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Unchanging Fortunes
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. — Max Ehrmann, The Desiderata When I first read this, I thought it was a little strange that we needed reminding to keep interested in our careers. I mean for most people, myself included, it takes a bit of reminding to prevent us from thinking about ourselves. As my friend Dan once joked, “I’m not much but I’m all I think about!” But looking more carefully at what Max wrote, perhaps it was intended as a warning. Perhaps he recognized that comparison is the instigator of discontent. Instead of worrying about…
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In the Face of Resistance
There are three paths when facing resistance…stay the course, adjust, or abort. If you spend any time with groups of humans, you are bound to be greeted with resistance. From mild indifference to out right opposition, we humans often disagree. When choosing how to go (boldly) forward, we can turn to the 23rd century engineer-cum-philosopher, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott of the USS Enterprise for wisdom… I’m giving it all she’s got, Captain! First choice, stay the course. This may feel like the most natural approach at times. After all, when you’re right, you’re right, right? Other people just need to get in line with your logic. Maybe. Or maybe not. Even when we think…
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Dig Deep. Stand Tall.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Stand a little taller.” – Stronger, Kelly Clarkson
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Relevance
“I’m just trying to matter.” – June Carter Cash From the habits of favorite pets…to tales of audacious entitlement…to sharing existential beliefs, there is nothing like a 5-hour car ride to fuel a lively conversation. On a recent trip home from volunteering in Louisville, KY at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference, my travel companion and I wandered into a conversation about the underlying need that all humans have to be relevant. He started it, stating matter-of-factly, “Of course, everyone has a need to be relevant.” As though it was the most basic of common knowledge. And while I agreed with the premise that we all want to be relevant, I had not though of it in…
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It’s Time We Talked About Them
Now, some might say I’m a stickler when it comes to the liberal use of pronouns. And, I’ll concede that perhaps the moniker is earned. The topic of pronouns is appropriate to Mother’s Day as my mother was ever vigilant regarding our grammar. In my defense, I’m less a proponent of the conservative use of pronouns and more an advocate for clear communication. In a world where our exchanges are often stripped of non-verbals, emotional tone, and, in some cases, semi-silent letters (e.g. thx, tho, thru), it’s never been more important to avail ourselves to the remaining tools and rules of effective discourse. Pronouns, like other short cuts, are born of familiarity and…
