Blogs

It was “swearing-in time” in Washington DC this past week, as well as for state legislatures around the country. Newly-elected and returning senators and representatives smiled for the cameras, swore their oaths, and took their seats. It was a fairly drama-free exercise, especially since it was a mid-term election cycle, meaning there was no Presidential…

When a pro athlete takes the field—whether it’s Aaron Rogers staring down Darrelle Revis, Giancarlo Stanton facing off against Clayton Kershaw, or Serena Williams or Venus Williams going head to head with another tennis elite—each competitor has both the ability and the expectation of achieving success given the talents and track record he or she…

A few years ago, as Thanksgiving approached, I wrote a blog about gratitude, service to others, and living life with enthusiasm. I think I’ve re-run that blog every year since, thinking there’s not much more to say. It’s become sort of a Thanksgiving blogging tradition. And yet, this year I feel compelled to say a…

We’re all guilty of assuming. After all, assumptions based on life experiences and common sense can help us to anticipate and be proactive, rather than reactive. But taking things for granted all of the time, even when we should know better, is where we can get into trouble . . . and the news these…

Long time readers of this blog as well as newbies have probably figured out by now that relationships are important to me, whether we’re talking about business relationships, personal relationships, or something in-between. Relationships are intrinsic to human nature. Even if you choose NOT to have a relationship with someone—you still have a relationship with…

Most of us prefer to think that business is all about dollars and cents, profits and loss, but it isn’t. Business is about relationships, and more specifically about nurturing those relationships so that there’s something “in it” for all parties. Profit and loss are just byproducts of that relationship  . . . and likeability is…

Be prepared. It’s one surefire way to improve your chances for success. Parents prepare. Teachers prepare. Students prepare. Chefs and shoppers prepare. Businesses and leaders prepare. Doctors and athletes prepare. Heck, “Be prepared” is even the Boy Scouts long-time motto. Sure, some folks find success out of sheer luck, but I tend to believe even…

Two years ago, as Thanksgiving approached, I wrote a blog about gratitude, service to others, and living life with enthusiasm. I was going to do another this year, but looking back, I found there’s really not much new I need to say. Gratitude for what we have, service to others, and living life with zeal—that’s…

We’ve all been there: buyer’s remorse. What looked so good in the store, on the lot, or on the Web site, doesn’t look so good now that I’ve got it home or in the office. What was I thinking? Chances are I wasn’t . . . and if you find yourself in a similar pickle, that your…

Catching the news these days (and it’s tough not to, between 24 x 7 cable news networks and ever-present Internet news feeds), it’s clear a lot of the newsmakers out there could use an attitude adjustment. From the stagnation that is Washington DC, to Russian president Putin’s purported pocketing of New England Patriots owner Robert…

Cap and gown ceremonies, bridal bouquets, and the telltale absence of school busses on the roads tells me it must be summer again . . . or at least we’re getting mighty close. Summer officially arrives on June 21 at 1:04 a.m. EDT, but already the days are long and warm. While the winter was long and…

In some ways, life is all about balance. Day balances night, the ratio of men to women in the world is roughly 1:1, and when we eat too much or spend too much time in the recliner watching the TV, we try to balance it all out by exercising, eating right, taking walks on the…