It’s been said that if we want to know a lot about a person’s character, just watch how he or she acts. But I’m here to tell you, if we really want to know about their character, watch how they react, because this is the real test. In these days of shades and pastels, it’s the best way on earth for us to see a person’s true colors. Sometime ago, I ran across a terrific article that was printed in the Readers Digest way back in 1960 titled “Do You…

There is a little six-letter word in the English language that has far more impact on people’s lives than most of us ever realize. The word is “mentor” and means “a wise and trusted teacher or guide.” This truth was brought home to me some time ago when my good friend Coach Dale Brown sent me some excerpts from a book by Joey Green titled, “Famous Failures.” Coach Brown and I have a wonderful relationship because we have a common bond: we both want to encourage others to be the…

While it is much too late to tell him in person, I am thankful and truly indebted to the late Dale Carnegie. This “icon” of the public speaking profession passed away back in 1955 in Queens, New York, but while he was here on earth for 66 years, he made a difference in the lives of thousands and thousands of people who took his famous Dale Carnegie Course. Born into poverty in 1888 in Maryville, Missouri, he overcame an unbelievably harsh childhood and early life to discover that success comes…

Our local CBS television affiliate station in Little Rock has a terrific theme. It’s called “We are better together.” Each time I watch this I am truly inspired, especially when my friend Craig O’Neill has the closing line and employs that tremendously expressive face of his to end the jingle with the words “we are better together.” As I thought about this, I realized that this is not only a “theme” but also a principle that any of us can use to make things better in our homes, our businesses,…

A few days ago one of my friends in another state sent me something titled, “It Can’t Be My Boy.” For many people, this contains a very sobering message. Since I started writing this column, I have learned that you can be “sobered up” without having ever been drunk. Unfortunately, too many people are “sobered up” by something that happens to a loved one that has far greater consequences than simply having too much to drink.             As I have gotten older, from time to time I look back over…

To be sure, life is an exciting adventure, especially if you are always looking for new and exciting things to do. Sometimes we find exciting things in the most unexpected places. This is certainly true for me, as I discovered something truly exciting this past week. I read a fantastic book titled, “Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life”, by Phil Moser. After reading this book, I wrote Phil a note saying that, “if the position of president of your fan club is open, I would like…

As many of my readers know, I am the founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. This project was started in 2005 because of the terrible problem of illiteracy we have in our nation. There are 42 million American adults who cannot read at level one, the fifth grade. If you have any idea of what life is like without being able to read, then you can understand the cascade effect of illiteracy on individuals with this challenge, and on society.             To be sure, this is a generational…

If you are up to it, today I have a true story to tell you about a pastor and his cat that will make you chuckle each time you think about it. As I write this, only a few days after the snow, ice and frigid weather conditions, I certainly need something that will bring a smile to my face, and I hope you do, too.             This story was told some time back by Dwight Nelson about the pastor of his church, and as I said, this story is…

The other day while reading an article in our local paper, I got a good chuckle. It was reported that some organization had conducted a study that children viewing violence on television produced more aggression when they became adults. I chuckled with the thought that I could have told them that and saved them all that time and money. Sometimes all we need is just some good old common sense and we would all be better off. Unfortunately, in some circles common sense seems to be in short supply. If…

As a young printing salesman in Little Rock, Arkansas, back in the late 1960s, I had the good fortune of working for a man by the name of Bert Parke. He was president of a printing company and very active in the community. I had spent the previous seven years in production with another printer, and had learned the business well. I had also inherited my father’s gift of gab, and Bert took a liking to me. Of course, it did not hurt that I was selling a lot of…