I Believe in You

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“Some people can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.”– Sean Maguire, from the movie, Good Will Hunting Call itdestiny. Providence. Throughout my life, people surrounding me have believed in me! Starting with my beloved parents. My mother, Lucille, and my dad, Alfred, made a significant difference by placing their complete confidence in me. Additional advocates include my three sisters, two daughters, eight grandchildren . . . and, the most transformational … [Read more...]

Copycat

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“If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.“  Tony Robbins I remember the adulation of fans when the Beatles arrived for their first concert tour in the United States.  Yes, I know . . . I am dating myself.  Some would describe the behavior of those followers of the most famous English band of the century as being extremely devoted. Observation of the universal music landscape would reveal that … [Read more...]

Boundaries

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“Don’t ever let somebody tell you . . . You can’t do something, not even me. All right? You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”  Chris Gardner, author of a New York Times Best Sellers book, The Pursuit of Happyness Our backyard in Birmingham, Alabama was quite long, with the ending border tangent to the alley where our garbage can was placed. In the left corner near the alley … [Read more...]

Remember Who You Are

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“Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.”  Josh Billings  It is an emotional interview. How could it notbe? Overcome with tears, Clyde stops talking a couple of times. Only five months earlier, he lost his son Paul in a plane crash. In the midst of Clyde’s great sadness, I am privileged to hear his inspiring story . . . unable to listen without being affected. As parents, we understand the yearning to have a positive influence on our children, an effort in which … [Read more...]

Intention

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“Our intention creates our reality.” Wayne Dyer, Ph.D. The Power of Intention “I leave this life with no regrets. It was a wonderful life – full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.” Pulitzer Prize-winning author and political pundit, Charles Krauthammer, M.D., wrote these words a few weeks before his passing. What a powerful statement to share as a final … [Read more...]

A Student Mindset

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“When we are closed to ideas, what we hear is criticism. When we are open to criticism, what we get is advice.”   Simon Sinek ‘With age comes wisdom.’ We are all familiar with this often-repeated adage. Is this true? And how might this belief affect us in daily living – at any age – senior citizen or the younger generations? One particular challenge those of us who are identified with the senior sector encounter is the assumption by others that by the virtue of being older, we possess a … [Read more...]

Out of Breath

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“It takes 25 minutes to recover from a phone call or an e-mail, researchers have found, and yet the average person receives such an interruption every 11 minutes, Which means that we’re never caught up; we’re always out of breath, running behind.”     Pico Iyer, M.A. Lying on the gym floor, I cannot catch my breath! In an aggressive play to secure a loose basketball, I land prostrate on the floor. Seconds later, two tumbling players from the opposing team land with all their weight on top of … [Read more...]

Oh, No!

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“Entire books are being written about the distractions of social media.” Howard Rheingold Tuesday morning marks the final moments of a wonderful fun-filled trip; it is time to return home. Before walking our six-year old pet companion River, who accompanied us on this journey, Carol organizes her morning prescriptions, a routine scene River knows quite well – he patiently waits. Nine days ago, the three of us left our home in Theodore, Alabama, for a two and one-half hour trek to the … [Read more...]

Hall of Fame

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“Forget the lottery. Bet on yourself instead.” Brian Koslow The introductory remarks of Gil Carpal – who pioneered the Hall of Fame Award for the Customized Logistics Delivery Association (CLDA) and former CLDA Board member – are soon followed by the same words he has used in past conventions: “This year’s Hall of Fame inductee is . . .”  I am sitting in this audience gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana as Gil declares our new inductee -- Ronnie Burns, one of the original creators of our … [Read more...]

Donor

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“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”  Henry David Thoreau The offshore fishing team is 13 people, including me as captain. My cousin-in-law Steve drives the boat to our first stop, about an hour away. He also drives back to Perdido Pass, the entrance to our home port in Terry Cove. On this trip, thanks to the driving duty of first mate Steve, I actually take more time to talk to other passengers. One conversation is completely … [Read more...]