One day while walking along Broadway in downtown San Diego I saw an older homeless man passed out next to the sidewalk. His face was smashed sideways into the curb and his pants were down around his ankles. And he wasn't moving. A group of other homeless guys circled around him and began debating whether or not he was still alive. "I think he's dead." "He's not dead." "He sure looks dead." Finally, one of them, a fellow I recognized as Marvin, took his walking cane and stuck it in the man's ribs. He groaned. "He's not dead." With that, they all walked away and just left him there. I thought “I bet being homeless wasn’t one of his life goals when he was in his 20s or 30s.” When his parents changed his first diaper, did they look into his face and hope that he would one day be…
Read More
I started this Thanksgiving morning the way I start nearly every morning: by making coffee in my French press. I'm usually up before the sun, turning on as few lights as possible -- easing into my day. For today's coffee, I chose home-roasted beans from Peru. Life is good. Sure, not everything in life is good. We face disappointments, downturns, and diseases. Difficult stretches sometimes seem to stretch on forever. We're reminded, "This too shall pass," but we're not told when or how. Not all of life is easy, or sweet, or good. Some things in life just stink to high heaven. But today, of all days, I'm choosing to have an attitude of gratitude. I'm grateful for ... My family -- past, present, and yet to come My health My faith My friends My future My hope My opportunities My abilities My encouragers My critics My dreams My coffee…
Read More
Let me say this on the front end: I am not a fan of opera. Music, that is. I actually like Opera the browser, but that's not the point. This story is about Luciano Pavarotti. Pavarotti is known as one of the best tenors of the modern era. Opera lovers (and guys like me) would readily acknowledge he had a clean, pure voice. At a pivotal point in his life, Pavarotti was trying to decide between pursuing a singing career or taking the safe route and becoming a teacher. He approached his father for advice. His father, a baker and amateur tenor himself, understood the young man's tension. He told Pavarotti he was trying to sit in two chairs -- the chair of singing and the chair of teaching. Then he said something that stuck with Pavarotti for the rest of his life: "Luciano, if you try to sit on…
Read More
I used the following quote in a recent sermon: "Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny." While the original source is not known (several possibilities exist according to Wikipedia), the point is clear: a person reaps what they sow (see Galatians 6). Here is how it works ... You have a thought. You have a choice about whether or not to entertain that thought. If you entertain the thought, you will eventually act on it. If you continue to act on the same thought, you will form a habit. The sum of your habits will shape your character. Your character will determine many of life's outcomes. Destinies are not built overnight. They are the accumulation of thoughts that turn into actions, which turn into habits, which turn into your character. If wish to alter…
Read More
Unless you're a flipper, most Synergistic Investments take time to make money. You invest and wait. And wait. Rather than pull your money when the market weakens, you wait. And wait. Good leaders know that maturity takes time. Today's World Series MVP once had a little league coach who had to help the kid tie his shoes. Teachers spend countless hours helping a child learn the basics of math. They may never see the CPA after that child's name. Sunday School teachers plant seeds that only mature with the passing of time. But knowing that not all investments mature over night does not stop a good leader. They continue to invest, spending time and energy with a person whose maturity will likely benefit someone else. Why does a good leader do this? The answer is simple: They themselves have benefited from someone else's investment. A coach, teacher, or people developer…
Read More