Reflections on Life and Leadership
When my grandson Benjamin was five years old, we were arm-wrestling on the bed. Benjamin took a short break, crawled to the corner of the bed, and whispered a prayer, “God, give me strength to beat Papa.” When he returned to the tournament, I bowed my head and prayed, “God, give me strength to beat Continue reading "The Mystery of Prayer"
We’ve often heard that first impressions are important, and they are. But don’t neglect final impressions because we are also highly influenced by endings. Regardless of how an experience started and played out, we remember most how it ended. There’s probably a more tactful example of this idea, but this anecdote—involving colonoscopies—is telling. The experiment Continue reading "Last impressions…
Warren Buffet has been called the Oracle of Omaha. He’s the most successful investor in history. His estimated net worth of nearly $85 billion makes him the fourth-richest person in the world. He has pledged to give 99% of his fortune to charity during his lifetime or at death. He has given $37 billion dollars Continue reading "Know your strengths and weaknesses and focus on your strengths"
I’m always amazed at the oversized impact that small gifts can make. Small physical gifts can be impactful. During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union were hostile enemies engaged in a high-stakes race to achieve supremacy in space. The Russians used dogs in their program, and two of them—Belka and Strelka—became Continue reading "Small gifts and gestures can make a positive impact"
You must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on. —Samuel Beckett Psychologist Martin Seligman identifies three attitudes—all starting with the letter P—that make it difficult for us to recover from a personal setback. Personalization—the belief that we are at fault Pervasiveness—the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life Permanence—the Continue reading "When you have a setback in life,…