I want to share why I wrote the book IMAGINE -- why the message is important to me.

In my early days as a child I struggled with what others thought of me -- what I thought of me. You see, when I was younger, I was the kid with the buck teeth. The blond headed toehead, who may have smiled on the outside, but -- can I be honest? I wasn't smiling about myself on the inside. I struggled.

The reality is that there are people all around us who are struggling too. They silently struggle with thoughts about themselves, about what they are perceiving from others, and that just isn't healthy thinking.

People are hurting. Maybe lonely. They might even be questioning their worth, and the value they bring to the table.

Their imagination might be taking them to some pretty dark places. They need hope. A light. A path.

That's the message of the book. You see, when I was 13 something finally shifted for me. It's when I first realized the value of imagination.

Imagination can be a friend or a fo...

In this blog I share on why I write and something helpful for writing that I call "The Write Mindset." If you want to be a better writer -- or just have more clarity on what you do as a leader -- or maybe even write a book one day -- I encourage to consider the ideas shared in the short blog.  They have made a difference in my life, and I have a feeling they might have an impact for you too. Enjoy!

I have a new book that I am excited to share that will be released on Tuesday – Dec 20th.  It’s titled IMAGINE, a book about hope and this powerful tool we have upstairs called imagination. 

Imagination, to me, is like our own personal multiverse.  It lets us see endless what-if possibilities.  It can also take us back in time or even forward in time.  And in the present, we use it as an instrument to make decisions. It’s driven by primarily two things hope and fear.  The key to making imagination work is recognizing both your hopes and those fears. This new book gives you some strateg...

My Mom just turned 90 years young. Imagine reaching that milestone in your life.

For me, this means I am over 12,000 days shy of that mark. Presuming I have those number of days ahead (hopefully more), what am I going to do with the rest of those days?  Like my mom, I want to make those days count. 

I thought it would be fun to share a piece I wrote for my mom about how she has made her days count in the time I’ve known her. I hope you enjoy this. It’s meant to be lighthearted but also a reflection of a person who has made a difference in the life of others.

8 Days That Changed My Life

Happy Birthday Mom – I am so excited to celebrate your 90^th birthday.

I want you to know how much you have meant to me – and really all of us. The best way I can share your story is to recount some of the incredible moments you have made – at least from my perspective. Enjoy.

“Make everyday count” That’s a mantra that I think you have lived up to – at least for me.

1. The first day “for me” is easy
...

Let me ask you a question. What makes you strong?

Is it in avoiding challenges, or is it in facing them head-on?

The Resilience Pattern

I’ve read countless books and thousands of stories. In doing so, I’ve stumbled on one common pattern for those that achieve success. Everyone's story of strength is coupled by enduring a season of struggle. The secret to success is not in avoiding failure, but in getting back up when you do.

Think of the stories of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Susan B. Anthony. All three changed their nations for the better – they didn’t just find success, they found significance. Part of that journey was enduring challenges along the way.

You may be familiar with the story of Mandela and Gandhi, but have you ever peeked at the real-life story of Susan B. Anthony?

Susan B. Anthony

I remember being curious about Susan B. Anthony as a young child in the late 70s when the U.S. Mint fashioned a new coin with her likeness. When it came out, her coin replaced t...

Let me ask you a question.  Would you drive your car if it wasn't properly aligned? 

Let's say it pulls hard to the left.  Are you okay with taking it on the road knowing that it could swerve into oncoming traffic?  I bet not.

So, if you wouldn't drive a car with proper alignment, then why do people live their life without proper alignment?  

It's a fascinating question. I think the reason is that most people don't even know that they are out of alignment. They live life with off kilter and wander. Eventually those who wander are those who get lost. 

There's perhaps an even better word picture to describe the challenge.

The Challenge

Every six weeks or so, I drive about a hundred miles from my home to see Dr. Mike, a chiropractor in Charlottesville.  Dr. Mike is one of the best in the country when it comes to physiological alignment. When I arrive, he measures me to see how far I'm off, and then gently adjustments my alignment based on those readings. Afterwords, he measures me a...

