Sherbet, Speech, and Skills for Success
This story is an excerpt from my book Vital Signs: Five Essential Skills Every Student Needs for Success in Education and in Life. Enjoy! I remember my first time meeting Janai. The shy little girl was gripping her mother’s skirt, hiding behind her back as we chatted. She only peeked out to say a quick “Hi” when prompted. Then she was right back in her hiding spot. When I first announced that I was starting a public speaking class, Janai’s parents signed her right up — to their daughter’s horror. I coached the timid girl for a year, watching her grow and grow and grow as she learned the foundational…
Getting Your Steps In
As my two boys got older, they developed this amazing sixth sense about when to disappear. They could anticipate when my SUV would pull up the long driveway stocked with food and household supplies, and suddenly they were nowhere to be found. Getting groceries from the car into the kitchen begins with 2 flights of stairs. Sometimes putting items away means 2 flights up, then 2 flights down, then 2 flights back up. I used to get so frustrated. It was physically taxing, tedious work and foot travel between the car and the kitchen. And even when my boys grew up and moved out, I’d keep finding myself in that…
The “Reply All” Faux Pas
One of my priceless colleagues is currently transitioning out of her leadership role in my organization. (Insert saddest emoji here.) She has been a true visionary for us, someone who has greatly influenced everything we currently do to serve our mission. So, naturally, I wanted to break the news of her transition in a thoughtful, well-planned way to the rest of our global organization’s leaders and community. She crafted a letter of transition, and my team and I began editing it to incorporate into the announcement. After much discussion, my Chief Influence Officer, Mary, sent it out to all our leaders. I saw it pop up in my inbox, missed…
Reflections on Reflections
Last month, our property flooded…. again. I’d been here before. The skies open up over middle Tennessee in a deluge that simply saturates the land around our home, creating a lake out of our yard and a river over our driveway. I took immediate action. I knew from experience the devastation that comes when floodwater reaches our house and seeps into the downstairs bedrooms. As we piled sandbags creating a flood barrier, the murky sea that was lush green lawn just two days prior creeped toward us, right to the corner of the house – ugly, sludgy, dismal brown. That water filled me with dread and anxiety. A few days…
