Once You Know, You Can’t Unknow

Once You Know, You Can’t Unknow

  “Fatigue is the price of leadership.Mediocrity is the price of never getting tired.” — J. Oswald Sanders Many days end with a conversation with a tired leader. I seem to be talking to many tired people these days and I love to support leaders who are...
Going Out into the World Again

Going Out into the World Again

“Meantime, life outside goes on all around you.” — Bob Dylan   Though I have been traveling during 2023 — and in the months and year before this — I have not been flying on planes or attending big conferences for a long time. 9/11 changed us forever and the...
Brothers

Brothers

“That girl wasn’t who she wanted to be anymore,but sometimes you don’t get to choose who you are.”― Catherine McKenzie   My family had a secret it kept. I did not learn of this secret until I was a teenager. It was like a ghost in our home. The event and the...
When I . . .

When I . . .

  “Don’t simply retire from something;have something to retire to.” — Harry Emerson Fosdick Have you ever said….’When I ……’ • Graduate• Marry• Have children• Become an empty-nester• Have this amount of money saved• Sell my...
Choosing the Right Gear

Choosing the Right Gear

 “ Life is like a ten-speed bicycle.Most of us have gears we never use.” — Charles M. Schulz I was happy to be invited to speak at a monthly safety council meeting in Cleveland. I am always up for a conversation about safety. Though, you might wonder why a consultant...
My Complicated Life

My Complicated Life

“I’m a problem solver. I love people. The more complicated they are, the more I get into them, and I just want to understand what makes them tick.” — Paul Walker I am a very goal and activity-oriented person. Action is my preferred gear. I need to be...
Where is Home?

Where is Home?

“Dwelling on the past only blinds you to the future. Missing home is natural, but embrace the present and create a new place that feels just as comforting.” — Dale Carnegie I have just returned from five days committed to being in a different environment with...
Still Crazy After All These Years

Still Crazy After All These Years

“Now I sit by my window and I watch the cars.I fear I’ll do some damage one fine day.But I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers.Still crazy after all these years.” — Paul Simon This morning I stepped both back and forward in time while using...
Back in the Saddle, Again

Back in the Saddle, Again

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength— carrying two days at once.It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow,it empties today of its strength.” — Corrie ten Boom This past week I found myself picking up...
Are We Safe in a Safe Harbor?

Are We Safe in a Safe Harbor?

“A ship is safe in the harbor, But that’s not what ships are built for.” — Gael Attal While I was enjoying a well-needed vacation — one that really caused me to let go and disconnect — I still managed to compose a blog. In my last one, I told you I was on an...
The Best Definition of Friendship

The Best Definition of Friendship

“I learned that a friend may be waitingbehind a stranger’s face.”  Maya Angelou It is a good morning when your day starts with a phone call from someone with whom you share the same values, interests, and intentions. Many of my friendships start with one kind of...
The Risk and Impact of Isolation

The Risk and Impact of Isolation

“All things are subject to interpretation.Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche   Researchers report: Civility isn’t just in decline, it is disappearing. Because we are losing...
Who Am I?

Who Am I?

“Who am I really? What have I done? What is important and meaningful to me? What difference does it make that I have lived? What does it mean to be truly human, and where am I on that scale?” — Morrie Schwartz     The Wisdom of Morrie:Living and Aging Creatively and...
What Simple Fun Teaches

What Simple Fun Teaches

Fun itself hasn’t changed — the nature of work has changed and will continue to change.But fun is fun, as much fun now as it was then.Forever.” — Bernard DeKoven, “The Playful Path” A Playful Path is the shortest road to happiness. — the Oaqui   I love stories...
Team Chaos!!!

Team Chaos!!!

“Chaos was the law of nature;Order was the dream of man.Chaos often breeds life,when order breeds habit.” — Henry Adams   More than one dog is a pack. I have five smaller dogs, 4 French Bulldogs and an English Bulldog. They have been given a nickname...
More Fun with a Partner

More Fun with a Partner

“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too)those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” — Charles Darwin I believe that everyday experiences and formative life experiences are good fodder for building...
Discovering More Gears

Discovering More Gears

“More coal, more smoke, more heat,more steam, more pressure, more speed. ― Martin R. Jackson I have operated with several gears for most of my life. Gears is my metaphor for my work/lifestyles that I move in with ease. Life and work require us to have a full range of...
The Caregiver Syndrome

The Caregiver Syndrome

“Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters.” — Amy Leigh Mercree   My recent health challenges have caused me to be even more reflective than I am normally. In sharing my experience with a...