When Jorg Sprave was 9, his dad took him into the woods for the occasion that should be part of every boy’s growing up experience – making a slingshot. “We searched and found a perfectly forked hazelwook stick,” Sprave says. “Then we cut the rubber from a car’s inner tube and made the pouch from an old shoe.” He was hooked. Today Jorg is 52 – and still making slingshots. He doesn’t even build them to sell as his designs are one-of-a-kind and pretty exotic. He uses simple wood triggers and basic mechanics. Some shoot 6 projectiles at once. One uses … Read More
I’m your Dad and we don’t do that here……..
Recently I spoke to a group of church leaders who are going through a tough transition time in the life of their church. Change is a challenging issue for many of us – in our work, our technology, our cars, our children and our churches. The worst thing I see is churches trying to defend things simply because that’s the way they were done in the past. Change is painful – but not changing is certain death. Tweet This With Father’s Day right around the corner I was reminded of my own strict upbringing and the principles Dad attempted to pass on … Read More
Pray with your legs
“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” — Frederick Douglass Okay – I’ve referenced this quotation over the years and it continues to prompt a whole lot of questions from you, our readers. People want to know what that means, and furthermore, can I find scripture to support whatever it means. Yes, I see far too many people who are “praying” for solutions and answers – and simply living in that prayerful mode – hands folded and eyes closed, waiting on God to supernaturally give them the specific answers that will remove their … Read More
Boomerang Workers
I am seeing an interesting phenomenon as unemployment is very low (4.4%) and companies are scrambling to find great employees. Many companies are looking at tried and true employees. They are re-hiring old employees that were let go in leaner times. Hiring experts call these people “boomerang workers.” “It’s a very smart, enlightened policy,” said Joyce Gioia, president of The Herman Group, a workforce consulting business in Greensboro, North Carolina. “It means that you have taken advantage of the knowledge capital that was built up and you’ve lost in the past.” Some companies actively encourage the process. Pittsburgh-based advertising company, … Read More
Are you self-employed?
In live seminars I often ask, “How many of you are self-employed?” Typically, about 30% of the audience will raise their hands. Then I ask, “How many of you are working for yourselves?” A few more hands go up. Then I may ask, “How many of you currently have only one customer for the services you provide?” Eventually, everyone realizes that no matter what the situation, we are all really “self-employed.” The company is not going to pay your mortgage or choose the private school you want for your children. You must do that based on your ability to provide … Read More
Don’t lose your cow!
There’s an old Texas saying that goes: “It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill as long as you don’t lose your cow.” In other words, what we see as “failure” may not really have diminished our ability to contribute, produce or earn an income. Is losing your job the milk or the cow? If your business bombs, have you lost some milk, or is your cow gone? If you have an accident and can no longer hammer nails, is your cow really gone? General Douglas MacArthur once said, “Security is your ability to produce.” Security does not come from … Read More
Unemployed – or ready to launch?
Losing a job can lead to anger, resentment, guilt and depression. I once worked with a gentleman who lost his job and tried to reposition himself and do a job search. He quickly became discouraged after just a few days with no success. Then he started hiding out from his wife, pretending to be doing a job search, while in reality he was going to the library to surf the Internet and read magazines. He consoled himself in fast food and high sugar snacks and quickly added about 25 pounds. This, in turn, made him self-conscious about his weight and … Read More
I’m a box of parts and nothing fits together
This is actually a quotation from one of my workshop attendees. The young man went on to describe how he had the ability to do a lot of things but had never found a clear focus for his career. This time of year we always see a great number of college graduates who present the same feeling. “Now that I have this degree, what am I supposed to do?” Having a degree does not necessarily lead a person in a clear direction. That’s why we know that 10 years after graduation, 80% of college graduates are working in something totally … Read More
You keep your F – I’m keeping my dream
When Monty Roberts was in high school, his teacher gave the class the assignment of writing about what they wanted to do when they grew up. Monty wrote that he wanted to own a ranch and raise thoroughbred racehorses. His teacher gave him an “F” and explained that the dream was unrealistic for a boy living in a camper in the back of a pickup truck. He would never be able to make this a reality. When he offered Monty the chance to rewrite his paper for a higher grade, Monty told him, “You keep your F; I’m keeping my … Read More
100% College Admission – how sad I am
I wrote this post 4 years ago, but was reminded once again, as at this time of year we’re seeing schools scrambling to brag about how many of their brilliant students are being admitted to fine colleges and universities. And my feelings are stronger now than 4 years ago. ********************************************* Last Sunday on a leisure drive back from lunch, Joanne and I passed one of the most prestigious private high schools in our area. A big 10ft banner was proudly posted at the front entrance stating: “100% College Admission for our Seniors – again.” I’ll have to admit I cringed upon seeing that. … Read More