I arrived in Uganda safe and sound, and had a wonderful reunion with Tabitha and her family. While waiting for the gate to open at the airport in Amsterdam, I was talking with a woman from northern Uganda, and it took us less than five minutes to find a common connection, in the form of someone we both know. I'm always amazed and delighted to be reminded again what a small world it is! Tomorrow (Monday), we have a three-hour drive to get to our [...]
“100% scripted, 100% flexible.” That was one of the mantras we repeated over and over again when I was in Uganda last October, with an emphasis on the “flexible” part. Our plans and programs were carefully scheduled and prepared. But unexpected problems and challenges kept popping up, usually with little or no advance warning. We got used to it, and whenever something unforeseen happened – which was most of the time – we made whatever changes were necessary, and carried on with the program. I’m [...]
I’m going back to Uganda! The dream that began when I was there last October has grown and expanded and taken on a life of its own. It’s gathered momentum and interest. It’s generated plans and projects and new ideas. And it has become a passion and mission not only of mine, but of my friend Tabitha and a number of other people who want to see this dream become a reality. If you’ve been reading my column somewhat regularly in recent months, you know [...]
What would you do if you were fearless? That question came up during a meeting I attended last Thursday. It was a planning session for a “Fearless Women” event that’s going to take place later this year, and as we discussed the event and the question, I had no idea how – or how often – the issues of fear and fearlessness would come up in the next 30 hours. The first instance, shocking and frightening, was when I woke up the next morning to [...]
“You never cease to amaze me with your over-abundant life. Wow! You are living the Dream!” That was the message I got last week in an email from a cherished friend whom I’ve known since high school. She reads my column online, and was commenting on one I wrote a few weeks ago about attending a Hollywood red-carpet event: a Book Launch and Gala for “Fearless Women, Visions of a New World.” In the column, I also mentioned my trip to Uganda last fall – [...]
A few things I did last week that I have never done before in my life: I walked – and was photographed on – the red carpet at a Hollywood Gala; I attended a baby shower at the home of a Ugandan family living in California; I flew on an official “red eye,” leaving LAX after midnight and returning to Minneapolis just after 6 o’clock on Monday morning. Something I did last week that I have done before – and, in fact, have been doing [...]
My friend Tabitha and I drove to Chicago last weekend to attend the Lead Like Jesus Facilitators’ Reconnect. Part of the program was devoted to the work we did in Uganda last October, so I was invited to attend even though I’m not yet a fully-trained facilitator. We arrived at the hotel around noon, but weren’t able to check in because our room wasn’t ready yet. So we went to the café next door to have some lunch. As we approached the restaurant, I could [...]
Wash your feet. That’s probably not something you hear or say very often. We wear shoes and socks much of the time, and most of the walking we do is indoors or on paved roads and parking lots. You probably wash your feet when you take your shower every day, but most likely you don’t think about it even then. You just do it. “Washing of the feet,” however, is something many of us think about during the Easter season – especially on Holy Thursday, [...]
Not long ago, I had a day when it felt like I was playing all day instead of working. The morning started off with a breakfast meeting at a Rotary Club. On my way home from that, I dropped off an item I was donating for an educational foundation’s Silent Auction Fundraiser. Later, I had lunch with someone who’s a former coaching client and now a wonderful friend. By mid-afternoon, I felt as though I hadn’t really done any work or accomplished anything, and I [...]
I did something last week that I haven’t done in a long, long time. I set my alarm for midnight, and when it went off I got up, bundled up, and slipped out the back door. I brushed the snow off one of the chairs on our deck, sat down, and leaned way, way back. I positioned myself so I could see as much of the sky as possible. Then I watched and waited. I had read a few days earlier about the Quadrantids, a [...]