LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

Has anyone else out in the cyber universe noticed how increasingly violent and combative 'Black Friday' has become? I generally enjoy visiting various stores following the Thanksgiving holiday in search of various bargains, but each and ever year we are hearing reports of violence in stores as shoppers attempt to race against time to get an item before another. In some cases, the violence has nothing to do with sales or shopping at all. It isn't exactly the perfect picture of the unofficial start of the holiday season. The holiday season is supposed to be about kindness, sharing, giving, family, friends, etc. Certainly shopping for others is a part of giving, but the concept of kindness is lost on Black Friday as people are literally willing to push and shove their way through crowds to get what they want. What at one point in time was a very enjoyable, seasonable thing to do (shop for others for the holidays), is turning into something dangerous and selfish. The commer

As we enter the beginning of the traditional American holiday season, many people lose sight of the many individuals in our country that do not celebrate our traditional holidays. Along with this, and maybe more concerning, is that many people lose sight of the meaning behind our traditional holidays. There are many negative connotations that are connected with Thanksgiving due to the manner in which early settlers imposed their way of life and ideals on Native Americans; but, what can not be debated is the meaning of the word Thanksgiving. It's one of few words that when broken down into simpler terms completely makes sense. "Thanks" and "Giving". In our society today, our youth are increasingly losing sight of these words. Beyond just our youth, many adults have also become entitled and feel empowered to be disrespectful and selfish. The concept of working hard to earn a living, or to say "thank you" when someone does something nice for you is d

As we honor our military veterans today, this time of year has become a symbol to our country of the many women and men that we need to remember, recognize, and embody on a daily basis. Each year, the number of Veteran's Day celebrations throughout our country/region grow; as does the length of time that the recognitions occur for. Without a doubt, organizations throughout our nation are recognizing our veterans beyond the designated day; and the reality is that we should all be honoring veterans each and every day. Beyond the sacrifice that they have made to serve our country throughout their lives, our military veterans and members bring with them an approach to society and life that we should try to emulate. Being in the military is not something that is for everyone. That generally is because the military requires sacrifice, discipline, service above self, teamwork, and trust in others. Ironically, these very qualities are many of the same issues we see with society today.

The phrase, "choose your worlds wisely," has been around for most likely since the beginning of time. While the phrase has historically been used in situations where someone's words may get them hurt, I am referring to the phrase while we are in the comfort or confines of our own homes and in public places. People may wonder why I care? The answer is simple: on an increasing basis, our youngest children are coming to school using language (in context) that is hurtful and inappropriate. The spike in use of foul language by students as young as 5 needs to be addressed by all of us. As you know, students spend minimal time each week in school, which is why it is important that our homes and community areas are free of language that young children shouldn't be using. Children learn more through the actions and behaviors in their lives than they do at school. While schools work to instruct students on standards and information that is mostly based in academia, many beh