The pocket of the airplane seat in front of me now bulges with newspapers I have read and magazines I devoured. The flight attendants will have a heyday trying to psychoanalyze just who sat in 12-B:

I left behind Fast Company Magazine with pages ripped out about NIKE’s CEO and TED conferences.

T&D Journal will help anyone who wants to know what ROE vs ROI means in leadership development terms.

Bloomberg’s Business Week contains a fascinating account of what is popular in the consumer market. And oh my gosh—the tale of resigning CEOs.

SELF magazine only holds interest to anyone interested in health, exercise, and how to get fit without a gym.

Spirituality & Health offers a rather confusing array of meditation, native Indian wisdom, Episcopalian insights, Thomas Moore philosophy, and a grand discourse from a wise rabbi.

Makes me laugh to think what a puzzlement I must be to folks. Then again, in a complex world, there is so much to learn and more than one right answer.

What would you leave behind in your airplane seat pocket?

When words and medicine fail to comfort, music takes over.

As a family, we always have sung: driving in the car, washing the dishes, walking along trails. We know far too many words to ‘Hit Kit” favorites from WWII, Broadway musicals, and Frank Sinatra.  It’s a good thing.

To ease her confusion about where she is, I rewrote “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”  We sing “Now I live right here in Aegis, all the live long day. Eileen and Bill are right beside me, not so many miles away…”   She sings along.  The care managers and even the executive director can sing it to her.

After 14 days in the hospital, she’s now home at Aegis with hospice.  Once again, music soothes like the balm in Gilead. My brother and sister and I surround her bed at night and from our memories, coax out songs from our youth: “Blue Skies”, “Paper Moon”, “My Buddy”, and even obscure Latin hymns and May processionals from the days of Catholic grade school choirs.   Mom nods her head and mouths the words. When we stop, she whispers “More music.”

More music.  What music could you sing? Somehow a rap song at the end of life doesn’t seem like the music I would want.  An even deeper question, who would surround my bed and sing for me.?  Perhaps the test of a life well-lived is the answer to that question.

“…I only know there ain’t no love at all without a song”….

The music was written by Vincent Youmans, the lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu. The song was published in 1929

Rizzo, who resigned yesterday from his post, was the HIGHEST PAID city manager in the nation. The police chief of this tiny town makes more than the police chief in LA. How could this have happened? No one spoke up! The election was basically ignored, allowing a less than 400-person vote, to decide a financial move that smashed the city budget. But where were the voices from the city employees who watched this happen? Why did they not holler to their neighbors, to the press, to whomever would listen about this manuever? Of course, it also shows how the public must take every election seriously rather than for granted. But I am stunned by the deafening silence that surrounded these three greedy officials. Leadership requires courage. It appears that there were no leaders in any other part of that city.

All leadership starts with self-leadership as serving as a role model for others. If I had a team of cleaners I would make her the Queen of the crew!

Here’s why: She calls before coming to confirm the time and date. She takes initiative and sees what needs to be done—finding more than I ever thought possible. She literally takes off her shoes to feel for dirt on the floor. Last week, she cleaned my office first—while I was gone—so that I could jump back in it as soon as I returned. I didn’t ASK her to do it. She just made a smart choice.

She pulled everything out of the china closet, telling me that last month she did the other cabinet and this month, she’d tackle the closet. I believe she would alphabetize my spice drawer and pantry if she had more time!

And when she leaves six hours later—my not-very-large house sparkles along with her good-by grin.

Share Angelica’s story with your team. How do they measure up? In fact, makes me wonder if I need to sharpen my client service. I won’t take off my shoes and skate across your floor… but I will help you dust off your leadership skills and tackle whatever lurks in a closet that might hold your team back. Call me at 949-496-8640 to discuss.

For all of us in the world of communications, we are rejoicing.  E-mail can only take us so far.  Nothing beats the eyeball-to-eyeball exchange.  And yes—even a hug with our customers, clients and colleagues.   It’s universal. Turn up your speakers check it out .

For some reason, I found myself reflecting this Holiday  on  a weekend spent with my twin brother as he facilitated a Boston College tradition called Halftime. This free, elective weekend is for sophomore or junior year students to step away from campus life and reflect on where they have been, where they are, and where they are going.  It’s all about journey,callings, and decisions.

As we sit in the middle of this summer. what would happen if you gave yourself a Halftime? It is so easy to become  caught up in the 24/7 frenzy and the depressing headlines, we can miss the real essence of work and life that revolves around these three questions. Break them down into their most simple elements and you find: JOY.  TALENT. SERVICE.

