Is It Possible to have Too Much Dark Chocolate?

I was in a store with a colleague, and we passed the chocolate display. “Aren’t you going to buy something, Jim?” She asked. “No,” I replied, “I have a pretty full shelf right now.” “Oh, come on,” she said. “Can you possibly have too much chocolate?” I paused for a moment.  “Actually, yes,” I confessed. … Read more

Ah, If Only Life Were This Simple

Do you remember learning to tie your shoes?  Put on pants?  Button a shirt? Neither do I, but last evening I was reminded of the experience.  I had the pleasure of giving my three-year-old grandson his bath.  After I dried him off, he escaped and ran naked into his room, all excited — he has … Read more

A Recipe for Happiness

How do you feed your soul?  Do you grab pre-packaged Pleasure from the freezer, microwave it, and eat on the run; or do you cook up your Joy from scratch using organic, locally-sourced ingredients?  Perhaps you have a saucepan of Gratitude constantly simmering on a back burner?  Or do you wait for others to invite you … Read more

Play Like a Kid

I was recruited to deliver the keynote presentation at a regional Human Resources conference in Tampa. My dear wife suggested that I take an extra day to enjoy the sunshine. What?! No way! I’m too busy. I have backlog. I… I’m burned out. So after the conference ended I drove to Orlando, had dinner with … Read more

Tiny Stories of Gratitude for the Holidays

A client of mine sent this story as part of his holiday message, and I loved it so much I asked for his permission to share it with all of you. My guest columnist, Rob, is an executive who lives in Chicagoland. He shares six tiny stories of miracles and gratitude.

14 Life Lessons from a Trip to Italy

Immersion in a foreign culture refreshes the way I view the world. First, the “different-ness” of life in another country or region opens up new awareness; then, my newly expanded lens causes me to review habits and beliefs that were previously “invisible” to me. Through the lens of learning, I share with you my most powerful life lessons from my family’s recent trip to Italy: