Surround Yourself with the Right People

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my parents is to surround yourself with the right people. My parents had several family members and friends who they were very close to. They would get together with them on a regualr basis, for date night, to play cards, go to dinner, or just hang out. Here is a photo taken of my dad, Jim and Paul. We estimate this photo was taken sometime in the early 70s. This friendship lasted more than 60 years when all three men died within moths of each other. They were there for each other through marriage, children, businesses struggling and then succeeding, through life's most difficult challenges and greatest successes.     I am blessed to have similar friendships. I have a few close girlfriends, who I see on a (not regular enough) basis. Just as with my parents close friends, these ladies have played a vital role in my life. They've laughed with me, cried…

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A Waste Of Time

Have you ever been stuck on a call or in a meeting that felt like a complete waste of time? Maybe it was something that wasn't relevant to your job or you felt like you didn't have anything to add. You're not alone! The other day I was talking with a friend of mine who was stuck on a work call with another department. He needed to call them for assistance on a matter, and then was forced to attend this call to discuss the resolution of the issue. The problem was, this was out of his scope of practice and he really had no value to add on how to resolve the problem. It gets worse...it was 7:30 at night, after already working a 15 hour day! Life is too short to waste time! It made me think about one of Elon Musk's business rules. Elon Musk has said, "“Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as…

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Weary & Broken-Hearted

Do you find yourself weary and broken-hearted right now?  Are you tired of opening your phone, or turning on the news and seeing updates of the death and destruction in Ukraine?  Innocent people, fighting for their right to freedom being slaughtered by evil.   Are you stressed over the rising cost of living, the racial tensions, the fear of what is to come? Every person I talk to is at least a little bit tired and worn out, myself included. We are worn out from war, the pandemic, the drama, the politics, inflation, the hate, anger and frustration of people, the evil in the world that seems to be winning, and the list goes on and on.  It seems like every time we turn around there is something negative being thrown at us.  It is exhausting.  Many people feel helpless.  But the truth is, there IS something you can do about it. I'd like to offer you a few suggestions of things I find…

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