Opportunity Knocks Softly

While watching Ford vs Ferrari with my wife and two youngest sons this past weekend, I was struck with the example of a management style that creates a toxic environment. If you are unfamiliar with the film, or the story it portrays, let me catch you up. In the mid-sixties, Henry Ford II decides to…

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Borrowed Not Owned

Have you ever rented a piece of equipment, like a floor sander or wet vac? Maybe you needed a tile saw for a bathroom project or a trencher to put in sprinkler lines. Did you take the time to read the fine print (or maybe not so fine print)? There is always a clause in…

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Thanks “Giving”

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. The other holidays all have their draws but for me, nothing can compete with the simplicity and honesty of Thanksgiving. Of course, I love the food. We are all about tradition in our family. The roasted turkey, the family recipe for cornbread and sausage dressing, mashed potatoes with…

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Believing Is Seeing

“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou I was talking with a dear friend of mine recently. The conversation turned to whether someone is capable of objectively seeing someone or something. Take for instance falling in love. Dopamine…

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Beauty And The Beast

I am on vacation this week, so this musing may be a little lighter than usual. As I sit watching the snow gently accumulate on the deck and the evergreens outside the window, I have been thinking about how easy it is to miss things. We are in Colorado for summer vacation, and yes, I…

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Great Expectations

Depending on your expectations, this Musing is either unfortunately or fortunately not about the Charles Dickens novel. I would, however, like to retell a story about expectations. A butcher is watching over his shop one day when a dog comes in. He shoos him away, but the dog comes back. Then the butcher notices a…

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Thanks-Giving

“Thoughts do more. Words to much. Actions do much more.” ― Israelmore Ayivor Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is simple really: no big buildup (unlike Christmas), low expectations (no gifts expected or anticipated), lots of comfort food (plus leftovers for days), and little to no controversy (unless you get into an argument over silly…

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Be Generous

I am often asked where the topics for these Monday Musings come from. They are simply me writing about what I am thinking about. Of course, I don’t write about everything I think about as that would be weird and take up all my time, but I do find certain concepts and topics occupy me…

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It’s Been A Long Time, Or Has It?

This week is the 8-year anniversary of the death of my friend Andy. It is also my 6-year anniversary of recovery. Time is an interesting thing. I recently read an article on Quartz, by physicist Carlo Rovelli, about time:  https://qz.com/1279371/this-physicists-ideas-of-time-will-blow-your-mind/ that raises some interesting questions. One quote in particular struck me: “Time is a story we’re…

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What is Your Ikigai?

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” According to Japanese culture, everyone has one, but finding it can take effort. This effort…

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