George Washington Carver was a devoutly spiritual man who looked to God for new innovation and insight. During a boll weevil plague that consumed the farmer’s cotton crops, Mr. Carver encouraged the farmers to grow peanuts because the boll weevils don’t eat peanuts. The resulting bumper crop of peanuts presented a new challenge. There was…
This last week Joanne and I spent a few days at Whitestone Inn, one of our favorite get-aways. For some people, it would be too quiet, too remote and too unconnected. For us, it’s just right. We even chose the Mockingbird Suite since it’s in a cottage at the very edge of the property, away from…
As companies desperately try to screen through candidates in today’s work environment, we are seeing more and more telephone screening interviews prior to a face-to-face meeting. Here are some tips to maximize your success: A. Stand up when taking the call; you project yourself much more confidently and with greater enthusiasm. (Just this week I…
Bertrand Piccard is planning to circle the planet in a solar-powered airplane. He watched 6 Apollo takeoffs as a little boy. His Dad was a deep sea submarine diver and has been to The Mariana Trench – the deepest part of the world’s oceans. His grandfather invented the pressurized cabin – first person to see…
I continue to see resumes with “objectives” that are meaningless. Here’s another one from this week: “To be given the opportunity to work full-time in a facility utilizing my skills and work experience. To grow with a company and establish a career.” Here’s another: “To support the growth and profitability of an organization that provides…
It’s now July – a great time to take a look at this year’s progress. Have you completed half of your goals for this year? Are you on track with your physical, spiritual, personal development and financial goals? Are you more in line with your life plan than you were at the beginning of the…
I’m reviewing the June Employment Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning. Overall, the report sounds pretty positive. “Payroll employment increases by 288,000 in June; unemployment rate declines to 6.1%.” But there’s one statistic I always look for – and then break out in a cold sweat when I see it – “Discouraged…
In one of my all-time favorite Peanuts cartoons, Charlie Brown complains to Linus that every day his lunch is the same. When Linus asks Charlie Brown who makes his lunch, Charlie Brown looks down at the floor and says, “I do.” When it comes to the activities of our lives, most of us make our…
“Dan! I’m feeling like I’m in a dead-end situation, but I’m not going to move until God tells me to do so!” I received this note recently from a reader – and it represents thousands of similar notes I continue to receive every single day. “Dan, I’m miserable, frustrated, anxious, sick, exhausted, bored, nervous, worried,…
Here’s a recent question: “Dan, I’m seven months pregnant and trying to change careers. I am a petite person; therefore, I can easily hide my current condition. I have an interview later this week; it is with a company that I strongly desire to work for. I want to be honest and disclose my pregnancy,…
