I was born on July 14, 1941. I am 75. That used to sound old – but not anymore. I plan to hit 100, so I still have 25% of my life to live. Having a strong finish in my Q4 will be important. Here’s my plan …
If you’ve read my vow for this year, you know I am trying to “not purchase anything I don’t truly need” However, when I met Dottie Leatherwood – a gifted painter with the rare talent for capturing an experience and bringing it to life, I began to think about one possession I might just want after all …
Our guide in Cuba gave us some strange advice at the start of our visit. “Wait for the Magic,” she said. Doubtful, I tucked Carol Steele’s words away, and waited to see if they would be true. Believing that the Cuban buildings would be gray and crumbling, the people poor and sad, and the cars all old, I was unsure where any of Carol’s magic would appear. Sure enough, every time I focused on the people, the magic would start to appear.
The choice I made at the start of the year was simple. I Resolve: No More Stuff In 2016! I thought the experiment was going to be harder. So far, I haven’t been tempted to break my vow at all. Maybe the reason I haven’t cared about adding new clothing to my life is because Joyce and I recently added a new member to our family. Our new puppy, Louisa …
We just returned from an eye-opening trip to Cuba, a trip that until recently was not permitted for citizens like us. Cuba, while just 90 miles off Florida, has been off-limits to U.S. travelers for more than half a century. Now, as I settle back into my daily routine, I am having trouble reconciling my pre-existing prejudices with the realities of life on that small but powerful island.
It’s true that each business has at least a few unique qualities, yet if your business will be larger than just yourself and will interact with Clients, Customers, and Co-Workers, you will need some guideposts along the way. Here are mine.
The best part of sharing my stories is when a reader remembers their own story and shares it with me. Vivian Moose read The Guy in The Glass and it reminded her of a glass in her life. In her story, the mirror went from being an ‘enabler of her pity’ to a ‘life saver’ to finally becoming her ‘best friend and teacher.’ Here is Vivian’s story, told in her words and with her full permission …
My schools were always red brick. We sat in rows at our desk, facing the black board. The teacher talked. We listened. Period. Davidson Green School empowers students, from age three up through fifth grade, to learn how to be independent, creative, and responsible thinkers. That’s inspiring and it fits with what I want from education today.
I found a poem folded and put away in the old trunk my mother brought with her to Charlotte. The poem had passed around dad’s office in 1951. This 1934 poem is now framed and hanging next to my shaving mirror. I won’t say I read it every day, but I read it often. Dale Wimbrow wrote the poem in 1934. It seems old-timey now, and may have even sounded that way then, but its meaning is clear …
“Everyone makes me happy,” I said. “Some when they arrive – others when they leave.” That was before Mike taught me the magic answer. Mike was in the small group who only made me happy when he left my office. He could be my worst nightmare.