I’ve always been afraid of water. To confront those fears, I decided to learn how to scuba dive, even before I learned how to swim! I would use visualization to achieve top performance if I hoped to get out alive. One of the requirements of a scuba dive certification...
As the spokesperson for the FBI in Northern California, there were long stretches of the day when eating became hard to fit in, as were bathroom breaks. Each day was a full onslaught of updates on important cases, calls to return, emails to read, and interviews to...
I didn’t characterize many of my life lessons as gifts in my younger years. Growing up on a cattle ranch lacking sophistication and social graces, I viewed those early years as full of trials and tribulations. It’s taken a while to understand that those same trials...
The word “can’t” is probably the only four-letter word I never heard in my 24 years as an FBI agent. I learned early in my career that negativity would impair my ability to analyze a tough case that looked impossible to crack. Once you allow a negative thought to take...
My Grandfather was a horse trader. Born in 1900, he used a team of horses to move everything, from rocks to lumber. Cars started an era of disruption, but horses still moved the other stuff on our Wyoming ranch. In 1926 the first Ferguson tractor was built and it...
Like many of you, my ego is fed when I’m acknowledged for my achievements and accomplishments. My confidence is given a boost and I’m ready to tackle the next project. As with many things in life, balance and moderation is key. Too much ego can be detrimental to...
After 20 years as an investigative agent, I found myself in a comfort zone. Safely ensconced in familiar territory, I balked when asked to be the spokesperson for the FBI in Northern California. It sounded like fun and even a little glamorous because I would be...
Swimming pools were scarce on our Wyoming cattle ranch so I never learned how to swim. That didn’t pose a problem until I traveled to the Caribbean and wanted to scuba dive. Little did I know how I’d need to visualize success if I wanted to make that dive! One of the...
I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that I loved my 4 months at the FBI Academy at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, VA. The purpose of the Academy was multi-fold, but the bottom line was to produce successful people who had the grit to confront obstacles in both...
Happiness is not something you plan for the future; it’s something you experience at the moment. Happiness is a fleeting emotion resulting from the good choices you make in life. Good choices are easy to identify because they’re the ones that produce joy and...
Recent Comments