January 12, 2024

March 16, 2018

I started writing these weekly messages on March 16, 2018. That makes 302 Friday Thoughts in the books. And with today’s message and the first one of 2024, that makes 303. What I have learned over these last five+ years is that all things will pass. Difficult times – and times of great success – pass us by, always changing. I’ve also come to the conclusion that focusing on the past is never a good idea. However, knowing where you come from and what it took to get you to where you are today are critical components for continued success. […]
January 5, 2024

I’m proud of you.

‘A young man, 24 years old, successful, hard-working. He went to dinner with his grandparents one evening at their request. The three of them sat down at the table, ordered drinks, and started chatting. Soon, the waiter came by to check-in. But no one was ready to order just yet. As they continued their conversation, the Grandmother asked the young man what motivated him to work so hard. “You really want to know?” the young man responded. “Yes, of course,” she replied with a big smile on her face. “I want to make you and Grandpa proud of me,” the young […]
December 29, 2023

Product or Progress?

Product or Progress? When Steve Jobs came up with the idea for the iPhone, was he looking for the next phone? The next minicomputer? The next big Apple product to sell? Or was he trying to advance civilization? Was his fire stoked by trying to improve how we lived and worked? Or just profits and getting rich? Was Jobs focused on the product or on progress? When we head to the gym, the health food store, or, for that matter, to our therapists, nutritionists, or doctors, are we concerned with the products or services they offer? Or is our sole […]
December 22, 2023

Just Ask!

“Thanks so much for coming up today,” Tim said. “My pleasure,” I replied, having flown up just to meet with him. “It’s always so much better to meet in person. ‘Get to know you and you, me,” he said. “I agree.” Never having met him before and chatting over the phone a few weeks earlier, I was curious as to why he had asked me to fly all the way here to meet this morning. He dove right in. “So, I have gifted $150 million to our IDGT, and my wife has done the same. We have also purchased in our trust […]
December 15, 2023

Why me?

“Morris is getting worse,” he said. Michael wept while sharing the news. “He remains unable to speak. I’m concerned that as he gets older, we will need to place him in an institution. I don’t think we’ll be able to manage this much longer.” “And Aimee is so sweet,” explaining how his daughter was trying to help despite her own serious issues. “But with her C.P., she will need back surgery to fix a problem she has with her spine.” “I also worry about how the world will treat her,” he went on. “She is beginning to become aware that she is […]
December 8, 2023

Lessons from Arnold.

I have been reading (yes, me reading!) the book Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s just amazing what this man has done with his life. What stands out among many themes is how Arnold blames no one for anything. According to his philosophy, you get what you get and build what you make of your life. In one of the chapters, Arnold speaks about his life, dealing with his father, and his challenges. He reveals how he chose (and still chooses) not to allow those things to impact who he is. He talks openly about the fact that many of […]
December 1, 2023

Thanks Given.

Well, another Thanksgiving in the books. This one had extra special meaning for me. It marks the second year in our new home and new town. It’s been a year very much in transition, both professionally and, in many ways, personally. I can honestly not think of a year where I thought more about my mortality than this one. ‘Seeing my children continue to grow and mature, watching what they do and how they think about things. And how we influence those behaviors, good and bad. I’ve thought a lot about how different my life has turned out than what I had […]
November 24, 2023

Things never get easier – you just get stronger.

Remember life before 9/11? You could travel without taking off your shoes. The flight attendants would make REAL food for you on the plane. They could carve meat with a real knife, and the silverware was, well, silver! Then it all changed. We had to take our shoes off. Plastic forks and knives. Limits to what you can and cannot take on the plane. Heightened security everywhere. But then, relatively quickly, we saw innovations spring forth. There was Clear. Then, TSA Pre-Check.  (Yes, Clear was before TSA Pre-check!) We could pay for services, both private and governmental, to help make […]
November 17, 2023

Potential

There is nothing worse than unused potential. The idea that one can do and be so much more yet chooses not to. I’m not saying that everyone has to strive for total optimization like some machine, and you definitely have the right to be exactly who you want to be. But wouldn’t it be so much more fulfilling to see what you really CAN be? To push those limits and see what you can do? Maybe try your hardest and leave it all out there, even just once. By pushing far out of your comfort zone, you might just show […]
November 10, 2023

Stressed or Depressed?

Are you stressed or depressed? Words that sound so similar but have very different meanings. Or do they? How often have you said, “Man, I am so stressed?” Now think about this for a second: how often have you said, “I feel so depressed.” Or “I am so sad today and don’t know why.” Probably never. Very seldom do we (people in general) sit with our feelings. Instead, we’re always moving on to the next thing or simply saying to ourselves, “I’ll deal with that later.” We may even subconsciously treat an admission that we’re depressed or feeling something as […]
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