Day Two Hundred Fifty-Three of 365 – Be A Willow!

Life is filled with surprises. Some are good while others are not. I’ve often said that there are only three guarantees in life – death, taxes and change. All of these are inescapable! If this is so, how then shall we live? Over twenty-eight years ago, my therapist said to me, “Mark, be a willow. […]
Day Two Hundred Fifty-Two of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Drawing the Line!

In broad terms, Drawing the Line refers to boundaries, limits and distinctions. We use the phrase to talk about the differences between the tolerable and the intolerable; the acceptable and the unacceptable; the good and the bad; the right and the wrong; the wise and the unwise. Drawing the line requires that we make decisions […]
Day Two Hundred Fifty-One of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Not For Sale!

No fanfare or prolonged intro for this post. The ninth of ten parts of The Cowboy Code of Ethics speaks volumes on its own merit. Very clearly written, it says, “Remember that some things aren’t for sale.” We can buy just about anything online today. The popularity of shopping without leaving the comfort of our […]
Day Two Hundred Fifty of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Say More!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could immediately tell whether a person was trustworthy simply by listening to their words? Sure it would; however, there are many people who talk a good game without delivering on the field. We’ve all heard the adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” There is great wisdom in that phrase. […]
Day Two Hundred Forty-Nine of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Purposeful Riding!

I truly believe that writing something worth reading with the Cowboy Code of Ethics as my source of inspiration may be one of the most challenging things I have added to my list on the 365 day writing journey. Why you might ask? Well, as succinct and direct as each statement of the Code is, […]
Day Two Hundred Forty-Eight of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Keeping Promises!

Who do you trust? How can you know that a person is trustworthy? What does it take to win you over? Perhaps the person who keeps promises will do the trick! You would think that keeping promises is as natural as breathing. You would think that keeping promises is an easy proposition. It’s not as […]
Day Two Hundred Forty-Seven of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: TBF!

Most things in life worth pursuing carry a sense of Balance. One side without the other creates disharmony. Give and take are necessary for shared responsibility. Knowing when to step up and when to step back make compromise possible. The problem with establishing and maintaining balance is that it is easier to focus on just […]
Day Two Hundred Forty-Six of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics – What Has To Be!

The Tyranny of that Urgent! We’ve all faced it! We’ve all succumbed to it at times! It’s a creepy little monster that dominates our time and energy. It pushes all of our tasks to the front of the line making them appear to be of equal importance, of equal priority. What makes this little guy […]
Day Two Hundred Forty-Five of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Finishing!

It’s easy to start things. We do it all the time. We start diets, exercise programs, repair projects and chores. The problem is that we sometimes fail to finish what we start. Often when that happens, we find ways to excuse our actions. We find ways to step over our good intentions and move forward […]
Day Two Hundred Forty-Four of 365 – The Cowboy Code of Ethics: Pride in Work!

It seems that in our day and time, pride in work has become a distant dream from a time past. This is not true for everyone. There are many , many people for whom pride in work serves as a motivating factor; however, a great number of people work just enough to get by. I […]