A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, enjoying his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars, and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed up to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and shouted, “What was that all about? What’s your name? This is a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost me a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister ... Please. I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do,” he pleaded. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop ...” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.

“It's my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair.” Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt, and he's too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He gently lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes. A quick look told him everything was going to be OK. “Thank you,” the grateful child told the stranger.

Still speechless, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

My sister Margie is constantly telling me to stop and smell the roses. In other words, slow down. I just love to go fast and cram as many things into my life as possible. It’s not that I don’t enjoy things -- I do. I just get bored if I’m not busy doing something I like to do all the time.

When I am asked what I would like on my tombstone when I die, I answer, “He couldn’t sleep fast enough.” In other words, I’m afraid if I sleep too much, I’ll miss something.

I’m well aware that if I were growing up in this day and age, I would be labeled as hyperactive. I’ve always needed to be busy. That’s not a bad thing, if you know how to use your time constructively and can learn to focus.

I work almost every day, but I take time off for my hobbies, which include international travel, spectator sports and lots of golf. My wife, Carol Ann, and I are movie junkies. We also have family that visits us on a regular basis, and with 11 grandchildren, this keeps me grounded. And that involves making some tough choices.

You try to strike a healthy balance between your work life and your personal time. But when a new project lands on your desk or the busy season hits, you may feel helpless and frustrated. Here are some strategies that I use to get through the busy times:

-- On again, off again. Schedule one to three days when you’ll plan to work late or start extra early. Schedule the other days as your normal work hours. Set realistic goals both at work and at home -- like when to take on or delegate certain projects or activities on any given day. Knowing you have days of reprieve will help you get through the longer days.

-- Marathon and rest. Sometimes your work may leave you with absolutely no free time. Run the marathon, committing to working extra-long days for weeks or even months (if need be). But set a definite completion date. Focus on getting work done while keeping expectations realistic at home.

-- Above all, remember that life is short. When your priorities are out of whack, everything suffers. Commit to being the boss of your life.

Mackay’s Moral: If you see a brick wall ahead, make a U-turn and find a better path.

A well-known businessman received an award for his philanthropy. During the ceremony honoring his good works, he was asked to share some of the lessons he had learned throughout his life and career that inspired him to think of others.

He spoke of his childhood and the poverty his family endured in the rural South. “No matter how tough times were, my grandmother was always looking to help anyone she felt was in need.

“One day, a neighbor came to our kitchen door and told my grandmother he was hungry and hadn’t eaten in days. She invited him in and served him a good portion of what she’d been preparing for our supper. When the man left, I asked my grandmother why she was always feeding other people when there was barely enough for us to eat.

“My grandmother said, ‘The only thing that matters in life is giving and serving. That’s the most important lesson you need to learn.’”

The businessman went on to tell how he took his grandmother’s words to heart. Throughout his life and career, he made sure to share his wisdom and good fortune with others and include them in his successes as well.

That sterling example defines the essence of the annual Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. I recently returned from the Horatio Alger Awards in Washington, D.C., where we inducted 13 new members and handed out $21 million in need-based scholarships to 2,500 deserving students. Those annual gifts total $159 million since 1984.

Founded in 1947, the association is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. It honors the outstanding leaders who have achieved remarkable successes in spite of adversity. Horatio Alger members and friends award scholarships to students with critical financial need who have exhibited the same qualities as members.

Past honorees include three U.S. presidents -- Eisenhower, Ford and Reagan -- plus Colin Powell, Mario Cuomo, Bob Hope, Oprah Winfrey, entrepreneur Wayne Huizenga, astronaut Chuck Yeager, Carol Burnett and leaders in various fields. Members are always sworn in at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The association bears the name of the renowned author Horatio Alger Jr., who wrote more than 100 novels about rags-to-riches stories in which the heroes overcame adversity through education and the help of role models. The association was founded to combat a growing attitude among young people that economic opportunity was a thing of the past. The association strives to motivate and educate our nation’s young people about the economic and personal opportunities afforded them by the promise of the American free enterprise system.

I’ve been fortunate to be a member since 2004, along with some of the most successful and accomplished people you can imagine. But they are not the most impressive guests at the event. Every year, it’s the students who steal the show.

