Mental toughness.   Also means “amount of crap one can deal with”.  I would like to think that I come from a long line of mentally tough people. People who are built to cope and handle more “crap” than others.  I’m certainly not suggesting that I have had it any rougher than anyone else, just that my genetic makeup proves that when it comes to handling things-I tend to be able to deal with these issues without allowing my hair to catch on fire.  I am not better than anyone, just built different than many.  If you have ever been one to read prose and poetry, I have always loved “IF” from Rudyard Kipling.  I have mentioned this in previous […]

Life and movie trailers.  One of my favorite things about going to the movies is being able to watch all the trailers.  A two minute highlight reel of possibilities and potential.  A glimpse of what could end up being one of the greatest movies of all time or a box office bust. Often, you an tell which one is which by the trailer.  The romance, the plot twists and the fast paced action all capsulated in a 2 minute package that is meant to bring you in and leave you wanting more.  Or at least give you enough time to pee or get napkins for the popcorn before the good stuff start happening.    If your life was a movie […]

This past weekend I opened a box set of CDs that would be considers, if left unopened, worth a few bucks in the years to come.   Since moving back to Texas almost 16 months ago (I grew up here) my parents have given me several things from my childhood that some would consider to be worth some money.  I was quite the collector as a kid.  100s of comic books and 10s of thousands of baseball cards have recently been given back to me.  All neatly packaged in plastic by the 12 year old version of myself.  The other night I smoked a very expensive cigar that I had been saving in my humidor for a special occasion.  I […]

You can be successful in life if you do one thing better than most.  Do one thing well and you can potentially write your ticket to greatness.  Even in a world where jobs are consolidated and many of us are asked to do more, people continue to find ways to excel by just doing one thing better than the rest.   What’s your one thing?   I always preach to others the need to be more than just a one trick pony, but as I look at the entire career playing field, the people who do one thing really well still find a place in the system.  It’s that one thing that opens the doors.  That one thing that gets […]

When you look back at your life, you realize that the many of your regrets or memories are based around things you didn’t do; opposed to things you did do.  When faced with the decision of yes versus no, we often opt to just say no.  Why?  Because its easier to say no.  After no, there is less follow up.  Less energy expelled.  Less explanation.  No is the punctuation- where yes is the beginning of the story. Too often, we say no for the sake of saying no. I m just as guilty as anyone when it comes to this and looking back (thanks hindsight) I might have missed out on some pretty cool experiences.  I try to live life […]

With the recent death of my brother Michael, thoughts of mortality have been heavy in my mind. Between writing his obituary, performing his eulogy and all the thoughts and feelings that go along with those things, I feel the need to move forward, but perhaps use these past few weeks as a foundation for a few of my blog topics.  At his funeral, the Priest said in his speech, “It is not the number of years you live, but how you live those years”.  That obviously struck a chord with me and probably most people at the funeral. When you die, what will be left?  I’m not talking about materialistic things.  What kind of mark will you leave on this […]

I have had several requests from people who wanted a copy of this.  I will share it with you now. This day comes with great sadness, but at the same time closure to a very long and pain filled week.  When we think of my brother Michael we cry, but we also laugh.  We are angry, but also relieved.  In Life, much like in death,  these are the emotions that come with loving my brother.      Michael would often quote Dr. Seuss.  Upon searching for suitable quotes, to use for his eulogy,  I stumbled across this one.   Adults are obsolete children. My brother Michael was one of the last of the Peter Pan lost boys of the world…refusing […]

Today I lost my brother Michael.  My children saw me cry in pain for the first time.  This will be the second time in my life where my parents have had to bury a child.  Second time in my life where I have had to bury a brother.  The second time my sister has had to do the same.  Jimmy, 26 years ago.  Michael, we will bury sometime in the next few days.  A whole form of communication in my life died today.  The only other person who could finish sentences, stories and punch lines to things that the two of us experienced.  Gone. The only other person that could remember the same stories, just as I remembered them, about […]

Many of us feel underutilized. We want to do more, get more credit, accomplish more goals and be more valuable than the others.  With unemployment being where it’s at and everyone, who is employed, trying to prove their worth; we welcome the opportunity to wear additional hats. We think ” if I do the job of 4 people they will never want to get rid of me”.  At least that is what many of us are led to believe.  By doing the work of 4 people, are we really accomplishing tasks at that same level?  Probably not, but that’s the world we live in.   Many people want to do more because they hate what they are currently being asked […]

I had a client meeting yesterday and decided to grab lunch near the location of the meeting. The restaurant was busy at the time so I opted to sit in the bar area.  I was alone, so being able to watch, or should I say read, the tv should help to fill the 90 minutes I had before the meeting. I could also mess around on my phone before and after my order of fish tacos arrived.   Instead, It gave me time to people watch.   Although watching people at a restaurant is not as plentiful as say the airport, it still provided entertainment for me.  First, I listened in on the wait staff.  It was a loud place, […]