The best thing about dumping an entire bag of uncooked popcorn kernels on a wood floor is that popcorn kernels don’t roll.  They slide pretty well, though. After cleaning 100s of kernels from under the refrigerator and from every known recess in the pantry, my newly landscaped kitchen floor was back to normal. And, I…

“I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” — Mark Twain We live our lives in fear of what might happen. And, what we fear most are the bad things. Wouldn’t it be smarter to focus on what IS happening and imagine the GOOD things that might happen?…

If you have ever read the Proverbs (quite a business book, by the way), you may have encountered this: ‘The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!”‘ Was there a lion outside? No. But is was a “reason” not to do anything. He was a sluggard, after all. It reminds me of this line when…

Isn’t it interesting how external circumstances have such a huge influence on how we feel? It’s raining. I feel blue. It’s raining. I feel refreshed. The sun is shining. I feel uplifted. The sun is shining. I feel hot and irritated. I don’t have a job. I’m depressed. I don’t have a job. I’m excited about…

Change can be sudden and it doesn’t have to come from outside forces. If you are in circumstances you don’t like, stop waiting for change to come to you and make change happen. When I was growing up I heard something cutesy that didn’t carry a lot of weight for me. Today, it is a…

My daughter leaves for Africa today for 3 months. In addition to her back pack with camera and computer, she has two large suitcases packed with clothing and other personal items. Is she rich? She’s my daughter… I should know. Why is she going? To work at a village, in a school attended by abandoned…

How do you do that? You might start by asking how you got off track. Knowing what happened helps you stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right ones. For example, if you are in debt and going deeper, stop overspending. Not too complicated. Next, ask yourself what “on track” looks like. If…

Three decades after graduation I realize how much more productive high school could have been if I knew then what I know now. I would: 1. Worry less about grades and experiencing more life. 2. Realize how easy and fun high school was. 3. Trade lunches more. 4. Appreciate my friends more. 5. Get to…

… where would it be? Where you work now? From home? Recognize the question is not, “If you could work for anyone?” Rather, it is “If you could work from anywhere?” What if you could do what you do now from a different location? Sometimes, and more often than you might imagine, people can do…

Your doctor just gave you the bad news. 30 years? Maybe 30 days or 30 months would be bad news, but 30 years? It’s only bad if you make it so. With so much time on your hands, you can waste most or all of it. You can spend another 10 years in a job…