THE UNWRAPPED PRESENT

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THE UNWRAPPED PRESENT

At this time of year, I often reflect on the Christmas mornings growing up in Lawrenceville, New Jersey - the opening of presents, the wrapping paper flying everywhere, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the sound of bacon sizzling on the stove, Christmas songs playing on the stereo, and the many hugs and smiles from my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends dropping in throughout the day. But there is one Christmas in particular that I recall each year. A Christmas morning that changed my life.

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THE THANKSGIVING STORY

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THE THANKSGIVING STORY

It is nearly dusk as the sun greets the orange and blue horizon over Boston Harbor.   Judy and her daughter, Michelle, are cuddled together on the living room couch. Michelle, just three years old, draws her baby doll closely to her chest, and holds her mother's hand tightly.

With their Thanksgiving feast now complete, family and friends gathered to listen to the traditional reading of "The Thanksgiving Letter."

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TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW

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TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW

"You are wrong again!"

[ no response ]

"I told you yesterday and last week that this is not what I expect!" raising my voice even louder.

[ still no response ]

"Look, I thought we had an understanding.  You are really disappointing me, and we may need to make a change.  And, it's not going to be pretty!"

[ silence ]

Suddenly, I hear my wife's voice from the adjacent room.

"Are you yelling at the bathroom scale again?"

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RUNNING OUT OF TIME

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RUNNING OUT OF TIME

It has been another long week.  Your job, overall, is going well.  The job pays the bills, provides benefits for the family and allows you to save something for the future. But at times, the job takes its toll on life outside of work.  Yes, there are times when you have missed your child's sporting events, or it's been over a month since you have been out with your friends. And there was that time the you almost scheduled a business trip on your wedding anniversary or missed wishing your mom a "Happy Birthday."  But overall, you feel you have managed well over the years to achieve a good work/family balance.

However, this is not the case for Steve and his son Billy. It's 8:30 PM as Steve finally arrives home.  Eight-year-old Billy, Steve's "best buddy," is in his pajamas and ready for bed. Upon hearing the door open, Billy runs to see his Dad.

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BEYOND THOSE WORDS

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BEYOND THOSE WORDS

On July 4, 1776, our founding fathers of the Continental Congress signed the "Declaration of Independence" that challenged the greatest power of the world to a fight.  At the core of the fight were certain "words" that were unheard of at the time of monarchies and tyrants.  

Those words "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" set the stage for an arduous struggle that lasted several years with much loss of life and property.  At the end of the war with England, freedom was born, and the definition and application of those words was just beginning. 

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THE SECRET OF NEVER LOSING ANOTHER GAME OF TENNIS

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THE SECRET OF NEVER LOSING ANOTHER GAME OF TENNIS

Reading the advertisements in the back of a tennis magazine, an advertisement caught a young man's attention: "The Secret of Never Losing Another Game in Tennis," offered by the only "undefeated" tennis player alive.  

"This could be the answer I have been looking for!" he said to himself.  "Once I have the secret, I can stop reading all these magazines for best practices, stop working out each day, and stop my special high protein and low carbohydrate diet."

He quickly completed the application form, wrote out a check for $99.95, and placed both the application and check into an envelope. 

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THE TELEPHONE GAME

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THE TELEPHONE GAME

Some time ago when I was teaching a college class on responsible leadership, I asked the class to play the "Telephone Game."  The "Telephone Game" is a classic communication game in which the person in the front of the room is given a short phrase to remember and then whispers the phrase into the ear of the person next to them. The process continues until the phrase reaches the last person in the room.  The phrase I used that day was, "Great teams become great when each team member does more than their role, and each team member delivers their absolute best." 

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