Two weeks ago I wrote a blog about unlocking creativity by doing something different, out of our normal comfort zones. In it, I described how I planned on building coffee and end tables. Well, I want to give an update… I finished my first end table! I had a spot in my freshly painted office …
When is the last time you learned a skill, read a book in a genre you haven’t before, or played a game or sport you have always wanted to but were afraid to take the plunge into (like scuba diving!). I have found that when I try new activities it unlocks the creativity in my …
I like to discuss issues of leadership, communication and Christian living. I’m passionate about these topics and in order to keep up in these areas I do my best to have a few books on the go. I’m always listening to audiobooks from my Overdrive app (free…through the local library). This has saved me hundreds …
Read more “Three Great Reads to Grow Your Soul and Leadership”
I have a confession. I’m an addict. And the drug of choice is fountain pens. Ok, all drama aside, I love to write with vintage (and nu skool) fountain pens. The way the ink flows out of the pointed nib onto the paper is reminiscent of something from years gone by-when people actually wrote things …
Call before you dig. That’s what billboards, radio ads and even web banners shout out to prospective excavators. If you don’t, you may dig a deep hole of debt (because you’ll be on the hook to repair the damaged cables underground). Or someone else will dig a deeper hole for your electrocuted body. Either way, …
In the last few months I’ve read two biographies of successful business leaders, Elon Musk of Tesla/Space X/Solar City and Phil Knight of Nike. Both books were inspirational in their own way, and gave me further insight into the essential elements that drive successful companies. Elon and Phil have different backgrounds and pursuits, but they …
My buttons were popping with pride and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I was sitting in the front row, and on the platform at our church was my wife Melissa speaking to a gathering of about 150 people. Our roles were reversed from the normal routine of me at the microphone and she in the shadows. Her topic? The yo-yo journey she has been on with a severe anxiety disorder.
It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. Even the world’s best and most experienced leaders have to change their leadership style and poor personal habits to stay fresh and relevant. I have seen a real-life example this year in John Tortorella, one of the NHL’s most controversial and polarizing coaches.
There is something special about a fresh start, blank slate (what is a slate?), or cleaned desk.
The weight of ‘once was’ is behind us and the potential of ‘what could be’ awaits us. Humans are creative, and we naturally want to better ourselves. That’s why we make New Year’s resolutions each year, either informally in casual conversation, or sketched out in detail in a Moleskine notebook (the way I roll). Here’s my take on fresh starts.
Every day is new.
There are very few sure-fire ways that you can guarantee to improve your life and leadership. But believe me when I say that these two words will be the high-octane fuel you need to go further, faster. These words? Thank you.
I know, you wonder how I can be so naïve to think that a simple “thank you” will be the key to personal transformation? But it is! Hear me out!