If you follow my Lead with a Story blog or podcast, you’ll know that last week I had professional comedian and self-described “humor engineer” Drew Tarvin on to talk about one of the most attractive parts of human nature — courage. This week I’m having him join me on my Parenting […]
Bob Woolley* had been running his Astronomical Adventures program in Arizona for several years. He gave tours of the Grand Canyon and other sites during the day, and at night his guests enjoyed tours of the night sky with his massive homemade telescopes. A tour of the Canyon On one […]
Giving some of what you have to those less fortunate is one way to think about charity. But what if you don’t have anything? Does that mean you can’t be charitable? Of course not. A beautiful example of that from Marvin Abrinica. When Marvin was growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, […]
We’ve all heard “It’s better to give than to receive.” But the relationship between giving and receiving is a bit like the relationship between a leader and a follower. Before you can be an effective leader, you have to learn to be a good follower. So it is with giving. […]
HERE’S A RIDDLE FOR YOU: You‘re driving along on a wild, stormy night and along the way you pass a bus stop. There are people waiting for the bus: an old lady who is about to die; an old friend who once saved your life; the perfect man or woman […]
Learning to be generous with what we have is difficult for most people. By nature we’re selfish. Our instincts drive us to find food, shelter, and clothing— not for strangers, but for ourselves and our immediate family. Nurturing compassion and generosity for others means demonstrating it through your own behavior, […]
As is true with many people, Shawn Callahan learned much about what he thinks about work from his earliest job. Only unlike most people, Shawn’s first boss was a former United States Marine, and his father. Shawn’s dad served in the Vietnam War, after which he was assigned a post […]
The psychologist most responsible for the study of grit, Angela Duckworth, defines it as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” It’s a combination of zeal and persistence even in the absence of encouraging feedback. So grit isn’t just about trying hard. Anyone can try hard . . . once. Grit […]
“Your word is your bond.” We say that to our children, but what does it really mean? Holly Getter can tell you. At the age of ten she had to stay up half the night doing math just to find out. Holly grew up in Rockford, Illinois, in a time […]
Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I have only been passionately curious.” Despite the obvious understatement, being passionately curious clearly does something for us as humans by paving a strong path to learning, which often leads to success. It’s akin to necessity being the mother of invention. […]