Archives

Power. It’s something we all want, but too few of us realize we already have.... more

People try many things in life that just don’t work, things related to career, health or life in general. They may be doing everything right and listening to advice and counsel, but not getting result... more

Clifford finally decided to go to a psychiatrist to see if he could get help with his decision-making problem.... more

When I was just starting out in the early days of my career, I faced numerous rejections. During job interviews, sales pitches and attempts to secure funding, rejection was a constant companion. It wa... more

A 4-year-old actress was appearing in a movie with an aging, crotchety star. One day, the star came on the set made up to the nines, and the little girl said to her, “Gee, you look so nice.”... more

In my favorite comic strip, “Peanuts,” Charlie Brown is walking off the baseball field with Lucy, his head down and totally dejected. Charlie says, “Another ball game lost! Good grief! I get tired of ... more

In business, you can view yourself in two ways -- as a worker or an entrepreneur.... more

An old story involves a beautiful woman named Cornelia who was married to a famous Roman general. When the general was killed in battle, Cornelia had to sell most of her property and valuable possessi... more

A monk decided to meditate alone, away from his monastery. He took his boat out to the middle of a lake, dropped anchor and closed his eyes to begin his meditation.... more

Ronald Reagan was 69 years old when he ran for President in 1980. Despite continual criticism, he won the election and never passed up an opportunity to use humor when referring to his age.... more

I’ve learned over the years not to try to keep up with others; someone will always have more. To drive this point home, I always ask: Do you know what happens when you catch up with the Joneses? They ... more

Our lives basically change in three ways; through the people we meet, the places we travel and the books we read.... more

A little girl came home from her first day at school and proudly exclaimed, “Mom, I was the brightest one in my class today!”... more

A political candidate’s wife dropped heavily into an easy chair at home, kicked off her shoes and sighed, “Boy, what a day. I’ve never been so tired in my life.”... more

The famous British author W. Somerset Maugham liked to tell this story about a young priest of St. Peter’s Church in London, who after discovering that the church’s janitor was illiterate, fired him.... more

A mouse who lived near a farmhouse saw the farmer set a mousetrap one day. Terrified, he ran outside shouting, “Help! Help! There’s a mousetrap in the house!”... more

A woman working in a meatpacking plant went into the freezer toward the end of her shift one day. Unexpectedly the door closed and locked, trapping her inside.... more

Jack Roy aspired to be a professional comedian. However, audiences didn’t find him funny. He was even fired as a singing waiter and gave up show business, taking a job selling aluminum siding to suppo... more

A small-business owner was in trouble with her sales, so she decided to call in an expert to give her an outsider’s viewpoint. After she had gone over her plans and problems, the business owner took t... more

There once was a farmer who won the award for the best wheat in the county every year. One day a woman asked him the secret to his success. He told her that the key is to share his best seeds with his... more

A sergeant in charge of the new recruits ordered: “Soldiers, when I blow the whistle, I want you to shoot at will.”... more

A city mouse went on a visit to his cousin in the countryside. The cousin welcomed him with a modest meal of beans. The city mouse turned up his nose and said, “I cannot understand how you can live wi... more

There are some people who spend their entire lives working with an attitude not unlike Snoopy, the cherished “Peanuts” cartoon character. Snoopy sat droopy-eyed at the entrance of his doghouse lamenti... more

Nordstrom department store built its legendary customer service reputation on the story of a man who returned a set of tires to a store and received a refund, even though Nordstrom doesn’t actually se... more

His baseball team was behind by one run in the ninth inning; two were out and the bases were loaded. He was the leading hitter on the team. The crowd sat on the edge of its seat as he approached home ... more

A prominent New York critic was leaving the theater after a Broadway opening and met the producer in the lobby. The latter took one look at the critic’s suit, which was rumpled as usual, and said with... more

Bill was taking an aptitude test to become an insurance salesperson. Everything was going well until question 21. It read, “How far is the Earth from the moon?”... more

A group was hiking through the mountains when they found themselves engulfed by smoke from a forest fire. The smoke obscured all landmarks. They were starting to panic when one of them said confidentl... more