My Blog
Why Fit In?
Why fit in when you can stand out? What is the point of being like everyone else? History does not remember the folks who fit in—it remembers those who stood out and stood up for what they believed in—Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr., to name a few. The list is…
Amateurs v. Professionals
Our children’s middle school band director used to tell her students that amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they cannot get it wrong. What a difference! If you treat everything you do as if you are a professional, you will work harder and longer than practically everyone else because you want…
Focus and Energy
It has been a busy month in our house, with children coming home from college and then leaving again for trips and internships. My focus has been on spending time with them when they are here and trying not to be too sad when they leave. This busy month has shown me once again that…
Bloom Where You Are Planted
I remember many times in my life when I felt out of place, like I did not belong, like I was not where I was meant to be. When I was young, it seemed like I could not grow up fast enough. I wanted to be an adult, on my own, working and earning my…
We Are All Running Out of Time
I just realized I turn 55 this summer. I sort of forgot how old I am because I feel like I am still 24. But 55…milestone numbers remind me of my actual age. When I think of the time I have left, I realize I do not have time to doubt myself. I have too…
Lead from Where You Are
I used to think that only people in “real” positions of leadership were qualified to be leaders. In fact, I believed this for many years of my adult working life. It took two events that occurred about 10 years ago to get me to think differently about the concept of leadership. First, we started looking…
Where Does Confidence Come From?
It never ceases to amaze me how differently everyone’s minds work. What might have one person ruminating for days might simply be shrugged off by another. The ability to choose what to think about and focus on is such a cool gift for humans. How do you think about the experiences in your life? What…
Are You Interested or Committed?
When you think about a goal you set, a project you are working on, or a class you are taking, are you interested in it or committed to it? There is a difference. Interest can be fleeting, but commitment is real. Commitment takes time and dedication. Right now, you are 100 percent disciplined and committed…
Life Is Not Fair
I have been teaching public speaking at Georgia Southern University for a few years, and about six weeks into every semester, I send my students a Google form, asking them to evaluate the semester thus far. It helps me gauge how the course is progressing and whether students have any suggestions for how we might…
