"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

                                                                                       - Admiral William H. McRaven (retired)

One of my favorite books that I read/listened to in 2020, was Make Your Bed by retired 4-Star Admiral William H. McRaven. 

McRaven retired from the Navy in 2014 as the highest-ranking Navy Seal or “bullfrog” in the corps and was the commander in charge of the missions that felled both Osama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein.

The book is based on his now famous commencement speech that he delivered to the graduating class at the University of Texas on how to change the world (check out an excerpt from the speech here, but then please come back and...

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."

                                                                                            - Pele, Soccer Legend

Recently, I had an old friend, martial arts student and training partner ask me if I could use the platform of this weekly blog to comment on the concept of sacrifice

It seems to me, in our instant gratification society, which often times provides us the means of getting things the moment we desire it, that sacrifice has become a lost art. 

However, in my experience, the times when I really had to sacrifice my...

“No matter how busy a man is, he is never too busy to stop and talk about how busy he is.”

                                                                                         - SearchQuotes.com

Busy-ness. 

When you think about it, it has really become an obsession for us in our culture - a badge of honor, so to speak. 

The next time you are in a conversation with a friend or business associate, be aware of how many times the conversation begins or includes your expression of how busy you are.  

Busy-ness can become a driving force in our lives, particularly when we identify with it strongly or allow it to dictate how we show up in our professional and personal relationships.

Interestingly enough,...

“In the study of truth, we talk often about the power of words.  It is important to put into words only the verbal statements you want to see manifest in your life.  For instance, the word ‘problem’.  You say, ‘I have a problem.’ A much better word to employ when referring to some sort of challenge is ‘project’.  Note what happens when you say, ‘I have this project.’  It makes all the difference in the world.  The word project suggests a positive endeavor of development…..We tackle a project with vigor and imagination and with the conviction that it will be done.”

                                                                                             ...

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” 

                                                                                    -  Amy Bloom

There are times in our early lives that can have a profound effect on us and continue to impact us into our adult years. 

One such instance happened to me when I was about nine years old and led me to create a self-image, I would carry with me for most of my life.  

I was at my cousin’s house playing with a group of six other kids.  We were being led in our play by my cousin’s neighbor, Johnny, who was a year or two older than me. 

Johnny was slender, with brownish-red hair and freckles.  He was also...

“Hope is a start.  But…hope needs action to win victories.”

                                                                      - David J. Schwartz

A new year is upon us.  I don’t know about you, but I am very happy that 2021 has arrived. 

Recently, I was speaking to one of my coaching clients and shared with him that I am usually not overly excited about the beginning of a new year, but this year I certainly am.

It is an understatement to say that 2020 has been a difficult year for all of us, and I am personally filled with hope for what lies ahead for the upcoming year.

Hope can serve as an incredibly powerful force in getting us moving and breaking through the barriers we face in difficult times.  It is also true that having a vision...

“Most dying people regret not the things they did but the things they didn’t do.”

                                                                                           – Olga Rickards

If you are like me, the end of the year is a time of reflection of what was completed and experienced over the past 12 months and what is to be pursued and created in the upcoming year.

Many times, the pursuits we are inspired to embark upon in the new year get quickly put to rest by our fear of possible failure. 

This is especially true when we have the “evidence” of our past to rationalize our not taking risks, particularly when we have experienced challenges like we have faced most recently in 2020.  It...

"We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give."

                                                                                - Winston Churchill

To say that 2020 has been a challenging year and that this year's holiday season will be much different from what most of us are used to, is indeed an understatement.

The holidays are usually marked with hustle and bustle of year-end activities.  In past years, our calendars filled up with events, parties and gift-giving functions, celebrating family and friends. 

For many of us, that will not be the case this year.  In an effort to keep each other safe and healthy, we will be spending the holidays in smaller groups or even without the direct contact with those we love, using Zoom...

“It is solved by walking.”

                                                                            - St. Augustine

In May 2014, I undertook one of the most amazing experiences in my life as I walked the Camino de Santiago. 

The Camino or The Way as it is known, is a 500-mile pilgrimage across northern Spain.  My trek began in the town of St. Jean-Pied du Port in western France, ascended into the Pyrenees Mountains and then descended into Spain where I would spend the next month trekking 17-18 miles per day across the beautiful Spanish countryside to my ultimate destination, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Legend has it that the Camino began in the 9th Century as a way for early Christians to pay penance for their misdeeds...

"Don't ever doubt that one small single event can trigger an unstoppable chain of events that gain momentum with increasing force, and nothing is ever the same."

                                                                                                 - [email protected]

One of the vivid memories I have of my Grandma Natzke, as I was growing up, was her joy of playing the game dominoes.  During the course of my childhood, she attempted to teach me several times how to play.  Although I never acquired her love of the game (nor do I think I remember how to play it), each time I see someone play or speak about dominoes, I get a warm memory of my grandmother.

Several years ago, I was introduced to a video on You...