Early in my career I worked for Arcon Construction. The owner, Dean Johnson, told me how he’d built the highway/heavy construction company from nothing to a multi-million-dollar business. Knowing little about entrepreneurship, I commented, “You sure were lucky.” Dean was offended and responded, “You know what luck is? Luck is sweat applied to an opportunity.” I have never forgotten that lesson. Lucky people
Are you good at ignoring elephants?
I am often struck by comments people make when they miss an opportunity to speak up. “She knows I don’t like to reprimand people, so she pushes the rules a hair past the limit, knowing I won’t call her on it.” “Why does Harriet keep telling stories about people who’ve died from cancer. It upsets me. Doesn’t she remember my
It’s all good.
It was late in the day; the store was packed. All around me unhappy people were complaining about long lines and slow cashiers. The young woman behind me had only two items and a little girl in her cart. My cart was full, so I invited her to go ahead. “Thank you,” she smiled, “We don’t mind waiting; Emily and
Limiting Beliefs
Mark Twain was fond of saying, “When a cat jumps on a hot stove, he’ll never jump on a hot stove again. He’ll also never jump on a cold stove.” Twain was pointing out something we humans do regularly. To save time and effort, we use one or a few “facts” to make a quick judgement. The tendency to overgeneralize is
Industrious
Before my father passed away, he cleaned out his shed and house and held an auction. My siblings and I helped him sift through a lifetime of tools, bolts, chainsaws, and lawnmowers to decide what to toss, what to keep, and what to sell. Mom had passed away several years earlier. We decided it was finally time to purge her
Not one of my best ideas
I love the fair season in Minnesota: the smells of cotton candy, popcorn, and 4-H animals wafting through the air. A few years ago, I took my nephews, Charlie and Josh, to the local fair. We had a good time taking in the sights as we ambled toward our ultimate goal, the Midway. The giant yellow slide made two sets
Life Is Amazing; Why Aren’t You Happy?
We take for granted the advances that continue to make our lives easier: We eat foods grown around the world, talk to friends who are thousands of miles away, pay for lunch with a wave of our smart phones, and our cars can parallel park themselves. Pretty amazing!
Rules of Life
My family attends a sweet little Methodist church in my hometown. I enjoy attending when I am visiting on a Sunday.
Change One Thing
Sean, Bill, and Jared are neighbors: on the surface, they seem very much alike. Each is married, of average health, height, and body weight, and earning $75,000 a year. It’s their attitudes that set them apart.
- Page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2