Personal Growth

When I was in college, I didn’t have to worry about how to spend my money. I didn’t have any.   I worked part time as a parking lot security guard and as an in-store sales rep for Microsoft. Even with these two jobs, I was broke.   My Grandpa Pedrolie and I had a […]

It happened on March 5th, 2017. I turned the big four zero. It was as anti-climatic as you might expect. I didn’t feel any different. I didn’t look any different. It was day number 14,610 in my life.   Then it happened. I started taking stock of my position in life. Am I where I

Tragic events, like Hurricane Harvey, jolt us out of our normal routines. You see pictures of the devastation and it puts your life into perspective.   But, you can lose that perspective as fast as it appeared. Now that the rain has stopped here in Austin, it is easy to go back to our day-to-day

The definition of persistence is easy. You continue to do something even though it is difficult, going beyond what is normal. The practice of persistence is anything but easy.   When I picture persistence in my mind, I always see the Navy SEALs. They are one of the most elite forces in our military. They’ve earned

It was the summer before my freshman year of high school. My brother, Derrick, was a few years ahead of me and picked up this crazy sport, called pole vaulting. Before school began, he got me out on the track and taught me. From that day on, I couldn’t get enough. In high school, I

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is the most read self-improvement book of all time. The last time I read it was about 20 years ago. I remember it being full of timeless ideas, but I couldn’t tell you what they are. About a month ago, I downloaded it to my Kindle. Each chapter was

Expectations surround us. As your parents, we expect a lot. You should as well. Being responsible means you do what is expected and accept the results of your actions. For example, you are responsible for brushing your teeth and getting ready for school. You are also responsible for putting away your bike and toys outside.

The definition of curiosity is “a desire to know or learn.” It’s a deep feeling inside that drives you to discover more. It is not enough to get the answer, your goal is to understand. Before you learn, you have to be OK not knowing. If you act like you already have all the answers,

Siblings tend to fight. It is a fact of life. Sometimes things get out of hand and someone gets hurt. That was the case with my brother. I was about 11 and he was 13. We were arguing about something silly. This would usually end with a wrestling match that I would lose. This time