Standing by the window, I let my gaze wander aimlessly. I’d once found beauty in everything but these days, I could only see the reality of my circumstances, and it wasn’t beautiful. The bills piled up as high as my frustration. Another client had cancelled last minute, offering only a half-hearted apology. I glanced at mama snoring softly on the sunken mattress. My eyes welled up when the fear of her dying before I made it resurfaced. This fear was my constant companion. I’d worked so hard to become exceptional at my craft, but my efforts went unnoticed, yielding minimal returns. Plagu ..read more

Today, as I heard the news, I slumped on my bed as my legs were unable to accommodate my weight.  For the longest time, I'd watched you from afar, admiring your reserve, that air of sophistication that clung to you like a second skin, your seeming confidence and the way you easily attracted people to your corner.  You were the true definition of a sophisticated social butterfly. One I wished I could be.  You were always so happy, so vivacious, so exuberant. You lit up every room you walked in. Every time I'd seen you, my heart leaped.  How could one girl be so per ..read more

 How do I love you?  When my soul screams communion But my flesh desires worldly union.  This flesh defects And my soul it affects.  How do I love you?  If daily my heart Is torn- Which? The world or You?  I'd rapidly choose the world's scorn And stay immersed in you, true.  But my flesh is weak And mundane things it seeks.  None with eternal value All manmade, fickle, untrue.  How do I love you?  When I'm thrown off the path time and again,  Forgetting you're my only gain.  In a world filled with grief And totally lacking repriev ..read more

Your promotion to leadership isn’t the end of the line. You’ve only just begun the leadership journey.  Becoming a leader qualifies you to lead others, but your skills will grow over time making you more and more effective.  Growing as a leader should always be the goal whether you’ve just begun or you’ve been leading for years.  The best leaders have things in common. They are generally: •Confidence.  •Consideration.  •Consistency.  Being confident, considerate, and consistent are not static things.  They change all the time.  Being confident wanes from ..read more

If you’re in a leadership role, you didn’t get there on your own. Someone at some point poured into you and helped shape you into the person you are!  Having a mentor can make all the difference when it comes to being an effective leader.  Being a mentor helps pay for the help you’ve been given and the lifetime of knowledge you’ve accumulated.  Mentoring others makes you a better leader because it helps you: •Teach a wider range of skills.  •Motivate new leaders.  •Stay grounded.  Mentoring teaches more than the obvious - Mentoring an up and coming leader require ..read more

Most leaders started out as followers. Leadership comes from mastery of a concept or idea and inspiring and motivating others to achieve a common goal.  Good leaders have spent significant time in the trenches and never stop, even after they’re promoted.  Being a leader means more than being the boss. It requires a willingness to take on more responsibilities than the team and to be willing to work just as hard, if not harder.  Sadly, leadership can get a bad name. The imagery of someone sitting at a desk with their feet up while others do the work that they claim for themselves ..read more

“The people with the greatest love, not the most information, will influence us to change.”- Bob Goff Bob Goff is the New York Times bestselling author of the book Love Does. His quote reminds us that it isn’t what you know that matters as much as how you behave.  You may have all the knowledge in the world on important subjects which will make you an expert, but if you don’t have the social skills to lead others with love, you won’t be very effective.  Goff shared a story in a blog post about Galileo; a scientist who used a telescope to determine that the Earth and the other pla ..read more

Some people set out for leadership. They want to be in a leadership role and take charge.  Other people find themselves in leadership roles reluctantly. They don’t necessarily see themselves as leaders but circumstances or necessity dictates that they’ve got to step up and lead - this used to be me.  Either way, both potential leaders bring more than positive skills to the plate.  We’ve all got habits that we need to break; too much fast food, obsessively watching Tv,  putting things off and other habits that don’t always serve us well.   Leaders have bad habits t ..read more

Being a leader isn’t something you take on and off like a coat. Leadership skills and operating from a leadership perspective is something leaders do on and off duty.  That’s because the skill sets that make a great leader also make great: •Spouses •Parents •Community partners •Volunteers AND •Mentors Great leaders don’t go to work and put on their leadership hats only to take them off when they leave. Great leaders lead in all that they do. They lead by how they; •Solve problems •Approach conflict •Prioritize their schedule  •Treat people in their lives  And much more!  Gr ..read more

Make Progress Every Single Day And You’ll Beat Procrastination For Good It’s hard to believe but we have come to the end of our seven day challenge to get off your butt and finally beat procrastination.  I hope you’ve been following and more importantly that you’ve been making progress on at least one of the things you’ve been procrastinating on.  We end today with the most important piece of advice and the main lesson I want you to take away from all this.  Make progress every single day! Of course that’s easier said than done.  That’s why I’m leaving you today with three ..read more