least resistance that is unhealthy, crass, ugly, and … jealous of those who win. Read more
There some well- placed rumble strips in life, those warnings that keep us on the center of the road. These things jolt us back to reality, warning us that we are nearing the edge of safety. Read more
An excerpt from the High Calling, where my article “Leadership Influence” appears today. …… Leaders don’t have self-esteem problems. We don’t suffer from thoughts of inadequacy. Instead we fear that by exerting our influence we will make others feel insecure. So we hide our light under a bushel, retreating from our God-given ability. We melt into the landscape, camouflaging our talents. Have you ever been part of a team where no one will step up and take charge? Everyone looks around, hoping,... Read more
Thanks to Judy Reeve for the inspiration! Read more
“…It’s times like these that I listen to the voices of doubt. “Hey you.You’re a fraud, a fake, a shyster.”The voice sounds like my own. It is my own, an echo of every fear within me. I’ve heard it before—plenty of times. I replayed the tape of my mistake last year that took a team to undo. And the time six years ago when I was told to shape up—or ship out. Maybe the voice was right. Maybe I was a phony. In... Read more
A group that I belong to, Writers on the Rock has produced a collaborative e-book A Journey to (True) Happiness..” The preoccupation our society has on happiness isn’t really so simple. What is happy? What is blessed? What is contentment? We spend so much time on happiness that we are most miserable. I encourage you to download this book and would be most honored if you would share it as our gift. A Journey to (True) Happiness Read more
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