Most of us know we won't be the greatest, just don't let us be the least. (Robert J Foster, college professor) Most people don’t like to think of themselves as being proud. They aren’t trying to gain fame merely for the sake of the public’s recognition and applause....
By changing yourself, you will change your circumstances. (Kary Oberbrunner, author and inspirational speaker) Sometimes we find ourselves in situations we wish we could change. Maybe it’s the people we’re working with or for; they’re making things difficult, and we’d...
Societies are changed from the bottom up, not the top down. (John Naisbitt, author and futurist) This is an election year in the United States. The candidates for public office are making all kinds of promises, wanting us to believe that they, by themselves, can bring...
It was December of 1986. I was the Cincinnati General Manger for Toyota, responsible for the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. My assistant, Nyoka Haynes, came running into my office saying, “Mr. McCurry is on the line.” I shuddered and braced myself,...
The one thing you can give and still keep is your word. (Church sign board) It use to be that “a man’s word was his bond,” that is, you could trust a person to do what he promised to do. It’s a question of integrity and character. There isn’t much in life that you can...
Happiness is like jam. You can't spread even a little without getting some on yourself. (Inspirational Line) Do you remember what it was like when you were little and tried to make your own peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Not only did you get the peanut butter stuck...
Charity is doing something for someone you don’t know and expecting nothing in return. (Robert Clancy, inspirational speaker and author) We should be grateful for the many non-profit charities around the world that serve the under-resourced citizens of their...
A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. (David Brinkley, late TV news anchor) It’s hard to take criticism, especially when it is inaccurate or ill-intended. Responding in anger to critics only makes things...
Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important. (Quoted by Charles E. Hummel, author) Hummel is noted for the expression, “The Tyranny of the Urgent.” We all have fallen prey to the demands of immediacy, sometimes neglecting the really...
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. (Amelia Earhart, American aviation pioneer) From Earhart’s observation, we learn that success is often delayed for one of two reasons. Either we just can’t take the first step or after...
Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back. (Princess Diana, late British Princess of Wales) We hear a lot about self-image, but it’s really self-worth we need to understand. As the princess suggests, every person has value and is...
These are the inside stories about the launch of the Lexus Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. 25 years ago and the parts that God, guts, and aspirin played in its success.