I have been told that I'm too hard on myself. I think that's true in some areas. I'm trying to learn how to relax more, and that's one reason I'm excited about today's live podcast with Neil Tepper, author of Prescriptions for Living a Creative Life: Simple Remedies for Common Maladies in Our 24/7 World 
Having said that, even though I plan to include more R&R in my life in the coming months, the truth is that I am driven to achieve. It's my nature, and to some extent, I am most relaxed when I am setting goals or taking steps to achieve them. Perhaps that's why this week's quote resonates so much with me:
Beware of those who are fond of words, but cannot translate them into deeds.
It's a paraphrase from The Art Of War (link to publicly available Google version of the book). The authorship of the book is shrouded in mystery, but most scholars believe it was written around 500 B.C. by Sun Tzu, who is sometimes called the greatest military leader who ever lived.
There have been times in my life when I've said I was going to do this or that, but didn't follow through. As I have matured, those times are fewer and farther between. Each year, my follow through improves.
I think it's true that, in life and in business, if we are to maximize our potential, we must surround ourselves with people who are maximizing theirs. That means going beyond words. It means refusing to settle for a bunch of hot air. It means being more of a “doer” than a “sayer.” I want to be that kind of person, and I want you to be that kind of person too. And we can, if we uplift each other and remind ourselves that we can only make our greatest contribution to the world when we back up our words with our deeds, and do so quickly.
Question: I plan to remember that this week. What about you?
