When Aspirations Exceed Abilities
Leaders can struggle when aspirations exceed abilities. Effective leaders tend to bite off more than we can chew. It’s a common occurrence in the minds of us who aspire to do more and be more. Rainy Day at the Beach My family and I traveled to Panama City, Beach this past weekend. It was a larger group than normal as Grant brought my nephew and Ashtyn brought two of her friends. Five teenagers was an experience! One day, it rained for the better part of it. I offered to take the girls to Starbucks and Barnes and Noble to get them out of the condo until the weather
The Intersection of Civility
We have arrived at the intersection of civility as a country, faced with a decision of where to turn. The road to civility is congested with toxic pollutants that are suffocating our ability to treat each other as human beings. Critical junctures of the path forward are flooded with undercurrents of conflict so deep that it seems no bridge could possibly span it. A Historic Saturday I very rarely write about current events, much less politics. As an American, it is hard to ignore the happenings of this past weekend. A former United States President and current candidate for the office was less than an inch away from
The Powering of Pace
What are the sources behind the powering of pace? Pace can supply our energy through momentum while at the same time depleting it through imbalance. It ultimately determines the speed of progress. Baseball Break Our son, Grant went straight from Wrestling, to his Junior Varsity baseball season, to our travel team. Weekends for the 2024 calendar year have been at a premium. It has been a high pace. Our daughter, Ashtyn is a soon to be Senior. She has been to church camp, maintains a social life, and gets the most out of her gas tank. Mix in Shannon and I’s work responsibilities, it is a busy season
Confined to Captivity
What keeps leaders confined to captivity? Confined to spaces and places that restrict us from making forward progress. Captive to the things that keep us from getting outside of the proverbial box. The Dugout Our travel baseball season wrapped up this weekend in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. We played in the Ripken Experience, a tournament facility co-founded by Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. and his brother Billy Ripken. They desired to create a tournament program that honored the fundamentals that their father taught them growing up. It was the second year that we had taken the boys there. It’s always a great experience and professionally run.
The Bounce of the Ball
Sometimes the bounce of a ball can determine our futures. Something or someone redirects our journeys. It Interceders our lives. Basketball vs Wrestling I grew up playing multiple sports. Up until my seventh-grade year, I played football and baseball. That year, I picked up a basketball for the first time. I caught onto the game quickly and enjoyed playing it. In eighth grade, through PE class, I got into the sport of wrestling. I caught onto that sport quickly as well and enjoyed participating in it. That eighth-grade year, I was able to play both. When I got to high school the following year, I had to choose
Better Than Me
“Better than me”…every father’s ultimate aspiration for their child. An instinctive ambition that supersedes everything else. A level to which one would sacrifice every bit of personal happiness, joy, and success so that their children can lead a better life than they did. Father’s Day Here is the dilemma I face every Father’s Day, to write about it or not write about it. Why? It’s very easy for me to write about Fatherhood because dad is my hero. I could not have a better example to emulate than he. Anytime I write, I strongly desire for it to be relatable. The struggle with making a specific topic like
Restless Nights
Restless nights come with the territory of leadership. Restlessness can be set in motion from projects, tasks, and people consuming one’s mind. Leadership minds are constantly burdened, always running in the direction towards problems and potential solutions. One of the greatest struggles of a leader is to find quality rest. Theoretically this rest should come at night when the world slows down. Maybe you can relate, but for me the challenge is when the world slows down, my mind picks up the pace. It creates the space and place for all that was done, is being done, and what is to be done to awaken in my mind.
Under Construction
Leaders are always under construction. Demolishing ways of the old, building on established foundations, and finding innovative ways to build the future of the world. It is a constant, never-ending process for those that desire to grow. Lincoln Memorial Last week, I wrote about my daughter Ashtyn and I’s trip to Washington, D.C. We squeezed everything we could into three days and two nights. Our goal was to see as many of the memorials as time would permit. Day one started at the National Mall with a long walk to the Lincoln Memorial. It is one of my all-time personal favorites. When we arrived, the memorial was
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery conjures up two unique feelings when you visit, solemn and majestic. Few places qualify for that combination. It is one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth. It offers a place for deep personal reflection and a deeper appreciation for others. Daddy Daughter Trip Shannon and I have always been intentional about creating experiences for the kids. Our daughter, Ashtyn, just wrapped up her Junior year of high school. The real world awaits her one year from now! Back in March, the two of them went to New York City, New York for a few days. I chose Washington D.C. for
Tearing It Down
Tearing it down is easier than building things up. The process of tearing things down requires demolition, destruction, and ultimate disposal into a barren wasteland. Building things up requires patience, planning, and execution. The Tree House This past weekend we tore down the tree house I built for the kids about twelve years ago. It was a labor of love constructed for Ashtyn and Grant to create memories in and build life-long friendships in. From concept to completion, the project took about four months. It started with a pencil sketch on a scratch sheet of paper developed from some solid guidance from my Paw Paw. The tree house