Dani and Jay Herbert

12/15/2017

12/14/2017

Recently I have heard and seen "leaders" talk in public forums about how they invested time, money or even just head space in people or that they received recognition/gifts because they invested the time, were present or because of something they did.
Now I am not saying that recognition or believing you're great is bad ...quite the opposite. However, what ever happened to being silent, being gracious or allowing the spotlight to shine completely and I mean COMPLETELY on someone else? Since when do we have to broadcast that we have done something for someone?
If you or I were to look back at some of the greatest leaders of our generation, you would see something in common...they led from behind, they removed the attention from them and they applauded their student, member or team leader from the heart. Leadership is not about justifying why people should listen to us, yelling to the mountain tops that we are great or pumping up our self-esteem...it's about building up someone else's life so they can see their own change take place and in turn change the lives of others. If we, as parents, as co-workers, teammates and as friends, are to get back to creating true value in society, we MUST focus on understanding that true leadership doesn't always provide immediate gratification and that's part of the process of being a leader.
We all have it in ourself to do it...TODAY. So I ask myself, why do so many not choose to?
In the end, when our time has passed and we have left this place, we can only hope that our impact is felt because we touched someone's heart and not because WE SAID WE DID!

12/08/2017

We all have bought or received gifts. Sometimes paying a little or lot (sometimes they paid a little or a lot...at least we hope it was a lot, LOL!) only to not use them after a while, give them away or not have any long term impact from them. Can you relate?
If so, here's some insight from some of the most successful people in the world and what gifts had the most impact on them. Some will shock you. And in the end, isn't giving more about how it makes something feel? And the longer the impact the better, right? Have fun shopping.

Below, 100+ world-class performers all answer the question “What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?” There are some real g…

12/06/2017

"A friend is not someone that you check their status;
Your network is not on LimkedIn;
A conversation doesn't happen on a blog; and
You can't have a discussion on Twitter." - Simon Sinek

These are basic human requirements and we can't fulfill them on Facebook or any other social platform. Somewhere along the way, with all the great technology, we have lost the ability to build TRUST with others because we don't get to know their values and more importantly what they believe in. Can we truly get excited by receiving a text or email?

Maybe I'm naive to think that we can find the same type of connection we once had before our phones became our best friends. Maybe I'm just hopeful. Hopeful that despite today's overwhelming reliance on the web for info, we can have more interaction with others in our physical space so we can be truly inspired by them and what they stand for. Not because we see a post about them. If we don't, the next generation will be so far removed from each other that the fun Disney movie "Wall-E" will be their reality. A Future where people talk to screens instead of the people beside them. We deserve more...they deserve more.

12/05/2017

The average person seeks to be inspired by others while the successful person seeks to inspire others. The only difference between both people is how they view themselves. Make a decision TODAY to believe that you have greatness in you, that you don't have to dig up all the circumstances/bad stuff that conditioned you and that you can ACT as POWERFUL person you are. You see, all of us have the gift to lift up those around us...all we must do is BELIEVE!

12/01/2017

It's easy to get caught up in life so pause & appreciate those closest to you. They are what matters most.

12/01/2017

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Joe, who happened to be a volunteer for the Salvation Army. As we talked, I learned that he had been with the organization for 20 years, worked with the Lions club for 15 years before that and as a mason, he now also gives rides for Cancer patients. When I asked him, "Why he still helped out as much?" He said,"there doesn't seems to be anyone to fill my shoes."
As we continued to talk, we discussed how the younger generation weren't coming out and lacked the desire to volunteer. How it seemed they were looking to get paid for helping out and how their desire to have fun or do something else created less of a sense of responsibility to make a difference in the community. Having volunteered for so long, I couldn't help but listen to this older gentleman who's experience was something to learn from. When I mentioned that there were more causes then ever before and that one of many reasons for the challenge, he agreed but promptly added, "there are more people having a tougher time." How could I disagree? We both recognized that life is speeding up and for various reasons, time seems to be scarce. However, we both know that everything comes down to a priority and he believes that his town, as a whole, has lost some of the giving spirit.
As we parted, I thanked him for the conversation and wished him a great Christmas. Walking away, I asked myself if I was doing enough. Dani has volunteered her time this year to two initiatives, me to one and I coach youth basketball but is it enough? I don't have an answer for the dilemma we face on the volunteer front. With an aging populations, illness on the rise and families juggling work and kids activities, who knows whether there will be people to replace the great stewards who have helped out their respective communities for so long. In the mean time, if you can volunteer, lend a helping hand at the local mission this Christmas or find a cause that fills your heart, please get started because it's up to us to carry on the great example laid out by so many like Joe.

11/29/2017

It's not easy being a parent of a teenager. It's also not easy watching someone you love struggle with anxiety or depression, especially a young person. Here's a great article giving some clear cut suggestions on how you and we can foster a better environment for their future healthy lives.

5 key ways you can help restore peace and balance

11/28/2017

A change can seem scary at first, especially if we don't believe it's possible. But what's even scarier is looking back a year from now and regretting that we never started. So don't look back and start moving forward. Your dreams are waiting for you to reach them.

11/22/2017

We're all works in progress so how about making today about falling in love with the small victories and less about trying to do it all right away.

11/16/2017

Did it happen to you? Told to work on your weaknesses, improve your shortcomings or critqued on what you didn't do well instead of what you were good at? People might have meant well along the way but I believe that we were given the wrong sale of goods on how best to maximize who we were. Today things have changed and here's 3 reasons why:
1. By definition, no one is good at everything. Sometimes, we just suck at something. It's a competitive arena we play in so why would we want to handicap ourself?
2. Have you ever worked at something you weren't good at and it left you frustrated...drained you? When you have no energy, you can't attract any greatness in, whether it be business, relationships or your family.
3. You only have limited resources, let alone limited time, so you need to maximize your potential.
I am not saying work ethic and overcoming a challenge is not a necessity when developing resolve. It's definitely required but it should be done on the strengths that grow confidence and uniquely separates you from anyone else. thus giving you leverage in today's world to pursue what truly fuels your heart.

11/15/2017

Our greatest commodity is time and having it is priceless.