Listening to my mentor Darren Hardy this morning. He mentioned 6 areas that make us unlikable:

Humble Braggart.

Throwing Tantrums or giving silent treatment when things don’t go your way.

Too Dogmatic/Self Righteous.

Picking up phone during conversation.

Focusing only on self during conversation.

Being too serious- Relax Man!

Listening to Andy Stanley this morning and he mentioned that Our direction, not intention will determine our destination. Who will you follow for direction in life? Behavior indicates direction and trumps intention every time.

We have been dealing with my son’s broken fibula over the past two weeks. He injured the leg while playing soccer. Our debate has been whether or not to have surgery. Since he would like to play soccer in college, we have decided to move forward with the surgery. This appears to be the best probability for success. It has been a challenging period which always brings me closer to God. It is my hope that my son grows closer to God and comes out of this experience with a renewed spirit.

My son Eli broke his fibula on Sunday and will need surgery. Although this is a set back, I must remember that God is for us because Jesus died for us not because things always work out for us. Leaning into his promises this week!

Just returned from a vacation with family in Florida. My best experience was when I played pickleball and golf with my boys. No phones or distractions just good ole quality time with my boys. It is indeed the simple things that carry most joy in life!

With all the different forms of social media around, it becomes more challenging to stick to your values. The comparison game can never be won and it can be depressing. One of my key reasons for starting a business was to be able to have the freedom to spend time with my wife and family especially during the formative years with my boys. Freedom over security continues to be a strong driver as maneuver around the obstacles of having a business.

I heard a great quote the other day- Let’s work toward building longer tables and not higher fences. This is especially true when you are looking to forgive. Keep an open mind and work hard to understand the other person’s point of view. Sharing a meal is a gateway to understanding.

I had the opportunity to visit Port Royal, VA on the 4th of July. I have driven by the small town many times, but never took the path to understand its history. I found out James Madison was born a couple miles away in Port Conway and John Wilkes Booth was shot and killed in Port Royal. The experience really instilled the need to dive deeper into my surroundings and with my relationships. Take the side road of life to uncover many new treasures!

I just read about Bill Russell one the basketball greats in this country. He was well known for throwing up before each game. The pressure was intense and you knew Bill was into it when he lost his dinner. The pressure to perform came be intense in any environment. My challenge is to keep my success scorecard in front of me each day to pay the rent that is due. Nobody from the outside will fuel my drive it must come from within.

Human emotions are a funny thing. I have been learning all week about Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak and did not put it into practice when talking to my son the other day about soccer. I did not realize what I did until I hung up the phone and felt terrible. It seems my guard comes down a lot faster when I interact with family. The positive aspect is that I realize this is happening and with God’s help will keep improving each day.