Making her daily rounds at the hospital one morning and coming into patient room 1010 on the Cardiac Ward, Dr. Mary Nelson is startled as a patient suddenly wakes up and shouts -
"Who are you?"
"Good morning, why my name is Dr. Mary Nelson. I am your attending physician."
"No, I mean who really are you?"
Read MoreIt's 5:30 in the morning. My wife and I are standing at the end of our driveway with our arms around each other's waists.
"We are really going to miss them."
"Yes, we are."
"We couldn't ask for better neighbors and better friends."
"Yes, it is hard to imagine they will be gone soon."
Just then the engine of the moving van roars to life, headlights come on and the moving van slowly backs out of the driveway across the street from our home.
There is not a day that goes by that most people do not want more - more money, more power, more time, more influence, more control, more food, more fun, more happiness, more stuff. We just want more. Then there are those days, when enough is enough and all the "stuff" we have accumulated, the emotional baggage we carry around with us, is overwhelming and we just want all of it to go away.
Read MoreWhile on vacation, I went on a bike ride with my four-year-old daughter, Veronica. With her riding in a wheeled buggy attached to my bike, we rode the local bike trails.
It was a beautiful day. The temperature was cool, the sun bright, and a slight warm breeze embraced us during our ride.
Sam, a young boy growing up on a farm, spent many hours watching the ducks on the farm's pond. Sam often approached the ducks only to have them swim or fly away in fear.
One day, a duckling waddled over to him and started to eat some breadcrumbs that had dropped from his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sam was amazed that as he reached down to pick up the duckling, it was not afraid of him. With the duckling still eating a few remaining breadcrumbs in his hand, Sam decided on the spot to keep the duckling as a pet.
"Hey... WATCH OUT! Stay in this lane! You can't merge into that lane!"
"Whew... that was close."
"Didn't you see that car?"
"No, the car was right in my blind spot."
"There appears to be a pattern developing here."
"Pattern? What pattern?"
"The pattern of mediocrity."
"So, is that bad?"
"Absolutely! With as much talent as you have; your background, your high potential, this is really, really bad."
"You are making too much of this. I am just tired, and I need a break."
