Posted on September 24, 2019
By Nan Russell
“That’s my dream,” I overheard her telling a friend in the dressing room next to mine. “But it will never happen,” she added quietly, “I might as well forget it.” But she hadn’t given up. Not yet anyway. An unmistakable sliver of hope was embedded in the word, “might.”
The substance of her dream didn’t matter. What caught my heart was the ache in her voice. That overheard conversation happened more than a decade ago. At the time, her words reflected my own dream-struggle, barely held together with a frayed emotional tether being weakened by each rejection. I was seriously considering giving up my life-dream of being a writer.
My growing fear about that happening nudged my persistence, as a long forgotten line from the movie Flashdance, echoed my biggest worry that: “When you give up your dream, you die.” It was around that time, my husband gave me a plaque that sits on the bookcase in front of me. It reads “Dream Really Big” in bright colors. He knew, like I did, that something in my soul would die if I gave up on my life-dream.
I didn’t give up, and a few months later I got the opportunity to write for a regional magazine. Two years later, I (continue reading →)
Posted in: In the Scheme of Things, Life |
Tagged: aspirations, dream big, dream progress, dreams, dreams matter, In the Scheme of Things, inspiration, life dreams, Nan S. Russell, passion, pursuit of your dream |
Posted on March 12, 2019
By Nan Russell
Some of us started 2019 with a fresh-start mindset. We made New Year’s resolutions with well-intentioned, often passionate, decisions to change or improve something in ourselves or our lives. At this point, 25% of us are still working on our New Year goals, and by year’s end, only 8% will achieve what they set out to accomplish with their resolutions.
I won’t be one of them. I gave up New Year’s resolutions a decade or two ago, not because I don’t want to improve or change, but because I’ve learned making my goals, dreams, and aspirations happen isn’t a once-a-year thing. For me, a fresh start can be any time of year. There’s power in that.
You can start anew toward life dreams, aspirational goals, unsolved problems, or relationship building anytime. The reality is we don’t need a new year to regroup, start fresh, or begin again. We can ignite these resolutions and aspirations any day we choose.
It was Walt Disney who influenced my life early on in that regard. Maybe because when I was (continue reading →)
Posted in: Hitting Your Stride, In the Scheme of Things, Life |
Tagged: acting, choices, determiintion, Doing, focus, goals, hard work, hoping, In the Scheme of Things, life dreams, Nan S. Russell, New Year's Resolutions, passion, persistence, practice, resolutions, results, wishing |
Posted on March 20, 2018
By Nan Russell
It was a dimly lit restaurant. Still she was dressed in pink, and while I admit it’s hard to tell the gender of babies, clothing color is a reliable clue. So, it surprised me when the waitress began playing with my granddaughter, asking “How old is he?”
Twenty minutes later, that same waitress served our dinners into my daughter-in-law’s lap, spilling the contents of her tray as she approached the table. We made light of the occurrence, assisting her with basic cleanup, but the interaction got me thinking.
In today’s world, too many people are “at work” but not “present.” Preoccupied. Disengaged. Daydreaming. Bored. Text Messaging. Socializing. Whatever. Their bodies are somewhere their mind isn’t. They’re easy to spot as they go about their tasks in a robotic dance of just enough-to-get-by-ness.
These disengaged people seem unaware their present actions carve their future opportunities. They’re surprised when (continue reading →)
Posted in: Tips, Winning at Working |
Tagged: being present, best of self, engagement, getting results, Nan Russell, passing time, passion, Winning at Working |
Posted on January 23, 2018
By Nan Russell
After the completion of Walt Disney World, the story goes that someone went up to Mike Vance, Creative Director for Walt Disney Studios and said, “Isn’t it too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” Without pausing, he replied, “But he did see it, that’s why it’s here.”
If any outside figure influenced my life early on, it was Walt Disney. Maybe it was because when I was five, my favorite uncle took me to a wondrous new place called Disneyland; or because I grew up in Southern California, visiting it every year or two, watching a man’s vision come to life and grow; or because I believed that “when you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are.”
Growing up on the Wonderful World of Disney, I learned how to dream. But as I got older I realized it wasn’t just the dreaming and wishing that made the dreams possible; it was the doing.
Wishing and hoping are poor strategies for making dreams come true, yet that’s (continue reading →)
Posted in: It's Not About Time, Winning at Working |
Tagged: acting and doing, determination, focus, hard work, It's Not About Time, life dreams, making dreams reality, Nan Russell, passion, persistence, time, Winning at Working, wishing and hoping |
Posted on January 25, 2016
By Nan Russell
Once there was a young woman who didn’t like her job. Everyday when she came home from work, she told her husband ho
w terrible her day had been, how tiring the work and how unreasonable her boss. “Leave that job,” her husband told her.
“Oh I will” she said. “But not yet. I have too many friends there for me to leave just yet.” And so she complained until the days became years and her family grew to five. “Leave that job,” her children told her. “Oh I will” she said. “But not yet. I have seniority and four weeks vacation I can spend with you. I’m not ready to start over just yet.
And so she remained unhappy at work until the years became decades and her children had children. “Leave that job,” her grandchildren told her. “Oh I will,” she said. “But not yet. There’s only seven more years until I reach thirty years of service and can retire. So I can’t just yet.”
I know this woman. And scores like her. People who (continue reading →)
Posted in: Winning at Working |
Tagged: bad boss, changing jobs, don't like job, finding work passion, Nan Russell, passion, status quo, thriving at work, Winning at Working |
Posted on March 30, 2015
By Beth Pelkofsky
As a colleague of Nan’s I sometimes post here about work, life and sometimes both. I’m not much of a sports fan but every March, I am ‘all in’ as the popular phrase touts. March Madness – College Hoops – 
Bracket Crazy – Going to the Dance; that’s been my passion this month. And, I’ve learned there are many parallels between Sports and today’s workplaces. Like most things, some good, others not so good.
Here are 3 are good ones that come to mind:
Be for Something – So, what does this mean? Being for something requires strength of convictions and a willingness to stand up for them. When you’re for something you are full of passion, taking risks, thinking creatively and solving problems. You’ve see it on the basketball floors at the NCAA tournament. See if you can find it in your workplace? These are your colleagues who are full of ideas, self- motivated, have high energy and making valuable contributions. What do you aspire to bring about at work? Be for something.
A Dose of Discipline – According, to Merriam-Webster – discipline (continue reading →)
Posted in: Today's Workplace |
Tagged: be for something, Beth Pelkofsky, Big Team, discipline, inspiration, passion, perspective, sports, workplace |
Posted on November 12, 2013
By Nan Russell
I wanted to write a book about trust for a very long time. It’s tune played in and around my head and my work for years. During that time, I spent time reading, researching, thinking, learning, and teaching about trust. And what I know is this – trust matters. It brings out the best in us and reminds us who we are; it makes us, and those around us, better. Trust ignites passions, engagement, creativity, and authenticity, and without it there can be no genuine relationships.
So, I’m excited to announce that my new book, Trust, Inc.: How to Create a Business Culture That Will Ignite Passion, Engagement, and Innovation, published by Career Press, is officially released. This book is about new possibilities, not old problems. I hope you’ll check it out. (continue reading →)
Posted in: Trust Inc |
Tagged: business culture, engagement, innovation, Nan Russell, passion, trust, Trust Inc. |
“That’s my dream,” I overheard her telling a friend in the dressing room next to mine. “But it will never happen,” she added quietly, “I might as well forget it.” But she hadn’t given up. Not yet anyway. An unmistakable sliver of hope was embedded in the word, “might.”
