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…
DetailsI 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…
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I went to lunch with my neighbor Bill yesterday and we started talking about the gentleman who used to live in the house next door. I told Bill about talking with my previous neighbor (Bob) on a bright Sunday morning and how he had spent the day planting watermelons – although the doctors had just told him he had…
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Recently I received the pre-coaching information profile from a 40-yr-old teacher. He wrote, “I feel like I got on the wrong boat, and now my life is half over.” Wow – what a painful statement about moving along in this journey called life. Are you clear on where you are going? Or on what your…
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As we are headed into Mother’s Day I was reminiscing about my own mother. At 88, her death was sudden, but not unexpected. She and Dad were sitting quietly together on Friday evening after a day of activities together. They were married for 62 years. For most of those years, Dad was the pastor of…
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As I was listening to my friend Chris McCluskey’s podcast on Worship, Work and Play, I heard him reference this old adage: “If I had but two loaves of bread I would sell one of them and buy White Hyacinths to feed my soul.” – Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) Why does that capture us so? And why…
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When I was 10 years old, one of my best friends was Bob Queen. One afternoon while exploring the back acreage of our farms, a snake bit Bob. Seeing the snake slither off, my immediate response was to run after the snake, track him down and repay the scoundrel for what he had done to…
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We’ve all heard the stories about how a taxi driver was a “transportation logistics manager” on his resume and the greeter at WalMart becomes a “human relations director” in the next job search. Now some people are contending that lying on a resume is so common that it’s necessary to get the better jobs. In…
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Here’s a frightening statement. I read this week where a sales manager was berating his staff for missing their sales quotas. He screamed at them, “If your marriage is not in trouble, it’s probably because you are not spending enough time on the road doing your job!” Okay, now we’ve identified the idiot in the…
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The lead-in question on the information requested when I coach with someone personally is this: “Briefly describe your current work situation.” Here is a classic response I received from a 28-yr-old: “Antithetical to my personal and professional expectations. And unfulfilling on multiple levels: Lack of meaning and purpose; a myopic pursuit of the almighty dollar; a parasitic…
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