good thots

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you—they're supposed to help you discover who you are."

~Bernice Johnson Reagon

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death."

~Anaïs Nin

good thots

If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"

Brian Tracy says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one you're most likely to procrastinate on; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.


"It's all about people. People matter most. Everybody counts."

~Dr. Joe Stowell

"While it may take two to tango, it only takes you to commit to creating a relationship with the people in your life. Take full responsibility for your relationships and consciously choose to suspend judgment of people."



Real faith is beyond hope. Faith simply knows.

-- Alan Cohen


Fall seven times, and stand up eight."

~Japanese Proverb

"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face...we must do that which we think we cannot."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.

-- John Burroughs
Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.

-- Source unknown

good thots

If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves."

~Maria Edgeworth

"All the gold in the world cannot buy back either the little delights of the day or the big pleasures that happen without announcement or a plan. You simply have to be there."

~Lance Wubbels

Practice giving and you will discover how much life can give you.

-- Alan Cohen

An Excerpt from
The Dash
by Linda Ellis

While it still amazes me, a simple poem I wrote one afternoon forever changed my life. It all began when I faxed a copy of this poem to a syndicated radio show in Atlanta. Soon after receiving it, the host of this popular show read it on the air. Little did I know how much my life would change from that day forward. Titled The Dash, these 36 lines have touched millions of lives and have literally taken on a life of their own by traveling all over the world. I call it uncomplicated poetry in a complicated world.

People are always asking me what, in particular, inspired me to write this poem. I believe it was a combination of things in my life at the time. It was during a period when I was working for the top executives of a very large and successful corporation. It was a strict company with a tense working environment.

I began to watch how the priorities in many lives there had become misaligned. It seemed to me that the bosses were worrying far too much about that which was inconsequential in the scope of life.

Also, resonating in the back of my mind were the words from a letter which had been previously routed around the office. It had been written by the wife of an employee who was aware that she was dying. I was so moved by that letter that I saved a copy of it and continue to live by her words:

Regrets? I have a few. Too much worrying. I worried about finding the right husband and having children, being on time, being late and so on. It didn't matter. It all works out and it would have worked out without the worries and the tears.

If I would have only known then what I know now. But, I did and so do you. We're all going to die. Stop worrying and start loving and living.

Her words stuck with me. Her letter made me stop and think. This is it. This is all we get.

I remember where I was when I first truly realized the significance of the piece that I had written. I was on a business trip in Minnesota, alone in a hotel room. I received an emotional email thanking me for sharing the message of The Dash from a student who had recently heard it as part of a memorial gathering for the Columbine High School students. I sat on the bed and cried.

Several years later, I found myself engulfed in the thoughts and feelings created by my own words as I listened to them read aloud, for what seemed like the very first time, at the funeral of my father...my best friend.

From being performed in an elementary school play somewhere in the heartland of America to being part of a State Supreme Court Justice's speech, from being printed in best-selling novels to high school yearbooks, The Dash has truly affected millions. I may not be able to change the world with these words, but I have certainly been able to influence a portion of it! The poem's words have convinced mothers to spend more time with their children, fathers to spend more time at home, and reunited long-lost loved ones.

The words have changed attitudes, and changed the direction of lives. They have, in their own way, made a difference. I know writing The Dash has changed my life. I hope reading it, in some way, may change yours.

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Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

~Lao Tzu

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

~John Quincy Adams

good thots

When you realize that every part of your life is working to bring
you closer to knowing your true nature more completely, then life
can only get better."

good thots

When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier."

~Roy Disney

"Values are most alive when we have specific words to describe them, and when we remain intentionally connected to them. It sounds so simple, but in reality, few of us make a practice of routinely making this connection."

~John G. Blumberg


The best way to heal a bad memory is to create a new and better one.

-- Alan Cohen

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!

-- Hamilton Wright Mabie

Fear and resistance are the dragons that stand at the gate of the kingdom that contains the jewel you seek.

-- Alan Cohen

WISDOM OF WOLVES - AN INTRODUCTION

The Introduction to
Wisdom of Wolves
by Twyman Towery

The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.

Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.

The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.

There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive - whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss's hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upsmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty.

Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status - there are. But each wolf's role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf's attitude is always based upon the question, "What is best for the pack?" This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want.

Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.

Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf's expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf's attitude is always that success will come-and it does.

good thots

Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier."

~Mother Teresa

"Appreciation is a FREE gift that you can give to anyone you encounter—it is completely your choice. And each time you choose to thank someone for a job well done, you are making the world a better place."

~Barbara A. Glanz

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

-- Oren Arnold

good thots

Create the highest, grandest vision for your life because you become what you believe."

~Oprah Winfrey

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."

~Vince Lombardi

The diamond cannot be polished without friction,
nor the person perfected without trials." Chinese proverb

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

~Winston Churchill

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."

~Helen Keller


There are two obstacles to enlightenment: 1. Thinking you know. 2. Thinking you don't know.

-- Buddha

good thots

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Your ability to keep your fire burning in the midst of a storm is paramount to becoming a champion."

~Dan Green



Your attention is the strongest currency at your disposal. Take care how you pay it.

-- Alan Cohen

good thots

An Excerpt from Leading With Passion
by John Murphy

Light a match in a dark room and watch as the light instantly overcomes the darkness. Observe the power and grace of that single, solitary flame dancing with life. Now light several candles or kindle a fire and experience the added warmth and comfort extending from that first, vulnerable flame through others. This is the heart and soul of leadership - the essence of inspiring others. It is about courageously casting off fear, doubt and limiting beliefs and giving people a sense of hope, optimism and accomplishment. It is about bringing light into a world of uncertainty and inspiring others to do the same. This is what we call passion, the fire within.

Passion is a heartfelt energy that flows through us, not from us. It fills our hearts when we allow it to and it inspires others when we share it. It is like sunlight flowing through a doorway that we have just opened. It was always there. It just needed to be accepted and embraced. Under the right conditions, this "flow" appears effortless, easy and graceful. It is doing what it is meant to do. It is reminding us that we are meant to be purposeful. We are meant to be positive. We are meant to be passionate. We feel this when we listen to and accept our calling in life. We feel it as inspiration when we open the door of resistance and let it in.

Inspiration springs forth when we allow ourselves to be "in-spirit," aligned with our true essence. Stop and think about it: When you feel truly passionate and inspired about someone or something, what frame of mind are you in? What are you willing to do? What kind of effort are you willing to put forth? How fearful are you? Chances are, you feel motivated to do whatever it takes, without fear or doubt, to turn your vision into reality. You grow in confidence. You believe you can do it. You are committed from the heart and soul.

The purpose of this book is to clarify and offer ten key factors for leading with passion and inspiring peak performance. These "essentials" serve to guide and remind leaders how they can "open the door" and facilitate flow. By practicing these essentials, you will tap the extraordinary potential in yourself and others and realize results you may never have dreamed possible. Look to any inspiring leader and you will see these key factors in action. Observe the best of the best and you will witness the power of passionate leadership. Make no mistake - leading with passion inspires world change. It is the only thing that ever really has.

Use this book - and these essentials - to:

Clarify purpose, context and meaning
Create a compelling vision to focus intention and attention
Gain commitment from the heart, not just agreement from the head
Set priorities and focus efforts on what matters most
Recognize and accept the power of grace
Foster more creativity and innovation
Demonstrate integrity and build trust
Lead by passionate example
Generate growth in yourself and others
Awaken the Spirit in work

A good leader inspires people to have confidence in their leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."

~Anonymous

"This may sound trite to some leaders, but during times of change, getting your team to believe it can be done is the most important thing you can do."

~Mac Anderson


Despair says I cannot lift that weight. Happiness says I do not have to.

-- James Richardson

Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all your energies on a limited set of targets."

~Nido Qubein

"Sustained concentration is a learnable skill. It's not something you're born with; it's something you develop through daily practice."

~Steve Siebold

good thots

People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel."

~Tom Asacker

"By the choices we make, by the attitudes we exhibit, we are influencing lives every day in positive or negative ways."

~Mac Anderson

When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act."

~Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

"The very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose. Your actions have value far greater than silver or gold."

~Andy A
The better I feel about myself, the less I need you to be different.

-- Alan Cohen
The best form of flattery is to master the art of listening.

-- Chinese proverb

By confronting our failures, we come closer to reaching perfection."

