Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile – Albert Einstein In a column for Success magazine (http://bit.ly/ZeyOzV) , John Maxwell shares a story about a picture of his son taken with Mother Teresa. Maxwell had sent him to India for a month so he could see the world as it was,…
Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history!– Robert L. May For many years, the story goes; Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago purchased and gave away coloring books as a promotional during the Christmas season. In 1939, company executives wanted to…
Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle – Napoleon Hill If you are like me you have heard this statement a thousand times over. And like me, you may have had your struggle with it. The statement has always been presented with good motives usually coupled with a strong dose of motivation.…
The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it’s usually lousy. – Dwight D. Eisenhower Two recent studies have put the spotlight back on employee-employer relations and more specifically the issue of performance and morale. The two separate reports combine to give us…
Every person you meet is better at something than you are – Robert A. Cook Last year on a whim I had the opportunity to be an “extra” on the Lifetime TV series Army Wives which is filmed where I live in Charleston, SC. I was excited about this opportunity to make an appearance on…
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. – Henry David Thoreau The year was 1947 and to date no one had broken the sound barrier. Most believed that it could not be done. Some argued that the sound barrier was a literal wall that once hit at 760…
Thanksgiving is when one species ceases to gobble and another begins. – R.E. Marion A story is told of two men who were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent that…
Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays – Søren Kierkegaard The stated mission of the United States Military Academy is to “educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a…
Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith – Henry Ward Beecher I read a story about a man back in 1835 who visited a doctor in Florence, Italy. He was filled with anxiety and exhausted from a lack of sleep. He…
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit. – Napoleon Hill Lou Holtz shares the story of a blind man who was being led down the street by a guide dog. When they came of the corner of a busy intersection, the dog crossed against the…
Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one – Hans Selye It was reported in the September issue of Inc., that 43 percent of small business owners and managers say they feel more stressed now than they did a year ago. What are they stressed about? 54% say they are…
You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service that you are now being paid for. – Napoleon Hill In his book, Waking the American Dream, Don McCullough relates a story about Winston Churchill during World War II. England decided to…
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime. – Babe Ruth A recent Gallup report revealed what many have believed about teamwork for quite some time. The…
I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody – Bill Cosby Ask any Green Bay Packers fan and they will tell you without any hesitation that the infamous call at the end of the game against Seattle was blown and it cost them the game. Before…
Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change – Thomas Hardy In a recent USA Today feature (http://usat.ly/ROMSvv) leaders from various walks of life shared their insights as to what they believe world will look like in 30 years. It was a fascinating read. Here are a few highlights. Bill…
A successful man is the one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him? – David Brinkley The nation watched in horror when the video tape emerged showing the bullying of 68-year old school bus monitor Karen Klein. According to ABC News more than 32,000 people went online and…
If the world is cold make it your business to build fires – Horace Traubel In a recent Gallup Business Journal feature, Scott Simmons and Christie Fraser reported on the state of customer service in the hospital industry. Notable in their findings: hospitals try to deliver the best healthcare outcomes and good customer service, but…
Make a difference about something other than yourselves. – Toni Morrison In an interview with Open Forum (http://amex.co/SDQOLd), Johnny Rocket’s CEO John Fuller offered some fascinating business insights. Fuller says that one of their guiding principles is to be a difference maker verses a care taker. He explained that he wants people to feel that…
They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations – Francis Bacon According to a survey reported on in People Management (http://bit.ly/MmCPet) the number of employees who are ‘proud’ to work for their organization has fallen from almost half of workers at the start of 2012 to just two-fifths. A survey of 1,114 office…
A warm smile is the universal language of kindness. – William Arthur Ward An entry in Reader’s Digest relates the story of an individual calling for information about one of his credit cards. He stated, “I got the following prompt: ’Please enter your account number as it appears on your statement.’ Then the system said,…