Text or Talk?

There is an old story about a woman traveling in Europe who saw a beautiful painting and wanted to buy it. She sent her husband this telegram: “I have found a wonderful painting. Price seventy-five thousand dollars. Agree that I buy it?”  Her husband was...

The Compound Interest of Little Things

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may...

What is Wisdom?

What is wisdom? Well, connect wise with dumb, and you get wisdom. Let me explain. I am attempting to offer a memory aid to help people understand wisdom: “wise + dumb = wisdom.” I am taking advantage of the fact that many great teachers have taught that wisdom comes...

Productive Stress

Last week, I read this nugget from consultant Bobb Biehl, “As much as 80 percent of all stress is caused by indecision or lack of control.” Do you agree? I would have to look at the definitive research, but that number sounds like it would be in the ballpark. Think...

A New Year’s Resolution of Time

I am a member of Tyler Morning Toastmasters, and I always enjoy and appreciate the speeches I hear. I heard one last week given by a college student named Brady Ryden. Brady talked about things that he had learned regarding time management. He offered several very...