Opportunity Success is when preparation and opportunity meet. (Bobby Unser, automobile racer) We’ve heard it said that opportunity knocks only once, so we’re always to be ready for that “knock.” Agreeing with Unser, Chris Grosser wrote, “Opportunities don’t happen,...
Pleasure Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it. (Søren Kierkegaard, 19th century Danish philosopher) 2020 has begun like every other year—people seem to be rushing here and there to fill their unquenchable thirst for pleasure....
Friends Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold. (Girl Scout song) Meeting new people and becoming friends is a joyful experience of life for those who want to make new connections. Both short-term and long-term relationships are of value,...
Change If a person sees no benefit to change, they will not change. (Byron Pulsifer, writer) He continues, “Each person has a choice; the choice to do as one may wish and as one wants remains with the individual.” Choices and change are two ever-present realities of...
Leaders A leader that cannot be trusted or respected is not a leader—he is an office holder. (Jeff Bogue, pastor) It’s a tragedy when we discover that someone in a government or community position of influence cannot be trusted. He or she may still hold the office and...
Teaching We cannot teach what we do not know, and we cannot lead where we do not go. (Hirsch and Catchim, authors) Have you ever been asked to lead a discussion on a topic you really didn’t understand? If you have, you know that’s a really tough situation. What may...
Attitude Greatness is revealed mainly in our attitude. (Chuck Swindoll, pastor, author) What sets apart men and women who succeed in their chosen fields but are honored more than some others who have also achieved a lot? The accomplishments may be of equal value and...
Legacy Legacy isn’t leaving something for people; it’s leaving something in people. (Greg Groeschel, leadership speaker) When we begin to consider what we might leave our children, we’re usually thinking of estate issues: houses, personal property, and finances....
Plan and Act When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. (Confucius, early Chinese philosopher) We’re into month two of the New Year and, perhaps, we’re disappointed in our progress in achieving the goals we...
Directions If you know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. (Yogi Berra, late baseball star) This is one of many Yogi malapropisms that clearly reflects the famous Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." In spite of our best intentions,...
Kindness II Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person. (C. Neil Strait, church leader and author) We sometimes think that to help people we have to give them something tangible like...
Kindness I Join the great company of those who make the barren places of life fruitful with kindness. (Helen Keller, deaf-blind author) Keller continues, “Your success and happiness lie in you . . . The great enduring realities are love and service.” It’s too true...