vision

Work-Life Balance Brilliance by Denise R. Green: book summary

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Have you ever thought of hiring a life coach? Have you ever wondered what you could achieve if you had an accountability partner? Maybe you’ve tried the novel approach to creating different results than the trajectory you are on right now. If you are self-motivated at all, this book could be the recipe for positive momentum in finding what works for you. One glance at the book cover should clue you in to what the author thinks of work-life balance. In fact, the title of the book is, Work-Life Balance …

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Finishing Well, or Just Finishing

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Happy Birthday, Billy Graham. A hero of the Christian faith turned 98 on November 7th. Billy Graham has lived in the public eye since he was in his twenties, stayed true to his faith in Jesus Christ and has never been involved in immorality or been the object of scandal. When I was 11 years old my friends who had TV talked about watching Billy Graham Crusades and 40 years later I was still watching him talk about the object of his faith. In honor of Billy Graham’s birthday and his impeccable …

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From Crisis to Calling: Finding Your Moral Center in the Toughest Decisions – Book Summary

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As I sat down to write about this book, From Crisis to Calling: Finding your Moral Center in the Toughest Decisions by Sasha Chanoff and David Chanoff, an online article in the Huff Post grabbed my attention proclaiming Afghan Refugee Crisis Worsens. It seems the news is dominated by more and more crises related to refugees who are suffering greatly in violence–torn regions. This book would have been much more uncomfortable to read had it not been for the authors’ presentation of the storyline through the moral compass of each person …

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The Serving Leader by Kenneth R. Jennings, John Stahl-Wert – Book Summary

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Have you ever read a book that so overwhelmingly captured your heart you didn’t want it to end? That’s how I felt when I came to the end of The Serving Leader. Written in the style of a novel, this book teaches like a textbook that’s so interesting you can’t put it down. Each chapter adds precept upon precept, like building blocks which perfectly define and illustrate the Serving Leader. Condensing the indispensable content of The Serving Leader is a challenge. The Serving Leader is more than theory. It’s action. …

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The 3 Gaps by Hyrum Smith – Book Summary

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When I picked up this book and began reading, I learned, within two pages, something I had never thought of before. Ask anyone what their long term goals are and, almost always, one of them will be, to make a difference. What I found out in the first few pages of this book, is that we make a difference by not giving up; by refusing to quit. Regardless of current conditions, tragedies of the past, or skepticism of the future, Hyrum Smith writes with convincing clarity, that we can have …

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Competing to Win: Lessons Learned for Reaching the Next Level of Organizational Performance

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Competing to Win: Lessons Learned for Reaching the Next Level of Organizational Performance by Dr. Ted Marra  Setting the tone for this book and deriving the major theme is clearly articulated in the forward by Philip Sadler. He says a global business operating in today’s world has many more balls in the air than a juggling act. In fact it is no longer a few standard variety balls in the air but multiples of two kinds. One set of balls is leadership, developing a vision, and creating culture while the …

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Well that didn’t work! What was I thinking? Planning so that doesn’t happen.

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Have you heard the latest? We are already two days into the New Year and some of us are still thinking through what we plan to accomplish in 2015. I said some of us. If you are one of those other ones who has their list written, posted, and are already in hot pursuit of making it happen – I’m proud of you. You probably don’t need to read the rest of this saga on dreaming dreams, planning plans, and somehow merging the two to create a vision for this …

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As Difficult as Child’s Play

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Children have it made, don’t they? No schedule, no job, no financial responsibility – just play all day, eat meals served up by someone else, carefree and leisurely … It’s tough being a child. You don’t agree with me, do you? Last night I had the privilege of remembering what it was like to be a child getting to play all day, eat meals served up by someone else, carefree and leisurely. I remember saying multiple times a day – “I’m bored. This day is boring. Nothing to do.”  It’s …

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Who will you live your life for?

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Let’s be clear. I have no ambition toward wealth, no aspirations to lead a company from the corner suite. I have no yearning to live in a million dollar home or drive a $65,000 car. When I dream big, I don’t dream of a 6-figure income and a budget to fly around the world choosing where to stop for lunch and where to sleep at night.  When I dream big, all the characters on my storyboard fit and all the pieces have a place.  When I dream big I dream of success, not measured by …

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Pathway to Peace

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I’m working on a pathway to peace. I wish I could say it’s already perfected, but it is not.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this. Today is all I’ve got; tomorrow is the result of how I live it.  Considering what I want most tomorrow has led me to design a pathway to get there. Daily disciplines toward PEACE tomorrow. Prayer Exercise Accountability Character Encourage Each discipline has defined characteristics which I’ll be sharing in a future post.  Why am I talking about this now?  Why am I …

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Refining Grace