Spontaneous laughter. Constant learning.  Teaching. Hugs. Children. Hands digging in the garden.  AH that’s joy to me!

Making the complex simple. Crafting written and spoken words. Listening. Relating. Finding humor and story in the ordinary. These are my talents.

Service? It depends. Might be the fellow residents at Mom’s assisted living facility. Could be corporate teams trying to forge through the morass of a work load. It might be women gathering to become better leaders and support each other in that journey. This area seems wide open. Perhaps you will refine it for me?

Please write. I’d love to hear your answers to these critical three questions.

For days now, these few words from this classic Kris Kristofferson song, Me & Bobbie McGee, spinning repeatedly through my brain.

It’s really been bugging me. And why these words? Why now? Why me?

Could loss actually free us? Could we be imprisoned by material choices, by relationships, by work that pays the bills but leaves a hole in our spirit, maybe even by memories?

I’m beginning to think that it does. Long ago and far away I came out to California with only what would fit in the trunk of a Chevy Camero.  If you remember a Camero, that sure wasn’t much! I rented a tiny garage apartment and bought a used sofa for $25. My sister gave me four place settings of old dishes and silverware. I had two sets of sheets and two sets of towels. I had left behind, in Florida, a house with Ethan Allen furniture, a tennis court in the backyard, and a broken marriage. I have never felt so free! Simplicity makes choice so easy.  In light of the current economic realities, I’m being reminded that owning stuff can be a burden.

My July 4^th has me thinking what I can discard so as to have more freedom.

A good friend just got laid off after 30 years. Only has enough money for maybe three months. Her husband is in construction and she has twin six year-olds. Many of us would be in deep depression.  But Marian is ecstatic! “It’s my time now to pursue what I really want to do!”  She is convinced that now she can actively pursue her dreams instead of being tied to a job she had grown to despise. She knows it won’t be easy but the energy and enthusiasm with her newfound freedom is propelling her efforts. (She’ll tell you about Arbonne!)

My July 4^th finds me recommitting  to accepting only that work which feeds my spirit and not just the bank account.

Up the road, my 94-year-old mother continues her progression into memory loss. She’s no longer haunted by mistakes and failures.  She doesn’t remember the pain of a broken hip, the repeated trips to the emergency room, or even the numerous hospitalizations. Instead, she’s free to experience only the moment and make it what ever she wants. So she can tell me that she was walking on the beach the other day. Her wheelchair belies that statement, but who cares? She says that down the hall is someone from York, Pennsylvania. She just doesn’t know who it is.  She’s free to make up friends.

My July 4 reminds me that the only memory is in the moment and I can choose to make it whatever I want. That’s freedom.

And of course, one cannot come to this day without remembering the loss of men and women who have given life and limb to give us the ultimate freedom: a land where we can choose our destiny.

Eighty-two percent report that their company does not have a program in place to improve work-life balance. The results show a clear disconnect between the way in which organizations view work-life balance as compared to the value placed upon it by executives.

The latest BlueSteps.com results indicate that many organizations are overlooking the fundamental link between a healthy company and “healthy” executives.”

“Foolish in this economy,” you say.

Not so fast. There’s a growing body of research that finds a correlation between leisure and innovation; between health and play; between employee retention and time off.  Check out this  Summer newsletter

It won’t take you long to read it. Skim for what appeals. And then, shut off the technology. (I know: unplug from even me!)  Go skip, hop,run or saunter to whatever gives you a sense of calm and joy. (I sure hope it’s not the TV).Get outside. Walk in the rain puddles. Oh yes– if you live in the right place, you can even become a kid again and catch lightning bugs! (Click the link.) You’ll see what I mean.

Whether vacation or a staycation– here’s to YOUR time.

While I haven’t read the complete study, I find this information highly disturbing. Researchers have theorized that the rise of social media and the disposable nature of “friends” might have us just tuning out of superficial relationships.

However, I think there’s another possibility: video games and reality TV shows that seem to be more about ruthless, intense competition.  Winner takes all. Nail the rest. The “real” people, in many cases are foul-mouthed, cruel abstractions of humanity.  Think Jersey. Think Orange County. Think idiots on parade.

Wonder if a reality show that highlighted people at their best rather than at their worst might help.  Or have we slid too far down the rabbit hole of pure self-interest and selfishness to have conversations that matter and connections that REALLY count?

Your thoughts?

P.S.  If you know a college student (or anyone else) that exhibits these characteristics give them my book “Talk Ain’t Cheap-It’s Priceless“.