We live in a blaming world. We want to point the finger and put the blame on others. We blame the Democrats, the Republicans, the economy, the weather, the traffic, the company, the boss, co-workers, the past, family – the list goes on and on, doesn’t it? We want to blame the circumstances and people in our lives for what we perceive to be the misfortunes that may have come our way. In the workplace, we want to blame messes, mistakes, misunderstandings, mishaps, miscalculations, and mismanagement on anyone and everyone – anyone, that is, but ourselves. If it’s your tendency to be a finger-pointer or a blamer, you also may have the tendency to take the role of a victim…. [Read More]

Although it looks totally different from years past, it’s “Back to School“ time once again. Students from kindergarten to grad school are embarking on new ways of learning, and these new ways are being met with excitement by some and resistance by others. That’s usually the way it is with learning, isn’t it? There are those who view it as an adventure – exploring new information, facing new challenges, and expanding horizons. For them, acquiring knowledge is new, exciting, fun! And then there are others who push against learning – regarding it with dread, fear, trepidation, and blatant resistance. Some folks may feel they already know everything they need to know. Or maybe they’re just lazy. After all, learning requires… [Read More]

Like many of you, I live in a major metropolitan area. The Dallas/Ft.Worth area, or the “Metroplex” as it has been labeled, has experienced a population explosion in the last few years, and with that growth, traffic has increased exponentially. It seems that every freeway, tollway, road, street, and even residential lane is packed. Interstate 30, one of the major thoroughfares in Dallas, is no exception. And the bane of every I30 driver is a particular west-bound 1 ½ – 2 mile stretch of road. About a mile before the Ferguson Road exit, the freeway curves slightly to the right and about the same distance past the exit, it curves back to the left. Not a sharp curve – just… [Read More]

When I was growing up, at least once a year my parents and I would get together with my uncles, aunts and cousins on my mother’s side for a gathering with another family named the Hunters. The adults from all the families were long-time friends, their friendship dating back to college and pre-marriage days. In total there were seven children, no more than about four or five years apart in age. While getting together with the Hunters was a highly anticipated event and looked forward to by all, there was one part of the gathering that I dreaded. I knew, however, that this activity would occur, because it was as much a part of the festivities as my mom’s baked… [Read More]

They’re everywhere. In every big city and small town. In every neighborhood, apartment building, and office complex. In classrooms and hospitals. On the streets or on the bus. They’re the unseen people. They’re often those who serve us – the person who cleans your hotel room or the airport restroom. The stocker or checker at the grocery store, the person at the drive-thru window, the wait staff in the restaurant. The person who delivers your mail or picks up your trash. But they’re not just people in low-profile jobs. They may sit near you at work or at church. They live across the street. You see them on the elevator every day. They’re everywhere, and yet they’re unseen. They’re unseen… [Read More]