“My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me to tarry ‘till a more convenient season.” Mary Todd Lincoln “Someday when I grow up, finish school and get a job, I’ll start living my life the way I want . . . someday after the mortgage is paid off, the finances are on track and the kids are grown up, I’ll drive that new car and take exciting trips abroad . . . someday, now that I’m about to retire, I’ll buy that beautiful motor home and travel across this great country, and see all there … [Read more...]
Romona
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Napoleon Hill Is it possible to learn something about goals on Facebook? Here is a recent post by cousin-in-law, Romona Leslie: “So today I'm starting my 3-month challenge to do 200 miles either walking, elliptical biking, treadmill or just the elliptical before my 5 yr. appointment with my back doctor in Oct.! Today, so far, I've already finished 7.75 miles! It's one day at a time that finishes the race!! I'm posting this for myself to stay accountable!! … [Read more...]
Small Steps
“. . . A journey of a thousand miles must begin with one single step.” Lao Tzu My wife Carol and her cousin-in-law, Romona, are discussing the subject of steps. This conversation – about the total number of physical steps made during the day – is actually a dialogue that occurs often when visiting our beach condo which is less than 100 feet from where our cousins live. Such close proximity provides an opportunity for frequent chats between these two ladies of kindred spirit. In some of … [Read more...]
Start
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle How you handle the first hour of your day may in part be affected by whether you are a ‘morning person.’ After living most of my life with my wife Carol, I do recognize that some folks wake up at a more moderate pace than others. My wife does indeed fit the description of the ‘unhurried starter.’ Recognizing this fact, I have adjusted my early morning interaction with her. Less is more when it comes to … [Read more...]
Frequency
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Ralph Waldo Emerson What do you do every single day? What tasks, throughout your life, seem to command more frequency? If you are like most of the ‘electronic people’ of this modern world, you probably check your email multiple … [Read more...]
This time, it will be different
‘Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.’ John F. Kennedy The numerous holidays that close one year and launch another often become the catalyst for serious reflection on our current status and the future ahead. While this may be the time we search our souls for wisdom regarding the future, I believe that anytime during the year is a good time. I heartily encourage doing this at least once a year. Recently I had the opportunity to answer the following question: How … [Read more...]
Don’t Waste Your Life
I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.” Maj. Gen. Neil A. Armstrong (USAF, Ret.) My wife Carol and I are enjoying, with family and friends, Jimmy Buffett in concert at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Even though his origin as a well-known entertainer was in the early 70s, there are, surprisingly, many young people in attendance at this performance. I guess parents are passing on ‘their music’ from t. hat bygone era. One of Buffett’s … [Read more...]
There No Longer are Any Secrets
“What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Today I am reading an advertisement in the newspaper about a home management system, available at Lowe’s, that works using your smart phone. It provides home security and a lot more. You can use the system to lock or unlock doors, control temperature settings and record and watch video when an alarm is tripped. It is truly amazing what a person can do with a smart phone in today’s world. I turn on … [Read more...]
We Build Great Ships
“The worst crime against working people is a company which fails to operate at a profit.” ~ Samuel Gompers In the early years of Hackbarth Delivery Service, the company that my wife, Carol, and I founded, we are the first drivers making deliveries. Bayou la Batre, a small town in south Alabama, is one of the destinations for some of those shipments. This quaint seacoast community is home to shrimpers, boat builders and companies that provide coastal services. On this particular day, I am … [Read more...]
It’s Never Too Late
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” George Eliot In December of 1963, my parents gather my three sisters and me into the living room of our home on McMillan Avenue, located in the West End of Birmingham, Alabama. They have an announcement. We hear that Dad has accepted a management job in his current company, which is good news. Then we hear that the new job is located in Jacksonville, Florida, over 400 miles away. We will move within a few weeks. For my sisters and me, … [Read more...]
