“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”  Source: Benjamin Mee, “We Bought a Zoo”  One of my all-time favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz. And my favorite character in that movie is Cowardly Lion. I love the scene where The Wizard shares wisdom about courage and fear with Cowardly Lion. As mortal living beings, it is natural for us to associate … [Read more...]

“Martial arts is not about fighting; it’s about building character.”  Bo Bennett After multiple ceremonial strikes on his shoulders, the Master bows and hands him his new belt, representing a new category of accomplishment. The audience includes family and friends of members who have achieved new levels in Taekwondo.  My grandson, Chase, receives his first black belt. Wow! Great accomplishment. I have seen him in action, and it is apparent that he is good in this form of martial … [Read more...]

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”          Nelson Mandela The Exceptional Eight! Who are they?  A question I love to answer. The ‘Exceptional Eight’ is the moniker I assigned collectively to our grandchildren  shortly after the youngest, John Rowan, entered this world in July 2015, our older daughter’s sixth child – our eighth grandchild.  Some of the names I have heard for our new two-year old grandson are “John Rowan,” … [Read more...]

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” Henry Ford Less than two blocks from my home, Harrison Park is hosting a neighborhood youth day of fun and games. One of the contests is a two-person potato sack race. My best friend David and I join together as a team.. Each team member  is required to put one leg into the same potato sack, and then the pair holds the sack up while  racing to the finish line. As David and I huddle up for the … [Read more...]

 “Fall down seven times and get up eight.”   Japanese proverb  It is among my treasured success principles . . . she taught it to me by how she lived. The teacher, Lucille Hackbarth, was my mother. Angela Duckworth, Ph.D. was a 27-year old teacher when she started on a journey that would result in discovery and further research on what I call my mom’s ‘success principle.’ While teaching seventh grade math in New York City public schools, Dr. Duckworth noticed that some of her smartest … [Read more...]

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”  Old English Proverb, circa 1534 Even though the convention was over three decades ago, one line from the speaker’s presentation remains unforgettable. Over and over again during the intervening years, at important moments, the words imprinted in my memory have resurfaced.  Will today be such a day? Our crew of 13 departs Terry Cove on The Great Gab-Sea, named after my oldest grandchild, Gabrielle. She is onboard with college friends and family … [Read more...]

“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.”                               Marshall McLuhan, Ph.D.  I am not sleeping well . . . waking up many times during the night is normal. Last night was climatic as I woke up twice experiencing scary choking spells. After a visit with my family doctor, who is also a specialist in the area of sleep disorders, I am scheduled for a ‘test night’ at a local sleep center. Meeting again with my family physician following the sleep study, the … [Read more...]

“The early bird gets the worm.” John Ray, A Collection of English Proverbs, Circa 1670-1678   Today, I am here . . . Tomorrow, I will be . . . By the end of this week, I will . . . Three years from now, I will accomplish the goal of . . . Five years from now, I will arrive at . . .   How would you finish any or all of those statements? How will you get from this point in time to where you would like to be in the future? Physically—mentally – psychologically … [Read more...]