The Journey of the Heart continues as I share once again the story of the Christmas I spent in Iraq in 2004. My Christmas in Iraq was cold and scary, warm and sacred. Few experiences have touched my heart as deeply as that Christmas. As we remember those serving our country around the world, and as you remember your own loved ones who are unable to be home for Christmas, it seems fitting I share this story again. Of all…
I recently had an insightful conversation with our son Clint that sparked my contemplation about the legacy and future of Red Edge Mentoring. We are now seven years into this bold adventure of “Empowering Leaders to Create a More Intentional Life.” It’s been a wonderful journey filled with trials and challenges, triumphs and successes, and plenty of experiences living our promise to keep getting back up. The last two years after my heart surgery took a toll on business. While I…
Cora Howes was the old and frail white-haired widow who lived just around the corner from where I grew up. Her house was very small with only a small front room, one bedroom, and a tiny kitchen between the two. At some point, a bathroom was squeezed into the mix when indoor plumbing replaced the outhouse. The only source of heat during the cold winters was a small wood stove. My dad taught me it was my job to make…
Perhaps the most well-known Thanksgiving Day promotion ever pulled off was in 1978 by the fictional radio station WKRP in Cincinnati. Station General Manager Arthur “Big Guy” Carlson, in an attempt to exercise some kind of assertion over the “casually dressed people [who] seemed to think they have taken over the place”… now that the station had converted to rock-n-roll… cooked up the “greatest turkey event in Thanksgiving Day history.” Mr. Carlson’s “greatest turkey event” was to give away live…
Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings, delicious meals, and celebrations. And for me, on five separate occasions, Thanksgiving has been a significant time of coming home. COMING HOME FROM WAR I remember first my homecoming from Iraq on November 18, 2005. The day was the Friday before Thanksgiving that year. The year I spent in Iraq was challenging, heartbreaking at the loss of life, rewarding for the bonds of friendship. I grew to love the men I worked with as brothers….
Four powerful coaching conversations this past week have unveiled the crystal clear results that can be achieved when you focus on being an Intentional Leader by using the Red Edge Mentoring foundational Power of Three principles of Vision, Strategy, and Promise. CREATING A VISION Finding clarity (even foggy clarity) on your vision for life will empower you to better know 1) the vision you want to create, 2) why this vision is important, and 3) who you want to be…
Finding the perfect equilibrium between work and personal life often proves to be a challenging endeavor. The idea of achieving absolute equality in the distribution of time, focus, and energy is indeed a lofty aspiration. Through my journey, I’ve come to understand that the key lies in honing a clear vision for one’s life. Embracing the core elements of the Power of Three – What Matters Most, What’s In My Control and Influence, and What I Love and Enjoy –…
As Elisa and I went for a walk through the misty fog last Friday morning, the world seemed to be wrapped in a soft, gentle blanket of calm. While the usual landmarks were partially obscured, there was a peculiar beauty in the uncertainty. The experience recalled a recent conversation in my Empowering Greatness Leadership Mastermind group when I shared the concept that “Clarity Creates Confidence.” During our discussion, Paul White, one of our members and owner of Cache Valley Cabinets…
Michelangelo, one of the most esteemed artists of all time, gifted the world with his masterpiece – the sculpture “David”. The brilliance of this art piece lies not only in its exquisite detail and palpable emotion, but also in the process that Michelangelo undertook to create it. The artist is famously rumored to have said… “I created a vision of David in my mind and simply carved away everything that was not David.” While the authenticity of this quote has…
Yesterday marked two years since my first ER visit for my heart. And it marks the beginning of the many miracles over the next seven weeks that kept me alive while we figured out what was going on, eventually resulting in open heart surgery for a triple artery bypass procedure (as you can see in the photo). As I ponder and reflect, I am deeply filled with love and gratitude for God whose tender mercies allowed me to live, helped…