The Blog
THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH
There are a lot of life lessons that we should follow. Here is an interesting life lesson that was given to me by a wise old friend: In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a Roadway. Then he hid and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge...
Thinking of Others
I read on the internet the following important life lesson. It was titled: “Always Remember Those Who Serve” In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in...
Why Read. The Book Report
I can remember as if it were yesterday when I started to read books voraciously. I was in the 3rd grade and there were a series of books on famous people. Each book had a light blue cover and the titles were printed in yellow. The books were about...
Giving When It Counts
A friend of the family e-mailed me this life lesson: Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood...
The Cleaning Woman
A High School Fraternity Brother of mine sent me the following Life Lesson: During my first year of college, our professor gave the class a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: “What is the...
Early Lessons For Doing The Right Thing
I remember when I was about 8 years old, my father died. When my mother’s birthday arrived, I only had 56 cents in my savings box. I went to our local drug store to purchase a birthday gift for her. I could not find anything for my 56 cents. The pharmacist...
DOING THE RIGHT THING
Never take action when you’re angry. PopPops Additional Comment: I remember my Rabbi saying to me just before getting married: “Don’t go to sleep angry at your spouse”. I have tried to follow that precept and it has definitely worked for me. It is better to be shot...
HARD LESSONS – PART TWO
Be aware 360 Degrees – you never know from which direction the next accident will happen. PopPop’s Additional Comment. My car has a backside camera, which allows me to see who is coming in my direction on the back side of my car. My wife’s car has three cameras...
HARD LESSONS – PART ONE
Don’t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly. PopPop’s Additional Comment: By the time you read this life lesson, there should be an additional Life Lesson giving very good instructions on how to say NO. Learn to disagree without being...
PERSPECTIVES
See problems as opportunities for growth and self-mastery. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I think I have said this in another way in one of our other lessons, but: I will repeat it: “Problems are Opportunities in Disguise”. A couple of years ago I had to have hip...
FORMULAS FOR SUCCESS – PART TWO
Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly. Try to see all endeavors through to their conclusion—win, lose or draw. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I worked on a project for a banker. I spent a lot of time on the project and thought I had come up with a...
FORMULAS FOR SUCCESS – PART 1
Teach others – in the process, you will learn more about yourself. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I have given pretty complicated subject matter presentations at our industry’s annual convention. I do my research and prepare my outline for the presentation---And you...
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Always remember who you are, how you got there and those who helped you get there. Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things: (1) finding the right person and (2) being the right person. Hug children after you discipline them.
LESSONS TO LIVE BY – PART THREE
A person’s perception – is their reality. PopPop’s Additional Comment: Go back and read the parable titled “Blind Men”—it really explains this idea. Be there when people need you. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge...
LESSONS TO LIVE BY – PART TWO
Always do the right and fair thing. It’s a powerful concept. PopPop’s Additional Comment: My brother-in-law emphasized this lesson throughout his life. You probably have a friend or family member that follows this concept. Needless to say, this is a good habit to...
LESSONS TO LIVE BY – PART ONE
Let people know what you stand for – and what you won’t stand for. Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. In most cases, it is hard to tell the difference. Full disclosure (business or personal) is extremely important – work hard to get it. PopPop’s...
TRUTHFULNESS – PART TWO
Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life. Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you. Steve’s Additional Comment: Recently my son was playing basketball and tore his Achilles Tendon....
TRUTHFULNESS – PART ONE
Untruthfulness is a premeditated mistake. A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down the wrong path. What you see is not always what you get. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I’ll bet if you start thinking about this quote, you will agree...
REPUTATION – PART TWO
A handshake should always be good enough – reams of legal documents can be easily signed by bad people without good intentions. PopPop’s Additional Comment: Even as an attorney, I still wish that a handshake would be enough. When I started practicing law, there were...
REPUTATION – PART ONE
Your most valuable intangible asset (personal or business) is your reputation. Guard it carefully. This is kind of a sad story. When I was in Law School, I was given a senior law student to act as a mentor. They were called: “Big Brothers or Big Sisters”. They were...