As a college student, I spent my summers as a life guard and camp counselor. During the weekends, the camp director would take the staff for boat rides around the lake. It seemed like every five minutes, he said, “See that turtle over there” or “Look at that turtle sunny itself on that log”. I don’t think I saw a turtle before he saw it at any point during that entire summer. Funny thing is that I also never saw a turtle on my own when I went out on the boat out without him.
Leaving a Legacy
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” (Mae West)
My dad was a throwback to a different time. A different era. He could fix anything. Build anything. Seemingly do anything.
He had been a fire fighter, police officer, truck driver, elected official, army vet, and Hillsdale College maintenance worker.
He was featured in the top lawn and garden tractor magazine (he was so excited that he was finally a centerfold model). He also got more than half a million views on Facebook for his customized John Deere lawn mower/fire truck. In all, he built 5 custom tractors that have seen their fair share of parades.
Live to Forgive
Gandhi once said that “an eye for an eye makes the world world blind.” 18-year old Brandt Jean applied this principle in his life when he made headlines for what he did in a Dallas courtroom in October of 2019.
After Amber Guyger was sentenced in the 2018 murder of Brandt’s brother Botham, he said that he forgave her and asked the judge if he could give her a hug.
The Roadrunner Fooled Me
“Healthy skepticism is the basis of all accurate observation.” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
John Brubaker, the author of best-selling books such as “Stadium Status” and “Seeds of Success” recently brought something to my attention. I like to think that I am a fairly educated person and have a good grasp on reality but he pointed out that I have believed a lie for many years.
Wait, what?!?
Comebacks Are Fun
Winning is fun. Winning when it is not expected of you might be even more fun. Most of us love a good comeback story and recently, we were treated to a couple of good stories from the world of sports.
Bitter or Better?
Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, understood the importance of choosing a right attitude even in bad situations. She was known to be someone that avoided grudges. One time a friend reminded her of a cruel thing that had happened to her previously, but Clara seemed not to remember the incident. “Don’t you remember the wrong that was done to you?, the friend asked. Clara answered calmly. “No, I distinctly remember forgetting that.”
A Long Time Coming
Did you hear about the dramatic duel that Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson recently took part in? No, I am not talking about his one-on-one battle with Tiger Woods out in Las Vegas. I am talking about his final round battle at the 2019 Desert Classic. It looked as if “Lefty” would win his 44th career PGA Tour event because he just had to withstand a challenge from the 417th ranked player in the world. Yes, you heard that right, Phil Mickelson, who earns about $50 million per year was dueling it out with Adam Long.
Playing One String
The legendary Italian violinist Niccolo Paganini was playing a difficult piece of music before a large audience. Suddenly one string on his violin snapped, yet he continued to play, improvising beautifully. Then two more strings broke, and he completed the composition playing with only one string.
Books to Read in 2019
I love to read. It wasn’t always that way. We were made to read in 1st grade and I hated it. However, all that changed in 2nd grade. That was when we were able to pick something from the prize box when we read so many pages. I couldn’t tell you a single book that I read that year, but boy do I remember those baseball cards that I picked out and how it motivated me to become a better reader. My teacher allowed me to read football books, baseball books, detective books, really any kind of book that I was interested in.. I read books that interested me … and, yeah I started my huge baseball card collection. Fast forward to present day and I am still reading books. My shelves may be full of books, but unlike many professors or business people, the books on my bookshelves aren’t just for looks, they have all been read. As 2019 approaches, I realized that I need a new batch of books to get me through the year as I ride the stationary bike at the YMCA or read right before falling asleep. Here are the 19 books that I plan on reading in 2019. I just went through Amazon and put them in my shopping cart and can’t wait for them to arrive. I will give you a quick summary of why I am wanting to read each book. Keep in mind, I am not saying these books are good books, like my previous articles Books for Coaches, Books for Leaders, Recommended Books for 2018, Underrated Books for Leaders but rather that these are the ones that I want to read for various reasons. I hope that they are good,otherwise I will have to toss the book and Mrs. Johnson might not give me credit for it thus denying me the next great baseball card from the prize box.
[Read more…]Leaders Growing Leaders
Last week, I attended the John Maxwell Team Live Event in Orlando and received my certification in coaching, speaking and leadership from the #1 Leadership Expert in the world (editor’s note – originally published on March 21, 2016). After 5 months of online training, these three days of workshops and live training were beyond insightful. I have always been a John Maxwell fan and have read many of his 100+ books. Now, I am licensed to teach his materials and add value to others.
The title on the front cover of our workbooks said “Leaders Growing Leaders”. That seems appropriate. As iron sharpens iron, we add value to others and help others lead significant lives. Leadership really is influence, as John teaches. Here ere are my seven favorite thoughts from last week’s conference.
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