I do my best learning when I’m working on something that does not come easy. Being naturally pessimistic, my focus is on ways to become optimistic. Being naturally afraid and anxious leads to the search to be grateful and less fearful. My search for results leads me to understand how important structure is to achieve the results. There is a saying, “I did not get what I wanted; however, what I got was what I…

In my books and presentations, I often share the positive impact my third-grade teacher, Mrs. James, had as well as my high school soccer coach, Mr. King. I get asked if I ever thanked them. I never found Mrs. James, so the answer is no for her. Years ago, when I was speaking in Easley, South Carolina, they asked me to share my Coach King story from my book Hardwiring Excellence. As I finished my talk, Coach…

Summer is dwindling away, and we can all feel the change in the air. I think of this as the tale of two seasons. Different people respond to this time very differently. Some people get really excited about the arrival of a new school year. They’re happy school is back in session. Fall sports are starting. They love the drives to see the changing leaves and cooler weather. These are the people whose social media…

Are you a “get to” person or a “got to/have to” person? In my presentations, I put up a PowerPoint slide that has the words “got to” and “have to” with a line through them. Then I feature the words “get to.” I tell the audience, “One of my goals for when we leave here is for each of us to use the words ‘get to’ more than ‘have to’ or ‘got to.’” There is a sense of gratitude and…

No two fingerprints are the same. We all leave fingerprints, and we all are impacted by the fingerprints of others. While fingerprints can be cleaned off, the fact that a person left fingerprints cannot. When we wash a child’s toy, we wipe off their fingerprints. Yet years go by, and we find it hard to let go of the toy. Why? Because someone we love touched it. Fingerprints leave memories and stay with us long…

Graduation season is here again. It’s exciting to think about all the young people with a lifetime ahead to shape as they choose. There are so many possibilities available, so many paths they can take. Yet, another word for “many possibilities” is uncertainty. Sometimes, for young people (and for all people!), uncertainty can be quite scary. They may worry that the decisions they make right now will set their course for life. What if they’re making…