The reward of patience is... patience. St. Augustine discovered that a long time ago. He came to the understanding that life is a long, long journey and it is essential to become comfortable with the waiting.

In essence we have no choice but to be patient. Can we make the sun rise sooner?  the bus arrive more quickly?  the checkout line speed up?  our investments mature this month?

When our daughter was young she developed her own strategy for coping with anticipation. She told me once, "If I just go ... << MORE >>

On a hot summer afternoon, there is nothing quite like sitting under a canopy and feeling a breeze across sunburned skin. Goosebumps can appear if the air is cool enough. The wind is wonderful.

I imagine too what it must feel like to actually ride the wind. I mean face a strong wind full force, let it buffet me and ruffle my feathers. Let it force me backward with its strength. Rise up or drop down as the current allows. React and adjust and embrace the power that will, eventually , move me forward. The wind ... << MORE >>

Remember the morality tale about the sun and the wind?  They had a contest to see who could make the people remove their coats. The wind blew and blew, but people clutched their coats more tightly. The sun shone ever more brightly until the people became too warm and willingly took off their coats. The sun was the winner.

When change is required - in life, in business, in any organization - leaders can huff and puff and use their power and position to try to get folks to act. But in my experience ... << MORE >>

When do we have permission to "play?"  As adults it's difficult to justify taking a walk, lolling on the beach, and doing the recreative things that are part of living. As children we knew that if we did our homework and completed our chores it was playtime.

Sometimes my parents would  make even the work around the house into play. Raking leaves often included jumping into the piles. Pulling garden weeds could result in an impromptu picnic of ripe raspberries or grapes. My grandgirls put on music and "rock" while they pick up ... << MORE >>

Ever since I was little I was fond of iris. Mom called them "flags" - I think because the blossoms appeared around Flag Day in June. The variety of colors and shapes and sizes in iris are endless it seems, and once they settle in to an area, they spread and grow.

We have relocated a lot in my life, and each new home deserved its own iris bed. At least that was my thinking. So I would dig up my favorites as the moving van was being loaded and carry a box ... << MORE >>

We all look forward and see walls - obstacles to hopes and dreams. I was reminded this morning that rewards are often just beyond those walls.

In the small town where I grew up, some of the most beautiful gardens were hidden behind tall fences and iron gates. It was in these secret gardens that I spent some of my happiest childhood years - playing with dolls, having tea parties with friends, chasing lightening bugs.

When I went off to college we sang about those ...

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I grew up in a small Quaker town in New Jersey. Several of my close friends spoke using the traditional 'thee' and 'thou' when referring to me, which I thought quaint at the time. They explained that their language was a way of saying we are all part of each other.

Peter Senge and others have helped me understand that the concept of "thou" is vital to successful leadership in any organization.

Do we see our organization as a conglomeration of "departments" and divisions all vying for precious resources?  Do ... << MORE >>

Leaders know that we humans make decisions based on our mind-maps, those preconceptions based on our experience. With all the information our brains are processing moment to moment, they create physiological "short cuts" that keep us from reaching overload and shutting down. Over time we build pathways that smooth our path from information received  to decisions made.

Caller ID is the visible, tangible version of how this works. The phone rings. You look at the display. Based on your recognition of the name or number you make the choice to answer the phone...or not. ... << MORE >>

When I turned on the car and saw the oddly shaped icon lit up on the instrument panel, I did not panic. Really, I didn't. I did, however, calmly turn off the ignition switch, get out of the car and proceed to tighten the gas cap. That has always fixed it in the past; so I assumed that would do it this time.

When I turned the ignition switch again, the icon was still lighted. I looked at the buttons on the dashboard and began to push them....odometer....fuel guage....reset compass....oil level....traction control. Humph. ... << MORE >>

When I was very young, my grandmother died.

Our family was attending the community Christmas Carol festival and I was in the childrens' chorus.,  "Nanny" became ill. My parents escorted her home, and I was left at the concert in the care of our next door neighbors. When I arrived home later that evening, Nanny was dead.

All the happy holiday traditions of baking cookies and wrapping packages seemed to be "chores" after that.
One Christmas in elementary school, I remember asking my teacher not to ... << MORE >>