Casual comments can uncover strong connections
I was at an event last week that included an educational seminar and a two-hour riverboat cruise. (Yes, references were made to Gilligan’s Island.) There was only one person at the event whom I knew ahead of time, so virtually everyone I talked to was someone I was meeting for the first time – starting with the person I met in the parking lot who arrived at the same time I did. As we walked toward the dock, we chatted [...]
Four stages can teach us anything we want to know
Every once in a while I come across a helpful hint, a business tip, or a piece of information or insight so brilliant that I know it’s going to change my life. Often, it’s something that seems so basic and obvious I’m embarrassed to acknowledge that I never thought about it before. It happened again recently when I read about the four stages we have to go through when learning anything new. “Ignorance is bliss” is a good description of [...]
Visiting the past brought joy in the present
I spent much of last weekend revisiting the past. Not by taking a road trip to the town where I was born and raised, or to other places I’ve lived since then. Instead, I just kept running into situations that took me back to something or someone I haven’t thought about in a while. On Friday, I was at an all-day workshop with participants from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, as well as states as far away as Texas and California. [...]
A seven-day challenge leads to a new habit for life
I just completed a 7-day challenge issued by one of my cousins. She had been tagged on Facebook and challenged to post a Bible verse – and to tag and nominate someone else to do the same – for each of the next seven days. I was one of the people she chose. I took on the challenge, although I decided to skip the part about asking others to do the same. Even though I could easily think of seven [...]
A trip and a fall lead to new awareness
I tripped and fell in the parking lot as I was going home from an event one evening last week. I didn’t break any bones or have any significant injuries, but as I hit the pavement I felt immediate pain in my left hand and wrist, and in both knees. It was mild enough that one of my first thoughts wasn’t about how badly I might be hurt, but about the fact that I probably tore a few holes in [...]
New Experiences Lead to New Discoveries
I did some analysis a few days ago on a project I’ve been working on, and was surprised at what I discovered. Actually, it would be more accurate to describe it as “a project I started almost a year ago that was going well, then got stalled and abandoned, and now feels like just another one of those projects I started but never finished.” Do you have any of those? The project was a personal challenge inspired by a friend [...]