Counting The Cost Of A Career

By Jim Langley A business article in the Los Angeles Times caused me to do some research on the new CEO for a major airline. Within six weeks of taking on this position, the top executive had been hospitalized after suffering a serious heart attack. Months later, while on leave of absence, he received a heart transplant. The article stated that not long after his transplant surgery, this CEO had decided to return to work full-time with the long, arduous hours and extensive travel needed to turn the struggling airline around.

Feeling Badly When We Have It Good

By Jim Mathis More than 20 years ago, the September 14, 1992 issue of Forbes magazine carried an article entitled, "Why Do We Feel So Bad When We Have It So Good?" I kept the issue because there has not been a time since then, or at any time before for that matter, when this has not been the case. For some reason we have a tendency, even at the best of times, to moan and groan about things being or becoming bad.

Working, Playing Through The ‘Fourth Quarter’

By Jim Mathis In watching sports, whether American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, or even auto racing, one thing becomes obvious: You have to play all four quarters, periods, innings or halves, whatever they are called. It is good to be leading your opponent in the first portion of the contest, but you still have to play the entire game. More often than not, the last minutes of a game - or in baseball, the final inning - are important. Sometimes the final seconds, or the last at-bat, determine the outcome.

Communicating A Clear Vision

By Rick Boxx Not long ago Steve, a friend of mine, was asked, "If you started your business over again, what would you do differently?" Steve answered quickly and decisively: "I would immediately clarify the vision, mission, and values of the business and constantly communicate it to staff."

Do You Like The Person You Have Become?

By Ken Korkow Can you remember when you were 18-22 years old, before you became established in your business or professional career – and how you viewed the older generation? The attitude varies from culture to culture, but younger people often regard their elders with skepticism. Young adults smugly think that within just a few years they will be showing their older, more experienced counterparts the way things really should be done.

Attitude Can Make All The Difference

By Rick Boxx Sometimes enlightenment comes at unexpected times. A while ago I had a very bad experience while visiting a national fast-food restaurant. The eating area was very dirty, desperately in need of a thorough cleaning. The restaurant staff seemed indifferent and unfriendly, and I found myself wondering, "What is wrong with this place?"

Finding Help When You Are Feeling Lonely

By Robert D. Foster Several years ago I awoke at 2 a.m. with waves of loneliness sweeping over me. This was a new experience and emotion for me. Marion, my wife of 53 years, was dying in a hospital with complications from Alzheimer's disease. An ancient writer expresses my "furnace blast" in the Psalms: "I am like a pelican in the wilderness; I am like an owl in the desert; I lie awake and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop" (Psalm 102: 6, 7).