“Cur Non” means “Why Not.” It is a famous quote by Marquis de Lafayette and is a motto at Lafayette College, my alma mater, named after the French hero of the American Revolution. When the 19-year-old Marquis de Lafayette asked the King of France to finance his journey to assist in America’s fight for freedom, …
Pretty much everyone from the Pittsburgh area will know exactly what the phrase “redd up” means. Everyone else is likely confused. Redd up has its roots in a Middle English verb “redden”, which meant to rescue or free from, or to clear. It came to America with European immigrants who settled here. From my strong …
When I was developing content for my first role as a High School Football and Character Coach, I sketched out 50 separate lessons around the “Be A …, Not A …” concept. I began sharing them in groups of 4-6 concepts per blog and this is my fifth part. We will see over time how …
Its August and preseason two-a-day practices for the upcoming football season have started. As both a player and coach, I experienced the challenge of summer camp and two-a-days many times. I have concluded the hardest practice to get through, mentally and physically, is the third day of wearing pads. The excitement of getting started carries …
There is a pattern of come, stay, and then go. We all experience the need to come as well as go, but we also recognized there are times to stay. For each of these phases we could be called, asked, or invited. The decision to enter each phase can be conscious or instinctive. We can …
This blog started out titled “Current and Relevant,” based on an interview I recently heard with Bruce Springsteen. Then I remembered notes on a blog in the works titled “From Relevance to Significance,” so I melded the two together to discuss being Current and Significant. Both significant and relevant have their place, however, they are …
Recently I was made aware of the term “othering” and based on how I heard it, I thought it was a newly created buzzword being bantered about in today’s hyper-polarizing media. However, I came to learn that the recent manner in the word usage started in the mid 1980’s (40 years ago). The term, othering, …
Garbage Time is an expression used in sports when the game has become a blowout and the outcome has effectively been decided. The coaches of one or both teams decide to replace their best players with substitutes. It is called garbage time since this period is frequently marked by a significant drop in the quality …
I first saw the phrase “The Coin of Mattering” over 10 years ago in a Harvard Business Review article by Umair Haque. In my opinion, the concept of mattering is an important component of life. We are here to matter and make a difference. The ‘coin of mattering’ is the currency that values how we …
The dictionary defines vocation as a person’s employment or main occupation, especially regarded as particularly worthy and requiring great dedication. Vocation in a religious context is how God calls us to serve Him in the world. This can be done through the Church, Ministry, Marriage, even Business. The word vocation comes from the Latin, vocare, …
