While in the waiting room at a medical clinic, I read a true story by Margo Pfeiff in Reader’s Digest. It’s about a four-year-old girl named Desiree who was struggling to understand the death of her daddy. She wanted to send a message to him on his birthday, and her mother helped her buy the…
The 2013 Harvard Business Review notes that fear and uncertainty are the major obstacles to business model innovation. Fear of failure so often prevents us from taking risks that might lead to exciting new outcomes… So, if we’re already making many mistakes, why not risk something that could potentially make a positive difference? Get Smart,…
An “oxymoron” is a word or expression that contradicts itself. In the 1400s, the word “priority” came into the English language. It meant the very first and most important thing and was singular. It wasn’t until the 1900s that people began to pluralize this word and speak of “priorities.” Rather than having one priority or…
We are all aware of the pervasive bombardment of us all with rapidly changing stimulation. The images and sounds that constantly invade our personal space have some people worried that it causes us to be unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. During my teacher education and periodically…
Some people seem to be able to spot four-leaf clovers much more quickly than others. Are they just lucky or just better at seeing differences in patterns within the clover patch? Does their ability to find four-leaf clovers bring them luck or do the good things that happen after their discoveries just get credited to…
A pastor was interviewing three prospective new members for her church. She asked several questions in order to understand their reasons for wanting to join the church. When she was satisfied that they were sincere in their professions of faith, she went on to make some notes concerning how they each might want to be…
The day of Epiphany is celebrated in most churches as a day to commemorate the visit of the Magi (wise men) to the Christ child. It represents the realization that the long-awaited birth of the Messiah had occurred. It is considered the manifestation of the divine in the world, in the form of a human…
On October 24, 2017, Albert Einstein’s theory of happiness sold for $1.3 million at a Jerusalem auction. While traveling in Tokyo during 1922, the Nobel-winning scientist scribbled a note to the bellboy when he did not have cash for a tip. He wrote, “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of…
Parkinson’s Law reminds us that, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” This means that we need to be very intentional about the use of our time or we will consume all available time accomplishing very little. Why People Fail, Siimon Reynolds, 2012 One year, when I taught art at…
For more than five years, I proctored exams at Harvard University. During the first couple of years, the protocol was to accompany students whenever they left the room, even to the restroom. We were to check the bathroom stalls before the student entered to make sure that no one had left notes that could help…