Each adversity Cindy and I worked through from early 2020 through late 2021, professionally and personally, brought its own degree of strain. And so did every single one that followed. Looking back on those, the common thread the hardest ones shared was the relationship we had with the people involv...
After eighteen months with very limited opportunities to earn a living and far too many challenges we’d have been happy to do without, a few quiet years of wide-open work to re-establish the momentum we had lost and rebuild our bank accounts would have been wonderful. Before I share what actually ha...
As I wrapped up our look at the seeds we can pull from the adversities involved with defending the vulnerable, I shared that Granny was nearly 97 years old when she passed away in August 2020. There’s always a degree of pain that comes with loss, but I was as grateful as anything; for the long life ...
Granny passed away on August 3, 2020; not from Covid or from a lack of care. Had it not been for the family who cared for her in their home, I’m not sure either of those could have been said. What I am sure of is that we would not have had the time with her through the final weeks of her life that w...
Earlier, I shared what John Maxwell taught me (and a group of a few hundred others) in 2015 about how one door can lead to another - and then another. The relationships we build, especially when we’re willing to invest the necessary time and energy into nurturing them, do the same. And influence fol...
More than any other adversity I can point to, dealing with the facility being paid to care for Granny through the first six months of 2020 - and being barred from even visiting her through most of that - gave me perspective for sympathy. In complete transparency, I’m developing some of that perspect...
After the sit-down with the organization’s CEO and nursing director, firmly (but still appropriately) calling bullshit on the social media post, and having routine direct conversations about our expectations for how Granny was cared for - as often as we could get someone to actually answer the phone...
Despite the tremendous concern and compassion I felt through so much of what we were attempting to work through with the team being paid (heavily) to care for Granny, I maintained all the self-control I could muster with hopes of displaying enough of a pleasing personality to earn at least adequate ...
Albeit years later, I remember seeing Granny’s black eyes like it was yesterday. I’m a fixer, sympathy has never really been something I’ve done well with. That said, I’ll let you guess at the emotions I was flooded with. Unless I’ve missed one unintentionally, we’ve looked at all eleven of Napoleon...
I can’t say I ever enjoyed doing incident investigations through all the years I spent in safety. That said, the investigations were much easier for me to stomach that providing direct care. I’m fine with seeing my own blood, give me a piece of duct tape and we’re good to go, but I might just pass o...
Global disruptions and sudden, system-wide chaos often feel overwhelming or like the complete erasure of hard-won progress, but when rooted in prior lessons of consistency, responsibility, and values-driven service, they forge adaptive resilience and a pleasing personality that earns influence even ...
I don’t think anyone could have predicted all that unfolded globally from March 2020 through the end of 2021. To that end, I could make a strong case in saying we’re still experiencing many of the ripple effects from all that today. And as I’ve stressed so many other times to this point, I’m certain...
