DWYSYWD- Lessons from the Elementary School Guidance Counselor

One of the first things we teach in our personal leadership course is the concept of DWYSYWD- Do What You Say You Will Do.   It involves committing to what you can do, or as Covey would put it, committing to your circle of influence and focusing on being accountable with what you can do instead of worrying about things that you cannot do something about.  For example, I cannot do anything about whether or not a stay at home order is extended or relaxed this week in my state, but I can wash my hands, not touch my face,

3 Tips for Surviving the Rollercoaster of COVID-19

Feel like you’re on a rollercoaster of emotions these days?  Yep, me too.   When we are living out a well-ordered life full of routines, adjusting to a life that has no or new routines can be a challenge.  And living on top of our family members day in and day out with little to no break isn’t a walk in the park either. The newness of it can bring some enjoyment and much needed time to just be, then the next minute the newness can make you totally want to lose your ever-loving mind.   For example, one day last week,

Focus on What You Can Control: Financial Do’s and Don’ts During the Crisis

Our friends at Warren Averett Asset Management shared with us some Do’s and Don’ts for financially weathering the current situation we are all facing:     Dear Clients and Friends, COVID-19 is not the first crisis we have endured, and it will likely not be the last. While we have not experienced the particular pain points of this virus all at one time before—like schools shutting down and grocery stores running low on items—we do have experience over the past several decades with some other pretty nasty events, including 1970’s energy crisis, 1980’s Black Monday, and 1990’s savings and loan

Defeating the Kobayashi Maru, the No-Win Situation

My 13-year-old came to me last week and said “Mom, we are living through history. In five to ten years, kids will learn about this pandemic in history class and I’ll be able to say ‘yeah, I was there’!” And he’s right.  Students will hear about how our world came together to fight COVID-19. They will be amazed by the fact that we quarantined, that so many businesses had to close their doors, but hopefully, they’ll be inspired by the way we innovated to overcome this pandemic and support those in the front lines.  I don’t know that we ever

What the Dog Saw During the Crisis

It all started at home before it started everywhere, I think.  It started to rain and thunder.  I hate rain and thunder, so I settled in my spot under the porch to wait it all out.  Then there was a big bang. The rain stopped. Then came a smell, then sirens.  Between the smell and the sirens, my master came home.  He looked concerned as he came through the garage and onto the porch. He didn’t so much as acknowledge me, he just looked up to the sky and then rushed inside.  Then the sirens came, and everyone was suddenly