One of my favorite poems is written by The Harlem Poet, Lanston Hughes: Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams go, life is a frozen field covered with snow. On this, the first day of my 53rd year, […]
People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel (Carl W. Buechner). Never underestimate the power of a few well chosen words of appreciation in the lives of those people who cross your path. Appreciation not only encourages and brings out the best in others, it increases our […]
Metaphors are like an old friend. They are easy to be around plus they help transport us from the familiar surroundings of our current world to the unfamiliar reality of a new world. In that new world are buried untapped resources awaiting discovery. Practically, metaphors tap into right brain activity – the emotional and experiential […]
An old saying to help you think about making the best of a less than ideal situation is: “Whatever your lot is life is, build something on it!” Another phrase I’ve learned to use is “I’m living in the land between.” I first heard the phrase in a book written by Jeff Manion and at […]
The ancient Greeks had two words for time – one was chronos and the other was kairos. The quality of your life will be greatly enhanced if you can determine what time it is and then set your clock accordingly! Chronos time is: Measured Raced against A number of days Represented by a stop watch […]
en·dur·ance n The power to withstand hardship or stress The state or fact of persevering Continuing existence When you’re in the middle of adversity or your personal marathon, I don’t care who you are, you’re in denial if at some point you don’t have to tap into some strength and staying power in order to […]
Between stimulus and response is a space. In this space lies our freedom to choose our response. In these choices lie our growth and our happiness (Stephen Covey). Making choices is a huge part of everyday life. Thankfully about 40% of our decisions are habits (according to a Duke University study) and are made without […]
The journey of pain and suffering is a lot like the journey Frodo was asked to take in the classic work written by J.R. Tolkien entitled The Lord of the Rings. In that series of books and award winning movies, Frodo was given the burden and responsibility of carrying the ring over treacherous terrain to […]
There is an amazing sight you see when you drive through Lytton, BC at the point where the muddy Fraser River meets the clean Thompson River. When this happens it is called “confluence” which means “a flowing together”. Let’s use this picture to describe two contrasting parts of life that often touch – the muddy […]
Likeable people, receive better care from doctors and nurses, are happier, have higher quality relationships, and are more likely to succeed in their personal and professional lives. I’ve not only seen this in action but have read the research to back it up. The other news is likeability is something you can improve on with […]