My dad is a part-time real estate agent (look out Donald Trump!) The other day he was showing a house, and spotted this saying in a little girl's bedroom:"Always kiss me goodnight." My dad offers us this wisdom: "Just think where we would be if parents made that a rule before they walked out of their children’s room?" …
Maintain Perspective
I Saw a Robin
Today as I went on a morning walk I was overcome by spring. It was a feast of the senses. The crisp morning air found it's way deep into my lungs. It was like an internal spring cleaning. The sky was a bright blue canvas with white feathers scattered randomly. …
Are You a Home Run Champ Or a Strikeout King?
I finally had a chance to meet blogging buddy and Make It Great! guy Phil Gerbyshak and his wife on Saturday. Kim and I met Phil and his wife (also named Kim) halfway between Madison and Milwaukee. How shall I sum up the experience of meeting Phil? It's like meeting Rain Man, a Baptist preacher, and your best friend all in one. It was remarkable that Phil knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that in 1980, Rickey Henderson batted .303 and stole 100 bases with 9 home runs. It was just as remarkable that Phil seemed to be friends with pretty much every person currently alive. …
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Tsunamis and Turning 31
When British physician Thomas Wedgwood was 31, he produced the first photograph. At the age of 31, French Egyptologist Jean Francois Champollion deciphered the Rosetta stone. And Eli Terry introduced the free-trial, no-money-down sales method. A few weeks ago, I also turned 31. I wonder if something I'll do this year will be important enough for historians to make note of. (You too can find out what great things people accomplished when they were your age.) I'm pretty happy with how my life has turned out so far, although it's almost nothing like I imagined when I was growing up. When …
What To Do When You’re Snowed In
It's snowing in Madison. Lots. We have a chance to break the all-time snowfall record this weekend. We could get close to two feet of snow, and even got some thunder and lightning last night! It seems as if everything is closed and canceled, and today's speaking engagement in Cambridge, WI has been postponed for a few weeks. So, what does one do when one is snowed in for a weekend? Maybe that's the wrong question. …
Time to Let Kids Be Kids
As Kim and I travel around the country, I see a lot of busy families. Busy parents. Busy kids. Busy pets. I believe part of the job of parents is to help their children to appreciate childhood. It goes by so fast -- especially these days -- and kids just don't have the perspective to realize what a special time of life it can be. It's hard to avoid the gripping -- and sometimes grim -- responsibilities of adulthood, but having a pleasant childhood to look back on can have the same effect as some hot chocolate and warm cookies after a long day of playing in the snow. Every child deserves a …
School of Fish
Jason and I talk a lot about looking to children as teachers; miniature sherpas to show us how we should live a stress-free life filled with a childlike heart. Jason talked about this in his blog last fall. We saw a sherpa the other day while walking into the Georgia Aquarium (the world's largest aquarium). She was about three-years-old and couldn't contain her excitement as she ran alongside her parents towards the entrance. She had bright pink tights, a colorful skirt and black and pink cowboy boots. So cute! She was excited to be there. I can always learn a thing or two by observing the …
How Dare Oprah Winfrey!
I recently posed the question: Are you in your dream job? A few people responded that they were, but I imagine most people fall into the majority of people -- 80% according to a Careerbuilder.com survey -- are still looking for their dream job. People give many reasons why they are not in their dream job: lack of skills, lack of opportunity, too young, too old... the list goes on and on. Is it too idealistic to expect that everyone could have a job they love? A public speaking and presentation skills coach named Lisa added a comment to the previously mentioned post, saying: …
The Contradiction of Being Childlike
The other day, a woman came up to me after one of my presentations in Pleasanton, CA. "The whole time you were asking rhetorical questions, I found myself trying to figure out the answers," she started. "For instance, 'What is the point in our lives when we lose our childlike spirit?' Sometimes I think it's when we're forced to shoulder the load of life's responsibilities; we're afraid that we won't be able to handle them adequately -- or be seen as irresponsible -- if we hold on to our childlike side." You know, I think she's right. Too often, accepting the responsibilities of life is …
Marshmallows and Motorcycle Trips
Last week I had the privilege of addressing a group of elementary and high school teachers at a district wide meeting in Stark County, Illinois. (Read the newspaper article.) I like talking to teachers. Rarely do they have people standing up for them, acknowledging all the hard work they do, and reminding them of why they got into teaching in the first place. It was the first day back from Christmas break, and frankly, I don't think anyone was too excited to be there. (At least that's what Kim's teaching experience has taught me.) After I promised that I wouldn't say a word about curriculum …