We heard stories about kids in foster care, raised by grandparents because their parents rejected them, and even stories about homelessness. We heard stories of drugs, suicides, murders, beatings, parents in prison and much more. Other kids had families dealing with physical and mental disabilities or illnesses.

I was thrilled this year to hear about the 71 percent college graduation rate for our scholars, compared to the national low-income graduation rate of 16 percent. These students understand that a winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. The average family income of scholarship-recipient families is under $20,000, yet students’ grade points average is around 3.7 on a scale of 4.0. My high school record pales in comparison to their accomplishments.

These students are the epitome of resilience, positive attitude, determination, integrity and compassion. They know that to get ahead they must put in the effort and the hard work. They already understand there are no free lunches.

Education -- without question -- must be one of America’s top priorities. Education is the key to unlocking opportunity. My mother was a schoolteacher, which is one reason why education ranked high on our family agenda. For years, one of my favorite slogans has been: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

I couldn’t be more proud of any organization I belong to.

Mackay’s Moral: If you want to be in the presence of greatness, spend an evening with a motivated student.

In a classic “Peanuts” cartoon, Charlie Brown says to Lucy, “I have a great fear of being boring.” Then in the next panel, Charlie says, “I also have a great fear of being bored.” Finally, Charlie turns to Lucy and asks, “What’s the most bored you’ve ever been?” And Lucy answers, “Besides right now?”

We’ve all faced boredom at one time or another. Routine tasks become drudgery. We need a change of scenery before we climb the walls. It gets harder and harder to get out of a rut.

My good friend Lou Holtz says, “If you’re bored with life -- you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things -- you don’t have enough goals.”

Don’t run the risk of being satisfied with the status quo if the status quo means same old, same old.

Advertising genius David Ogilvy famously said, “Nobody ever sold anybody anything by boring them to death.”

I couldn’t agree more. I always wrap up my speeches by saying, “Don’t be boring! Don’t be predictable!” Don’t ever pick up the phone again and call a client or a customer without having a sharp or humorous substantive opening and an idea how you’re going to end the conversation. Don’t give just another gift; make it surprising. Make it a WOW! Don’t ever send another letter out without giving it a lot of thought.

Conquering boredom and being creative often involves releasing your inner child. Newspaper columnist Lu Hanessian notes there is a strong, scientifically proven connection between positive childhood experiences -- imagination, creativity, play time and reflection -- and overall health in adulthood.

Science shows us that play and laughter promote the ability of the brain to rewire and change itself. Boredom can actually be the effect of a play deficit!

That’s another argument for incorporating some fun into work.

“Humor can make a serious difference. In the workplace, at home, in all areas of life -- looking for a reason to laugh is necessary,” said Steve Goodier, founder of Life Support System. “A sense of humor helps us to get through the dull times, cope with the difficult times, enjoy the good times and manage the scary times.”

But let’s face it; every organization has jobs that are necessary but boring. It can be tough to do those jobs. Managers are challenged to keep employees engaged and motivated when boredom sets in and they are counting the hours until they get off work.

Think of it this way: How many times do you open the refrigerator door over and over, hoping that something amazing will appear? And when it doesn’t, imagine how that compromises motivation to perform. Show your gratitude for the people who do the jobs that you wouldn’t care to do.

Acknowledge up-front that the work isn’t very exciting, but explain why it’s important. Emphasize how employees' work helps other people -- co-workers, customers and so forth. Give them a little leeway to make that job fun while still remaining professional.

Give them goals. Sometimes, a target can make work more interesting. Challenge employees in different ways: to greet the most customers, assemble the most widgets, count the inventory more accurately, etc. Offer a small reward to make the game more enticing. Help them see the future. Employees are more likely to stick with a job, even a boring one, if they see the possibility of moving into something better. Describe potential career paths, and tell your people what they need to do in order to move up.

Ask for feedback. Encourage employees to suggest ideas for making their work more interesting or productive. Implementing their ideas will show them that you value their opinions and take them seriously. They’ll also be more invested in making their own suggestions succeed.

And who knows? Those suggestions may be just the inspiration your organization needs to go from boring to roaring to soaring!

Mackay’s Moral: Before a bore becomes a chore or even a snore, think more about what you’re in business for!