Put on Your New Shoes and Run the Race to Win
There’s something about new shoes that leads a child to believe they can run faster. To run better. I was no exception to that. If I knew I’d be likely to find myself in a footrace, game of tag or other event that required my ability to run, you can bet...
Don’t Just Say Yes. Say Yes with a Committed Spirit
It’s time to say yes. That’s right. I’ve been waiting ALL YEAR for this topic in A Year of Listing Up. You see, the life lesson of “Consider Saying Yes” carries a lot of potential themes and impacts. For me, it’s a highly personal lesson and...
Some of the Many Ways We Can Show Up – 7 Posts
What does it mean to SHOW UP? When I first unpacked this life lesson in Listen Up, Kids, it was about being physically present. In a sense, it was along the lines of show up to school every day and you will at least get a good score in attendance/participation. As I...
Developing Good Habits While Crushing No-So-Good Habits
When we have conversations about habits, it is rarely about developing good habits. Those conversations usually begin at the other end of the spectrum. And that’s why habits get a bad wrap. They often get described as “nasty,” “bad,” or “terrible” habits that are...
The Impacting Power of Celebrating Small Victories – 7 Posts
There are a lot of clichés about celebrating small victories. We have “one step at a time,” “one day at a time,” “day by day,” and a host of others. You may well know, I am no fan of clichés. However, we must realize that clichés become so because there is a ring of...
Small Steps for Nurturing Progress in Your Personal Growth
In 2011, Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer shared the results of an in-depth study in the Harvard Business Review entitled, “The Power of Small Wins.” They analyzed several thousand daily diary entries from 238 individuals to learn about their emotions,...
Milestone Moments and the Many Mini-Moments in Between
Today represents a couple events that might be called milestone moments. The most obvious one is Columbus Day. The other milestone moment is a little more personal. It’s my fortieth birthday. I don’t’ spend a lot of time talking about my birthdays, because I find that...
7 Posts for Personal Growth from Planting Small Seeds
You really never know what life will bring. As an oft said saying goes, “the tallest and mightiest oak of the forest began life as a small nut that stood its ground.” Look around you and observe or realize where you are planted. Grow from there....
Heirloom Seeds – Review of Raising an Original by Julie Lyles Carr
I’m an heirloom, and this post will help show you why that’s the case. It will also show you why each of my kids is an heirloom in their own right, and why you are as well. I gained this understanding while reading Raising an Original: Parenting Each Child According...
Gaining Personal Momentum By Taking Small Steps
When challenged to find personal momentum, I often think about a scene from my favorite movie, Steve Martin’s “The Jerk.” It’s a humorous way of reminding us about the importance of taking steps forward rather than standing still. In the movie, Martin’s Navin Johnson...