Tag Archives: Wisdom

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The Impact of a Mother ~ From a Variety of Perspectives

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I am not a mother.  However, as Mother’s Day approached this year, I thought of multiple conversations I’ve had with mothers over the past few years.

  • Conversations with new mothers that are in the midst of raising little children and have no time for themselves.
  • Conversations with stay at home mothers that feel like they are frequently treated as if they are less intelligent, less creative, or have less to contribute to our world because they don’t have a full-time job outside of the home.
  • Conversations with mothers in blended families, as they work to be peacemakers that are consistent, fair and explainable in all they do.
  • Conversations with mothers that are a guiding light when their families go through trememdous change.
  • Conversations with mothers that haverecently lost a child.
  • Conversations with mothers that are raising children with cognitive challenges, health issues, mental health challenges…

As I think about the mothers and grandmothers I admire, these traits float to the top:

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What special needs families taught me about comfort zones

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A few years ago my sister adopted a 3-year old little boy that was born addicted to meth.  He had been in and out of foster homes, diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome, had abandonment issues and could not speak.

That sister lives in another state and I don’t get to see her often.  When we spoke about her new son’s challenges,  the challenges the family faced, and the special moments they were beginning to experience… I found myself wanting to I understand more.

Shortly after the adoption, I moved to a new city and met a family with an adult daughter with cognitive challenges.

It was at that time that I realized that although I was always mentally supportive of families and children with special needs and nice to them, I was also uncomfortable simply because I did not know how to fully engage with them.  Was it okay to ask questions?  Or would that be offensive?  What behavior did you need to accept and love and what behavior should you coach and correct?

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Strong Organizational Foundations Are Rooted In Timeless Truths

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I deeply believe that strong organizational foundations are rooted in timeless truths.

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In the midst of demanding schedules we can easily lose sight of the little things that will either strengthen our organizations or destroy them.

The quotes in the slideshow below have been woven together as a treasure map.

Read carefully and you will discover the secrets for strengthening your organization right now.  

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Brokenness Creates Humility, Thankfulness Sustains It

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Yesterday I gave a presentation and shared a painful story from our lives and some of the lessons we learned, hoping to make a difference for even one person.  

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Two specific lessons I shared were:

  • Brokenness can serve as a catalyst to humble us and make us whole again.  
  • Thankfulness is the key to continuing that evolution.    

Tonight I realized that September 11th is just around the corner.  That date, always makes me think of where we were on the day our nation will never forget…  My husband was at work in Houston.  I was on a business trip in Phoenix. I turned on the television in my hotel room as the plane hit the second tower and wondered if I had tuned into a movie instead of the news.  When the Pentagon was hit, I realized everything was real and wondered if this was the start of WW III.  

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Organizational Growth: From The Inside Out

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There are two ingredients in successful organizations: Smart & Healthy.

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It is almost impossible to build a competitive advantage

based on knowledge because it is too easy to copy. 

Very few organizations are healthy enough to tap into the knowledge that is there.

~ Patrick Lencioni

The truth in this quote is so powerful that I can’t stop thinking about it.

How many organizations do you know that are desperately seeking solutions and yet continually ignore the wisdom of their customers, their employees and the opportunities within their own culture?