Category Archives: Self-improvement

It was a great travel week. The type I haven’t had in a while. Two years to be exact. Pre-COVID, I would travel about twice a month somewhere in our operational footprint of PA, OH, MD, WV, NC, SC, VA, and Washington DC. It enabled me to serve my teammates and clients with excellence asContinue reading “Key Lime Pie”

The more and more I reflect on my recent trip to Switzerland, I realize how much the country, culture, and people touched me. It’s now in my top 3 places to retire. I spent most of my time in Montreux, a town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It’sContinue reading “Swiss Stewardship”

Imagine a place where nobody throws stones. Where everything said or done is to build up, not break down. To help, not hurt. To support, not accuse. Where there is no gossip. No making fun of others. No harmful words that cut like a knife. Where there’s no pointing fingers. No getting even. No eyeContinue reading “Throwing Stones”

Consider whether you will make love a priority this day. Are you zealous to defend the truth because you like to win arguments, or are you motivated primarily by love for lost or hurt people? It is more important to be right when you argue with someone else, or do you seek to treat themContinue reading “Love as a Priority”

I don’t recall when I first heard the quote. It was at least 25 years ago. It made so much sense, however, I did not truly appreciate it, at least enough to put it into practice. I was too young, too naive, and too focused on myself. As I received yet another InMail message (LinkedIn’sContinue reading “The Golden Rule(s)”

I am imperfect. No matter how hard I try, I simply can’t get it right. Despite my best efforts, I somehow find a way to make someone unhappy with me. It makes me sad, but it doesn’t make me want to quit. In fact, after I allow myself to grieve, I am motivated to learnContinue reading “Neighbor, You Can Count on (Imperfect) Me”

Any given day, I encounter people who are homeless. When I drive home from my office on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, I pass 3-5 homeless people with signs asking for help. They are usually situated at intersections with traffic lights. When the light is red, I usually feel awkward. Do I make eye contact?Continue reading “Small Acts of Mercy”

How do we become more resilient over time? Without challenges, without stress, our resilience is not tested. In 2007, my children’s resilience was low. In 2022, they are two very resilient young adults. Simply stated, resilience is the capacity to recover from difficulties. In the professions of engineering and construction, resilience is the ability toContinue reading “Neighbor-Zone Resilience”

Each and every one of us was created and redeemed for a big noble purpose. Deep down inside, we crave to become who we’re meant to be. We have trouble putting it into words and we have difficulty seeing it clearly, however, we feel it. That’s the one big task we have to do inContinue reading “Big Noble Purpose”

There are some problems for which the solution is a win-win for everyone. However, they are rare. The most significant solutions are win-lose. Someone is going to lose in the short run. That’s the problem of life. You’re going to lose more often than you win. How one handles those losses make the difference inContinue reading “Get in the Neighbor-Zone”