I was sitting in my home office chair yesterday, trying to send a simple e-mail to a friend from my phone.
I hit "send."
I waited.
The little circle on the screen just kept spinning—round and round.
no connection
no service
no "bars
Recently, I took my golf clubs out of the lower-level closet, found my golf shoes and golf glove, and headed to the golf course.
After convincing myself I only needed two sleeves of golf balls (it’s never enough), I teed up my favorite golf ball and took aim.
The ball was perfectly placed on the tee
My stance was perfect
Visions of glory were firmly in place
My swing felt smooth
The contact was solid
Today, guests will ask questions. Some questions will be in person; others will be via email, phone, text message, or social media.
Rest assured, guests will ask questions. Lots of questions!
I don’t think they will ask you how long or how hard you worked yesterday. I don’t think guests will ask you whether you work standing up or sitting down, or whether you spend time in meetings or online. I don’t think guests will ask whether you work at a resort, at a corporate office, or remotely.
Read MoreI made a cup of coffee this morning.
Not a fancy latte
Just regular drip coffee
With some cream
I set it on the counter.
I checked my e-mail.
I answered a text message.
Showered, shaved, and dressed for work.
Driving in my car to work, I remembered that cup of coffee that I left on the counter.
Read MoreAnswering an advertisement in a newspaper stating, "The Secret of Never Losing Another Game in Tennis for only $99.95" offered by the only "undefeated" tennis player alive, a young man cut out the reply address form, filled out his name and address, wrote out a check for $99.95, enclosed the reply address form and check into an envelope, and wrote the mailing address on envelope to a Post Office Box in Chicago, Illinois, stamped the envelope and placed the envelop in the mail.
Read MoreIt was a typical warm Florida afternoon—the sky turned black, and the heavens opened up just as I was leaving the Publix grocery store.
Everyone huddled under the outside roof, manning their grocery carts and checking their watches.
A young man, maybe twenty years old, looked out at the torrential downpour.
Read More"This makes absolutely no sense!"
I dropped the screwdriver onto the living room rug and stared at the pile of wooden boards, screws, nuts and a crumpled instruction booklet.
My wife, JoMarie, walked into the room.
"How is the new bookshelf coming along?" she asked with a slight smile.
“I am totally frustrated! Tab A does not fit into Slot B."
Read More"Professor, I need to talk to you about my grade."
The young man stood at the edge of my desk, clutching his syllabus like a shield.
"Okay, have a seat," I replied. "What seems to be the concern?"
"I got an 85 on the final project. I need at least a 92 to keep my A."
Read MoreI was sitting in my office very early in the morning. I love the mornings! The office is quiet, and my computer and the smell of coffee are my sole companions. My phone was sitting on the table, face up.
Suddenly, a tiny red circle appeared in the corner of an app.
The red dot was small
The red dot was silent
The red dot was persistent …
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, tell me the future, and that's not all;
- I want to know what will come next;
- I want to know the who, when, and how.
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, why do you not speak; tell me the answers to the questions I seek!
- What makes one strong and another weak?
- What makes one strive for greatness and another accept mediocrity?
I'm not listening!
· You told me once
· You told me twice
· You told me three times
· You told me four times
· You told me five times
Today, I did something.
- it wasn't much, really
- it didn't take a lot of time
- it didn't cost any money
What came first—the Chicken or the Egg? My seven-year-old daughter, Lauren, asked me this question one day.
Lauren asked me again, "What came first—the Chicken or the Egg?”
I thought momentarily about some profound, meaningful answer but was interrupted by Lauren, who said she knew the answer (this is very common for Lauren).
“Dad, you think you are so smart. You have several degrees but don’t know the answer to my question. And I know the answer!”
Read MoreAfter many months of work, an artist finally finished his masterpiece. The painting depicts a man waiting outside a door late at night, holding a lantern to illuminate his way. The artist was pleased with his work and entered a worldwide art competition.
Read MoreI have a box of memories.
Shining, bright, and bold.
I have a box of memories.
Some warm, some very cold.
Read MoreAnswering an advertisement in a newspaper stating, "The Secret of Never Losing Another Game in Tennis for only $99.95" offered by the only "undefeated" tennis player alive, a young man cut out the reply address form, filled out his name and address, wrote out a check for $99.95, enclosed the reply address form and check into an envelope, and wrote the mailing address on envelope to a Post Office Box in Chicago, Illinois, stamped the envelope and placed the envelop in the mail.
Read MoreThe psychiatrist and theologian writer Gerald May speaks of a person he knew in one of the poorest psychiatric wards in New York, a young woman named Karen who sat alone day after day without responding to anyone who spoke to her. Every day, one of the maintenance men, Mike Foster, would sit at her side, eating his lunch and chatting with her even though she showed no response. One day, as John prepared to leave with his usual, “See you tomorrow, Karen,” she answered, “See you tomorrow, Mike.” A year later, she left the hospital and lived an everyday and happy life.
Read MoreAt 2:00 pm on August 31, 2001, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) aired the final original showing of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. After more than 30 years of greeting youngsters each day on television with his trademark "Hi, Neighbor," Fred Rogers, host and creator of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, put away his cardigan and sneakers for the last time.
This week, the world took pause to recognize the 50th Anniversary of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which first aired on February 19th, 1968.
Read MoreOn July 20, 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported the disappointing quarterly results for Whole Foods Markets, a natural-foods grocer. Sales at established stores rose 1.3% in the three months ending July 5 – its weakest growth since 2003 (WSJ, 7/30/15, p. B1). The main explanation for the modest sales growth was the increasing competition from mainstream retailers now stocking local and organic food. However, pointing the finger at increasing competition may mask the real reason for the modest sales growth at Whole Foods.
Read MoreThere is a missing piece of pie served at my Holiday Feast, and I’m not sure why.
Did someone sneak into the refrigerator last night for a midnight snack?
Did someone skip the ham and go straight to dessert?
Maybe someone dropped the pie and returned what was left to cover their tracks?
