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The End Of An Era

at least in My mind….

As high school kids are graduating into the next phase of their lives, many will carry life experiences that have transformed them so far in their young lives. Some are just happy to walk the stage or receive their diploma.

Yet there are others who have tried new things in their younger years and may not realize the impact it will have in their future careers, relationships, and thought processes. I feel excited for many of them as their journey is much different these days.

I share similar emotions as teachers of many of the graduating students. While I may not have been a full-time instructor (I commend those who have the tenacity to teach our next generation), I do reflect upon many of the special children that were in my care from a different type of background.

Continue reading “The End Of An Era”

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A Lifetime Ago…

Have you ever had a reunion of old friends in which, aside from a few gray hairs, you all looked the same as you did 30+ years ago?

This was what happened to me recently.

After a memorial service of a friend who suddenly passed away, I saw two old classmates from high school and church. Sure, I may have lost my long thick hair but in my eyes, we all looked the same! Excited to see each other and our spouses, we decided to arrange a get-together a couple of weeks later.

Trading email messages and Facebook chats, we finally settled on a mutual date for this event – Saturday night. Continue reading “A Lifetime Ago…”

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New Beginnings…

It is that wonderful time of year once again!

No, I am not talking about Christmas right now. In fact, I am referring to new beginnings as we march into 2016 with determination, dreams, goals, and hopes. Perhaps some of these “resolutions” are leftovers from previous years (such as losing weight, keeping that lost weight off, getting organized, read more, eat healthier, join a gym, etc.) but whatever is the basis for your motivation, I would encourage you to “eat that elephant ONE bite at a time“!

What are my resolutions? Continue reading “New Beginnings…”

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Your Cup In Life

Is your glass half-full or half-empty?

I have attended many self-improvement seminars throughout the years in my career and have learned many things. One thing I have learned is that how you live your life depends upon your answer to the question above. Of course there are multitude of personality tests to choose from that supports the answer and many will usually say out loud what they “wish” they were – an optimist or a pessimist.

The other day, I was approached by a smart young man who was complaining about his present circumstance. Continue reading “Your Cup In Life”

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5-0 Is In The House!!!

Dropped by a local city the other day and was pleasantly surprised to meet one of the new officers – my son!!!

He has finally passed his field training and is now a new addition to a squad of fine public safety officers. Unlike what the news portrays police officers to be, there are many, many public servants in the “blue” that actually do GREAT work for their communities and the people they serve!

Unfortunately, it is the few that command the most attention from the news media.
Why? I believe it is because Continue reading “5-0 Is In The House!!!”

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At The Speed Of “Blink”…

Blink!

What has happened to me? Where did the past seventeen years go? How could this have happened? Is this real or a fantasy?

It was the first day of school in this region and summer seemed to have passed by like a strong gust of wind in the open desert plain. The past two months were very important as I wanted to spend time with my son before he moves to the next stage of his life – adulthood!

Continue reading “At The Speed Of “Blink”…”

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Ripples In The Pond

I was leading a business training session the other night and was trying to think of a way to encourage my team in doing the right things to help their businesses. We discussed the obstacles that appeared to stand in our paths only to realize that it was just a mirage!

Many have defined the acronym – F.E.A.R. – as False Expectations Appearing Real. However, our perceived fears are only real if we allow them to be that way. In life, the paralysis of not doing something due to fear is only offset by the mere fact that, without any action, one would have lost nothing except the opportunity to possibly overcome a challenge in life.

At the end of the meeting, I used the analogy of a pebble and a still lake early in the morning… Continue reading “Ripples In The Pond”

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The Secret Getaway – Part One

Have you ever been swept away by your loved one to a destination unknown?

We were approaching our 4th wedding anniversary and my lovely wife planned the getaway venue and dinner reservation. I was kept in the dark. She had solicited suggestions from her friends via Facebook and created a message that blocked not only me but all the kids as well (in case they leaked the information).

The only thing I knew was that it would be an overnight destination to somewhere within a few hours of of our home. I asked questions and tried to get clues from her but to no avail. She was very good at keeping it a total secret.

The night before, she gave me a checklist of things to pack. To keep me guessing, she suggested a wide range of attire. This included shorts/sandals, a nice long sleeve shirt with slacks, nice leather jacket, gloves and ski jacket, wool cap, etc. She was not going to let me figure it out.

Finally the day arrived and she told me that she would be driving to the final destination. We left early on Friday morning to begin this mysterious road trip but where would it take us? Continue reading “The Secret Getaway – Part One”

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Memorial Day in the United States

As I sit quietly and safely in my room while checking my Facebook account, I see a myriad of shared posts regarding tributes to our fallen military heroes who freely gave up their lives so that we may live our own freedom. One cannot hold back tears as video after video reminds us of the importance of this precious day in America.

This brings to mind the purpose of this site: to instill the courage to live on. Continue reading “Memorial Day in the United States”