Why Do We Lie?

Yes, this I know to be truth, we all lie. In fact, by the age of four, 90% of children have grasped the concept of lying and it is all downhill from there. According to a study by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults cannot carry on a 10-minute conversation without lying at least once. Most lie an average of three times during that brief time span.

FUN FACT: The average American lies eleven times per week. I do not lie that much, so I know some of you out there must be raising this average with all your tall tales. (Probably a lie on my part).

Why do we feel compelled to lie?

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The Next Level of What?

“Take your business to the next level.”

How many times have you read, heard or said this phase, or a derivation of it? Probably so often that it barely registers at this point. Yet we continue to overuse it in describing our goals, or what we want to accomplish for clients. However, have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “The next level of what?”

What exactly does this mystical “next level” look like? Is it fame, fortune, retirement, financial independence, peace of mind? Do you have a clear vision of what the next level means for you or for your business? And what is required to get there?

If you don’t have a clear vision of what the next level looks like, then how do you expect it to become a reality?

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Are We Having Fun Yet?

Well, 2022 is rapidly coming to a close. So … are we having fun yet?

In the business world we are notorious for putting fun last on our list of priorities as a New Year kicks off, and as a result, never getting to it. We’re so darn busy throughout the year trying to meet our annual objectives and “putting out fires” that we don’t set aside time to have fun.

With what we’ve suffered through these past few years that needs to change.

The negative trends in business as a result of the pandemic, downsizing, restructuring and economic uncertainty have collectively taken a huge toll on the workplace. And a huge toll on the workforce tasked with doing more with less.

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How’s Your Heart Today?

It’s a question I posed to a dear friend recently, for a different reason, who has been going through a difficult time. However, it’s a great question and one we should ask ourselves to start each day.

Why?

Because we’re headed in a direction that will ultimately lead to dark consequences for America and for mankind. Unless we change our thinking, make major societal changes, and fix our heart problem.

Today our country suffers from a heart problem. At an early age we learned to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and love from hate. We were taught to love one another, despite our differences. But is this how we operate in our daily lives?

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Time to ‘Get Your Books’

Yes, this month signals the end of those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer and “Back to School” time for the kiddos. What about you? When was the last time you attended a class or made an investment in yourself? If it has been awhile, then it’s time to ‘get your books’.

“Formal education will make you a living; self-development will make you a fortune.” – Jim Rohn

What is the best way to prepare for future success? By continuing your education and personal development. Although the landscape of formal education has changed over the years the one thing that has remained constant is the requirement for life-long learning and growth.

“People who will be the most successful in our fast-paced global society are those who are able to grasp new ideas and concepts the quickest and put them into practice.”

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Innovation Is Not That Hard

Innovation is something that is sorely needed – in our businesses, in our communities and in our country. Yet despite its benefits, innovation is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

In the business world, innovation is often described as “The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. Think of the GE slogan, “We Bring Good Things to Life.” However, I tend to favor Scott Berkun’s definition, “Innovation is significant positive change.”

What does significant mean?

In this broader context, significant is a 30% or more improvement in something. So, you could argue that any time changes are made to anything that results in a 30% or more improvement, you’re innovating. To simplify further, innovation is not invention.

Think of the BASF slogan … “We don’t make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.”

This makes innovation a little bit easier to tackle now, doesn’t it?

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Is Today Your ‘When’ Day?

When will you begin writing that first book you keep talking about? Make a firm offer on the dream home you have wanted? Take that dream vacation? Move your career in a bold new direction? Start the exercise program you have been putting off? If not now … When?

Is today your ‘When’ day … the day your life really takes off?

Stop dreaming and take action. Let’s face it, we are all procrastinators to some degree. It is part of our nature, a part of our DNA. However, if we are going to live the life we’ve always dreamed about, then at some point in time we have to put a stake in the ground and take responsibility for making it happen.

As a child, I was a BIG dreamer and had a long wish list of things I didn’t have. My dear sweet mother had a great way of bringing me down to earth. When my ‘Wish List’ got to be too much for her she would say, “Wish in one hand and poop in the other, and see which one fills up the fastest.”

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The Gift of Joy

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7.

Is joy a feeling or a state of mind? Are joy and happiness the same thing? Why is joy a gift? When was the last time you experienced real joy like the child in this photo?

What is joy? Definition … “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires: delight (rejoice)”.

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What Are You Planting?

Are you planting good seed in good soil through your words, your actions and your deeds, in order to reap a bountiful harvest?

Several years ago, I led a discussion on this topic with members of our Wingmen Men’s Ministry Group. For most of us, the past few years have been difficult, if not overwhelming at times. However, I think we can gain valuable insight from this experience by looking to the Scriptures for answers.

In essence, we reap what we sow. This may seem overly harsh with what we have had to ensure of late. However, as you read through this article, I hope you will find some things that connect with you in a positive way to build upon for the future.

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No Vote Equals No Voice

It is now a little more than three months and counting until the Presidential Election 2024.

Hopefully, the turnout at the polls will reflect the 2020 numbers or better. The 2020 election had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century. Roughly 66.8% of the eligible voters voted in the general election.

What were the rest of you doing on Election Day 2020?

My dad was ‘old school’ and pretty vocal on his position when it came to exercising the right to vote. If there was any kind of political debate within earshot at his local watering hole, my dad would respond by asking, “Did you vote? If no, then you don’t get to express your opinion.” For dad and others like him, no vote equals no voice.

For many of my dad’s generation, voting was not just a right granted to them as a U.S. citizen, but a privilege and an obligation to help build a better America.

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