Don’t let empathy become a lost art

Recently my family was on a flight to New York City. A way for us to celebrate an end to a great summer with school soon on the horizon. As our early morning flight took off, a nearby baby was expressing their displeasure (aka nonstop screaming). In another seat close by there was another younger…

The Survivor Tree

About a decade ago my wife and I took our first trip to New York City together. One part of the trip that has always been memorable to me is the Survivor Tree at the 9/11 Memorial. If you’re not familiar with this tree, it was discovered in the mix of all the devastation of…

The Most Misunderstood Phrase

Why do I say I don’t have enough time to work on this project? Why do I say I don’t have enough time to get the house project done? Why do I say I don’t have enough time to work out? The phrase “I don’t have enough time” is engrained in our mind as a…

Who do you want on your team?

Your leader nominates you to join a project workgroup. You volunteer with a group at your local charity. You choose to join a committee at your kid’s school. In any team you join, when you look across the table, what type of team members are you hoping you get to work with? What attributes would…

Environment to Thrive

I recently was reading a book by Anthony Bourdain and his trip around the world searching for the perfect meal. As his travels took him to England, Anthony took time highlighting one of his favorite chefs, Gordon Ramsey. If you haven’t watched Gordon in one of the many TV shows he appears in, it’s common…

2 Words Equal Success

We hear plenty of gimmicks – become rich in these 3 easy steps or lose 20 lbs. with this easy diet. There are always quick and “easy” methods thrown at you for your quick turnaround to your better self. The issue becomes these quick fixes are also quick to fade away. If you’re looking for…

The Greatest Negotiator

We’re in negotiations constantly throughout the day. Getting the kids ready for school. Talking to the contractor on the home improvement project. Meetings at work. The most impactful negotiation, however, happens in silence. It’s the negotiation your mind goes through when faced with a fork in the road – do the hard thing you know…

Power of an Accelerator

A couple of weeks ago at the park by our house, our friends’ daughter put on a bake sale. All donations at the bake sale would go directly to their favorite charity, Animal Rescue League. This prompted our kids’ curiosity on the idea of fundraising for a charity. While my wife and I have our…

Beyond the Game

In April, nine 7-year-olds first joined forces for what would develop into possibly the greatest Orioles baseball team of all time. While the second part of that comment may be significantly exaggerated, our Orioles Little League team wrapped up our baseball season this week on a fun and lesson-filled journey. To reflect on day 1…

Magic 8-ball

As a little kid, the Magic 8-ball was a prized possession. It represented in our minds a prediction into the future. 20 possible answers that would determine if Santa was getting me the gift I wanted this Christmas, whether I was going to dominate my test in school, or I’m sure the most asked question,…