Category Archive

I may be alone in my conflicted relationship with service, but probably not.

If you choose to focus on the misery Monday may bring you, you’ll find it. The same is true for focusing on ways to generously make Monday matter.

What if today was an opportunity to write the first word of the first sentence of the first paragraph on the first page of the first chapter in a new book? What would you do?

Last December there were a lot of people who stood in long lines to be the first to see the newest Star Wars movie. A month later my wife and I were able to see the same film with no lines. A few months from now others will see it for the first time in the comfort of their own … Read More

If you are serious about losing some weight in the new year, try these two sure-fire techniques: 1. Forgive others 2. Forgive yourself Carrying the weight of all the wrongs done to you is a self-perpetuating, self-defeating pursuit. So is carrying the weight of all your mistakes. You can choose to carry the weight and you can choose to not … Read More

People may salute your skills, praise your progress, evangelize your effectiveness, or laud your leadership, but nothing compares to someone touting your trustworthiness. Without a doubt, “I trust you,” is the best compliment you will ever receive.

Every relationship that has ever worked has worked because at least one participant decided to make sure it worked.

There is a box in a cabinet in my office that is full of medication. Every time I get a card or an e-mail from someone that has been positively impacted by my work I drop it in the box so that I have concrete proof that I’m making a difference in the lives of the people around me on … Read More

Your legacy will not be about what you did for yourself. It just won’t. How might that knowledge influence the choices you make and the actions you take this week? (I was influenced to make a giant sign for my office to remind me of this every single day.)

My friend is afraid of dying. The fear of dying is probably not altogether rare, but the conversation I shared with my friend this week got me thinking. Fearing death seems like a bad thing because it often causes us to freeze, to play it safe, and to focus on scarcity. But there is also a lot of value in … Read More

Forgiveness is the kind of injustice that sets you free.

There are a million things you can’t control. The way you choose to react is not one of them.

You are not alone. Most people are doing something that terrifies them, or are avoiding doing something that terrifies them, every single day. The fear is a constant, but maybe knowing that everyone is dealing with it will help you do your meaningful work in spite of the fear.

1. Think of five people you can encourage this week. 2. Encourage one of those five people each day this week. Don’t make it complicated, just send them a card, give them a call, go visit them, or do whatever else you deem necessary to gently encourage these five people. If you get tangled up on the part where it … Read More

Whether it’s best to break up or stay together depends on the relationship. (Or the job, or the partnership, or the blog, or the non-profit, or the…) Quitting when things are difficult is an obvious choice. So is refusing to quit when things are easy. What’s less obvious is doing the opposite of the thing that seems natural because you … Read More

On a recent trip to a Phoenix water park I spent some time watching my 8 year old daughter gleefully jumping over the small swells near the edge of the wave pool. She was having so much fun, but I was struck by how many of us do something similar in our work and relationships. We stay at the edges, … Read More