Where Seldom is Heard… How many of you are familiar with the words of the unofficial song of the American west, “Home on the Range?” According to the lyrics, one of the best qualities of living in the peaceful and wide-open plains was “…where seldom is heard a discouraging word…” Have you ever found

Who Has the Time? It’s touted that technology saves you time and helps you communicate better. But isn’t it more apparent that technology now leaves us with so little time that we barely have occasion to properly interact with others? Anything that “saves time” is simply making more time that you ca

Honoring Our Heroes: The Meaning of Veterans Day Every year, on November 11th, we come together as a nation to observe Veterans Day, a time to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. While the day offers a chance to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who have

Write Your Own Story Fast-forward your life 20, 30, even 40 years. Now, imagine someone writing a book of your life story. Would it be motivational, a mystery perhaps, or even science fiction? What about reference, a novel, true crime, short story, or an exposé? Would it be found in the childrens se

A League of Your Own Have you sometimes felt like you were “out of your league” when reaching toward a lofty goal or competing against others for the “brass ring”? Imagine being a 5-foot-5-inch tall player in the National Basketball Association! Every time Earl Boykins of the Denver Nuggets walks on

Stuck In Port? Imagine your dreams and hopes for the future are a docked sailboat. The boat is ready to set sail, complete with everything the captain needs for a lifetime of sailing on the open seas. Then imagine the captain never unmooring the boat, instead, standing on the dock to admire their bo

Pick a Side To say there’s a lot going on in our country right now is an understatement. But what about in our city? Our schools? Our neighborhood? Are we taking a stand, or just standing there saying nothing? We are a country–city–neighborhood–blessed with peace and prosperity. Our daily choices ra

A Few “No” Men It’s safe to say that the best results are produced when people work together. Solo projects often suffer from a one-sided perspective and lack of meaningful input. This isn’t to say that you can’t accomplish a lot when working on your own – it takes time and concentration to make pro

Winning Isn’t EverythingIt’s the perfect time of year to be inspired by Vince Lombardi, a great source for motivating words! Success on the football field was the result of the spirit he had and developed within himself, not the other way around! Sometimes we have a tendency to put the cart before t

Prediction vs. Production If you’re familiar with many “motivational” speakers and writers, you’ve probably heard or read a hundred times that you must make a “declaration.” It seems that without uttering your deepest desires, they will not come to fruition. Want a better job? Then you must declare

Stop Waiting–Take Action! A well-known athletic company’s mantra tells us, “Just do it.”  How is there magic in the words “just do it?” Do what? Not everyone is athletic, and certainly not everyone is so talented as to go pro or participate in the Olympics.  Look at the slogan in a general sense. Th

Put It In Writing “How do you get there from here?” A common enough question when you don’t know where you’re going. If you were planning a long trip, you would certainly check Google Maps or a road atlas to verify and write down the directions. But what about your life, your dreams, your expectatio

Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September. It is a day to honor and celebrate the American worker and their contributions to the country. The holiday was officially established in 1894 and is observed with parades, picnics, barbecues and other fe

All Alone, or a Group of One? Do you know this line from the Three Dog Night hit, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do,”? The poignant lyrics call attention to the reality that being alone, being a group of one, can be a very lonely, uncomfortable, and sometimes challenging situation. Wh

Look Back–to the Future Life has been described as a path, a direction in which we travel over time – rather than a single event. Each of us gets to choose the direction our path will take us. By making those choices, we also clear the way to achieving the objectives we’ve set for ourselves. When we

Lighten Up Ever feel yourself getting perturbed by something that happens during your day? Ever have the urge to say something about it, when silence might be the best approach? Perhaps you feel the need to make a judgment about each situation that arises. Maybe it’s time to slow down a bit.  We can

Make Something From Nothing When’s the last time someone told you it’s okay to screw things up? Well, unless you’re a neurosurgeon or a ballot counter, it’s okay! For most of us, a mistake is an action that can be corrected – it’s not usually the end of the world, although we’re sometimes made to fe

Decrease Your Allowance You’ve heard it a million times, “Less is more!” If less really is better, then maybe it’s time to start giving yourself, and even your family, an “allowance.” This isn’t about money, per se, but more about the other things that either drain our resources or over-complicate o

In many ways, moving to a new home can be fun and exciting for many people, but the actual moving part of the experience isn’t something most people enjoy. Moving day is stressful for many reasons, such as: It takes time many people don’t have to spare. Ideally you can take some time off of work in

How Green is Your Grass? Have you been sowing the seeds of your success? Are you prepared for the harvest? Those who are jealous of other people’s successes often have no idea of the consequences. Yes, that rose is sweet and fragrant, but watch out for the thorns! That which you would most value alw