Curtis Hall Blog

An Open Love Letter…to you

Dear xxxxxx,

On this symbolic day of love I am writing this letter to say thank you for all that you do. I know that many times your efforts seem to go unnoticed but I want to assure you that they are not. Many of us notice and highly value what you do on a regular basis and it would be a great loss if you were not involved in the ways that you are.

One thing I love about you is how you continue to do what you do even though the odds seem stacked against you. If one were to focus on the outward appearances, the environment for success appears dismal. All around you are the voices of negativity, dissension, distrust and anger and yet, you stay positive and encouraging through it all. Your smiles and warmth seem to offset the frowns and worries of those you encounter. I love your kindness.

Feb 14, 2010 | 6 comments | View Post

No Fear!

I have always liked how this phrase sounds. It speaks of strength and assurance, confidence and competence. It speaks of exceptional bravery by those who are the cream of the crop.

However, it has recently taken on a new meaning for me. As we see the scenes unfold before us in dealing with the horrendous results of the recent earthquake in Haiti, I have come to a new appreciation of the phrase “No Fear”.

Jan 27, 2010 | 4 comments | View Post

Haiti – What Can You Do?

The more we see about the earthquake in Haiti, the more we realize that this tragedy is bigger and more horrific than we first imagined. Words like “surreal” and “unbelievable” help summarize the reports we see and hear from the eye witnesses on the ground. For those who died in Haiti, the world did come to an end.

Jan 14, 2010 | 7 comments | View Post

The Shortest Distance Between 2 Points

No, I am not referring to the straight line. The shortest distance between 2 points for you and me is the “first step”. It’s not the thoroughness of your planning or even the route that you take, but it’s that first step that unlocks your ability to reach your desired destination. It doesn’t have to be a big step. It doesn’t have to be a revolutionary step. It doesn’t have to be an unprecedented step. But it must be a step.

All of us have points that we are trying to reach. Many of us are desirous of increasing our usefulness by furthering our education. Getting to the final point of completion can appear daunting. However, if we can just make the first step, we will be on our way. That first step may be completing a registration form and hitting “submit” that will start the ball in motion.

Jan 07, 2010 | 5 comments | View Post

5 Resolutions that don’t include dieting

I know that from now until the end of this year we will hear the subject of new years resolutions discussed everywhere we turn. Heading the most popular resolutions will be losing weight and improving your health. Although those are great goals, they are not on my list of 5.

Another frequently cited resolution is becoming debt free. I am all for that and it’s certainly the best way to live. “Owe no man anything” was written for a good reason. But that’s not in my 5.

In accordance with the mandatory listing of New Years Resolutions, here’s my fav 5:

Dec 17, 2009 | 7 comments | View Post

My Two Cents Worth

It doesn’t matter what the topic is. It doesn’t even matter how far removed from ones’ experience or exposure, or expertise the topic is; everyone has an opinion.

What would seem like an obvious conclusion to one can be completely opposite to the conclusion of another. Because our paths of life are so unique and are shaped by circumstances and events that are ours alone, many times we see things in unpredictable ways.

Some opinions are nothing more than water cooler discussions. It’s usually the news topic of the day and just a ritual of human engagement.

The opinions that are more significant are those expressed about how we do what we do, and

Dec 08, 2009 | 7 comments | View Post

You don’t buy a car for the rear view mirror

There are a lot of features to consider when shopping for a car. Probably at the top of most lists is the cost of the vehicle followed by its reliability, gas mileage, comfort, styling, and other unique features. The one thing you will not find at the top of the list is the rear view mirror.

Of all the things that cars can do, the one thing they are not intended to do is to remain stationary while focusing on what’s in the rear view mirror. You get into a car to move and while some do it better than others, they all are designed on moving you forward, not backwards. Ringing any bells?

Nov 21, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Intervention

I thought I had seen it all. From one extreme to the next, the television series “Intervention” proved me wrong. I had a lot to learn and the focused lens of this show was ideal for showing how far the human spirit could be stretched.

For those who have never seen the program, it follows various participants as they struggle with addictions so severe that the only hope for survival is an intervention. Eating disorders, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and other life threatening behaviors bring each subject to the brink of death. But that’s not what’s so amazing.

It is an all too common story about people that have become lost in life because of bad choices. Many of these men and women experienced traumatic events that served as a catalyst to their destructive behavior. While in the innocence of youth, many were robbed of normalcy by those that should have been a source of protection. Now, they have become the “walking dead”. But that still is not what’s most amazing.

Nov 10, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Turn Your Clocks Back

On the surface this can seem a little odd. To be on time, we have to actually turn time back. The reason for turning our clocks back once a year is to have more daylight hours at the beginning of our day opposed to the darkness that the changing season brings. As the days get shorter, we use this trick to adjust our lives to have the beneficial use of the sun more than we would if we didn’t “fall back”.

Today, I am announcing my petition to have the practice of turning our clocks back greatly expanded. Instead of just turning our literal clocks and watches back, my petition will suggest that we also adjust the clocks for the following:

Nov 01, 2009 | 6 comments | View Post

If God is love….

His reasoning seemed too simple. Kind of like adding one plus one. A young boy was given an opportunity to ask the leader of the free world a question. I can imagine as everyone watched him come up to the microphone, most were probably expecting something much different than the question he posed. As he took the microphone his question was “Why do people hate you?”

If his question had stopped there we could have formulated the obvious answers around advanced intellectual reasoning that takes into account the political ramifications of policies relating to the office of the president. But his question didn’t stop there.

Oct 16, 2009 | 4 comments | View Post

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