Practicing a spirit of service invokes gratitude and empathy. It perpetuates kindness. Volunteering your time and skills pushes you outside yourself and plunges you into your community. Carrying a heart of service simultaneously and subconsciously acknowledges you...
"Delayed gratification." Have you ever heard that phrase? If you have, it’s probably because you practice a few of the principles we’ve discussed before. You know, qualities like patience, effort, focus...Interesting how those three things could work in tandem to...
How do you eat an elephant? It is said that you do it… one bite at a time. But what if you have an elephant in front of you… and you just aren’t hungry for elephant? We all experience times when it’s hard to find motivation to do certain things. It’s even more...
Have you ever felt like not doing what you knew was the right thing to do? What’s the harm if there’s nobody around to see you? It’s not always easy or convenient to make the better choice. One’s character determines what we do even when no one is watching. Some...
I don’t know about you, but I hate being late. If I say I’m going to be somewhere at a specific time, I want to actually be there early, when possible. My daddy called it Bear Bryant time. If you ain’t five minutes early, you’re late. Have you ever heard the old...
Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Michael Jordan said, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Many people allow the process of analysis to continue beyond its intended boundary and as a result...
Recently, I saw a stunning photograph posted by a Virginia Wildlife photographer in which she managed to capture the breath of a red-winged blackbird while singing during the dead of winter. The caption read, “when it’s cold enough to see the melody.” It was the...
Filling in the cracks Do you regard your life as having been well lived? Do you feel fulfilled? While you think about the answer to that question, consider what might make you feel that way. Are you contemplating the family trip you wish you’d taken last year....
Did you ever think math could teach you things beyond the page? How about a mathematician? Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, known for his famous theorem, also dabbled in the personal and the worldly. He once said “Choose rather to be strong of...
Recent world events serve as a valuable reminder — life is precious and time is fleeting. The sheer busyness of life can be all consuming. You’ve no doubt heard it said — “don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” It’s easy to get so busy...
There’s much we can learn about failure from the potter. She begins her process with a simple ball of clay. Sometimes she uses a wheel to form the piece she’s building, sometimes she shapes it using only her hands. She kneads the clay to get rid of any air pockets,...
You and everyone you know, at one time or another, need someone to care. Whether you know it or not, someone out there loves you and thinks about you. These people in your life. Even the more independent of the people in your life need human interaction...they rely...