~Scott Beare

"When each member accepts full responsibility and strives for excellence, trust and performance increase exponentially...the team is ready to take off."

~Scott Beare

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

~Mother Teresa

"There's nothing like the feeling you get when you are kind to someone else...without the slightest expectation of anything in return."

~Mac Anderson

good thots

Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated. It satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.

~Arnold Palmer

It matters not what you've done with your life, for better or worse. What matters is what you do with your life today.

-- Alan Cohen

good thots

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."

~Confucius

"Encouraging risk taking may mean the death of one idea that didn't work, but the attitude and determination to improve will insure the long-term survival of the organization."

~Twyman Towery

People are like sticks of dynamite; the power's on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit. To do the best job that you can do, you might occasionally need a little fire to get you started. We call that fire motivation.


An Excerpt from
Charging the Human Battery
by Mac Anderson

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
-Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch was 47 years old when he died from pancreatic cancer. He was, as the Independent of London put it, "the dying man who taught America how to live." His book, The Last Lecture, is an international best-seller and it offers many wonderful lessons about life.

Randy Pausch's "last lecture" was delivered in September 2007, at Carnegie Mellon University, where he taught computer science. The lecture began with him standing before a screen beaming down chilling CT images of tumors in his liver, under the title...The Elephant in the Room. He then said to a stunned audience, "I have about 6 months to live." He said, "I'm really in good shape, probably better shape than most of you," ... dropping to the floor to do push-ups.

He went on to say, "I'm dying and I'm having fun, and I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left." He talked about his childhood dreams and what they had taught him about life. He said, "If you live your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself...your dreams will come to you."

Randy Pausch really was a dying man who has taught America how to live.

He died on July 25, 2008, but his wisdom, his passion, and his attitude are lasting sources of inspiration for all of us.

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Brian Tracy is one of America's leading authors on the development of human potential. He said this,

"If I had to pick the #1 key to success, it would be ...self-discipline. It is the difference between winning or losing; between greatness and mediocrity."

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An excerpt from
The Power of Discipline
by Brian Tracy

Your ability and willingness to discipline yourself to accept personal responsibility for your life is essential to happiness, health, success, achievement and personal leadership. Accepting responsibility is one of the hardest of all disciplines, but without it, success is impossible.

The failure to accept responsibility and the attempt to foist responsibility onto others has dire consequences. It completely distorts cause and effect, undermines our character, weakens our resolve, and diminishes our humanity.

When I was twenty-one, I was living in a tiny apartment and working as a construction laborer. I had to get up at 5 a.m. so I could take three buses to work to be there on time. I didn't get home until 7 p.m., usually exhausted. I was making just enough money to get by, with no car, almost no savings, and just enough clothing for my needs. I had no radio or television. In the evenings, if I had enough energy, I would sit in my small apartment at my little table in my kitchen nook and read.

It was the middle of a cold winter, with the temperature at 35 degrees below Fahrenheit.

One evening, sitting there by myself at the table, it suddenly dawned on me that, "This is my life."

It was like a flashbulb going off in front of my face. I looked at myself and my small apartment, and considered the fact that I had not graduated from high school. The only work I was qualified to do was menial jobs. I earned enough money to pay my basic expenses, but little more. I had very little left over at the end of the month.

It suddenly dawned on me that unless I changed, nothing else was going to change. No one else was going to do it for me. In reality, no one cared.

I realized at that moment I was completely responsible for my life, and for everything that happened to me, from that day forward. I was responsible.

I could no longer blame my situation on my difficult childhood, or mistakes that I had made in the past. I was in charge. I was in the driver's seat. This was my life, and if I didn't do something to change it, it would go on like this indefinitely, by the simple process of inertia.

This revelation changed my life. I was never the same again. From that moment forward, I accepted more and more responsibility for everything...

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"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning."

~William Arthur Ward

"A curious person who asks questions may be a fool for five minutes; he who never asks questions remains a fool forever."

~Vern McLellan

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Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.

-- Albert Einstein




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good thots

Golf without bunkers and hazards would be tame and monotonous. So would life."

~B.C. Forbes

"The game is as perfect a window into the constitution of a man and the challenges of life as one can find."

~Joe Vanek


Fear is excitement without breath.

-- Fritz Perls