This past week Barry Smith and Paul Gustavson had a chance to talk about the importance of Boundaries for Leaders.  Let's face it, we get distracted.  In all the noise it can be hard to lead.  The noises come from external voices all around us, but also our own internal thoughts too.

Almost ten years ago, best-selling author and psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a revolutionary book that is still one of the top leadership reads.  He talked about the importance Attending to What Matters, Inhibiting what doesn't matter, and Maintaining Your Working Memory. 

Paul and Barry talk about some of these ideas on their recent podcast, which you can watch on YouTube or listen to wherever you go to find Top Podcasts.

Paul also shared from his new book a filter tool to help you manage the distractions.  Here's the graphic he described.

The video below reflects the discussion that Paul and Barry had on the show.  Enjoy! Let us know what you think by commenting below.

Barry Smith and I had a chance to sit down with best-selling author Jason Turbow recently for the Breaking Average Podcast. We talked about baseball and what it was like to help Kenny Loggins share his incredible story in the recently published book, Still Alright.

Check out the podcast on your favorite podcast platform of choice, or watch the two part interview on our YouTube channel below. 

Part 1

Part 2

Twitter Follows:

• Jason Turbow = @JasonTurbow
• Kenny Loggins = @KennyLogins
• Barry Smith =  @BLDWhatMatters 
• Paul Gustavson =  @PaulGustavson 

Also be sure to buy Kenny Loggins book on Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.  (You'll love this book!)

There is a great scene in the movie Remember the Titans where two teammates are in a huge disagreement. The Captain, Gary Bertier is arguing one point, and Julius Campbell counters with points of his own.  After hearing his argument, Bertier tells Julius, "that's the worst attitude I have ever heard.  Julius responds candidly.  "Attitude Reflects Leadership, Captain."  

It turns out to be a powerful pivot in the movie.  And from that conflict you begin to see an attitude shift in both these leaders that, in turn, changes the character for themselves and the whole team!

Attitude is without a doubt is a difference maker.  I truly believe it.  I could spin a whole blog to share my personal thoughts on it.  But today, I thought why not just share what I think are the 12 greatest attitude quotes of all time.   I hope these 12 quotes impact you as much as they have me.  Enjoy!

(1) "Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us." – John Mitchell

(2) "The only disability i...

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he

– Proverbs 23:7

In an early post we talked about the importance about “being transformed by the renewing of your mind.”   That effort is not a “one in a done” exercise. It takes daily commitment.  The key is to eliminate our misbeliefs and unfounded self-limitations is to think the truth.

One of the things that helps me the most is to create a set of “I am” statements about yourself, about your beliefs.  These are affirmations.  Here are a few straight from the Word about you. Scriptural truth — what God thinks about you — is the most powerful truth there is.

• I am a child of God, and He is with me. – Galatians 4:6
• I am a leader of others – 2 Timothy 2:2
• I am a prophetic voice for God – 1 Corinthians 14:3
• I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, and He is in me. – 1 Corinthians 6:19
• I am able share God’s truths with others. – Colossians 1:28-29
• I am able to ask God to direct me. –  Psalm 139:23-24
• I am able to enjoy life and discover peace.
...

It's been a while since I've written a blog - but that's not say that I haven't been writing.  I just came off a writing season for the forthcoming book IMAGINE.  I'll post more about the new book in a future blog.

What I want to focus in on today is something that affects us all. It's falling short, and overcoming that feeling of defeat.

Let's face it, we are all human.  We all fall short.

The Bible even says for all have sin and fallen short.  If you look back at every successful leader, you'll find that they could tell you a story of defeat.

Falling short can be the most discouraging thing ever.  What starts as optimism, and resolute hope, can sometimes come up a yard short of the end-zone, or the feeling that we didn't deliver, or worse the feeling you failed. When this happens you feel deflated.

The question is -- how do you deal the agony of defeat?

If you are like me, I usually need some time to rebound.  I can't automatically jump up,  brush it off and say, "oh well."  Th...