Some of my favorite quotes on giving
With Christmas right around the corner, it’s easy to let the busyness of the season take our focus off of what’s really important. For me, one of my favorite parts of celebrating God’s gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the opportunity to give generously to the people I love. And I make it my…
Read MoreThe Marathon of Life
On Saturday I ran and completed the Kiawah Island Marathon. I must be a glutton for punishment because this was actually my 7th marathon. As I was running on Saturday I was thinking about the parallels between training for a marathon and running the race of life. Following are a couple of lessons that I’ve…
Read MoreFrom Tasting Luxury to Stopping Suffering: A Journey of Generosity
When bestselling French author Dominique Lapierre visited India to work on a new book, he wanted to travel in style. So he purchased a silver-and-black Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, and had the luxury car shipped to him in Mumbai. He crisscrossed the Indian subcontinent in the vehicle while researching and writing Freedom at Midnight. The book’s…
Read MoreAbundance: A Generous Helping
What makes a person generous? The answer is abundance. However, we misunderstand abundance if we think of it in terms of “having a lot.” In fact, as Ken Stern of The Atlantic reported in March 2013: “One of the most surprising, and perhaps confounding, facts of charity in America is that the people who can…
Read MoreNo Problem? No Progress!
“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.” — Theodore Rubin What’s your perspective on problems? Do you know in your head that they should be expected, but wish in your heart that they could just disappear? That’s how most people think…
Read MoreGiving Intentional Thanks
This Monday at The John Maxwell Company we had our annual “work family” Thanksgiving dinner. It was enjoyable, incredible, and phenomenal to say the least. What made it even more special were the people we had there. Although, the thought did cross my mind as I saw the turkey and dressing continue to diminish what…
Read MoreChange Your Thinking, Change Your Life
Can changing your thinking really change your life? Consider this: I’ve studied successful people for over forty years, and though the diversity you find among them is astounding, I believe they are all alike in one way: how they think! That is the one thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful. The good news…
Read MoreFinding Common Ground
Finding common ground with others can at times be challenging. One of my favorite chapters in all of John’s books is his chapter on “Connectors Connect on Common Ground” from Everyone Communicates Few Connect. In the realm of leadership, one way to connect with others and find common ground is by leading them according to…
Read MoreAvoiding Dead Air Time
Connecting is the leadership ability to identify with and relate to people in such a way that it increases your influence with them. Connecting demands constant attention on the part of the leader so that people stay tuned in to the vision, values, and priorities of the organization. The trick is to keep the connection…
Read MoreMaxwell Fundamentals: How I File
As a communicator, I’m often asked where I get all the great quotes, statistics, and stories that I use in my lessons and books. For over thirty years, I’ve always answered the same way: I get everything from my files! I learned a long time ago that if I was going to have something fresh…
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