Tag: communication

Enjoy Ron Culberson's insights on a variety of topics

Why Doesn’t “Phonetic” Start With an “F”?

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Why Doesn’t “Phonetic” Start With an “F”?

Have you ever noticed how many ways we can say something using the English language? There is a plethora, an abundance, a wealth, a cornucopia, or as some might say, “Too damn many.” With all these options, our language gets quite complicated. The other day, I was filling out a crossword puzzle and one of […]

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Just a Bit of Courtesy Please…And Thank You

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Just a Bit of Courtesy Please…And Thank You

  I don’t get no respect. —Rodney Dangerfield   Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, I was experiencing volunteer-itis, a condition known as the swelling of volunteer activities. I served on four church committees, was an active member of a Rotary Club, and was heavily involved in a national association. I was a […]

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What Can I Say?

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What Can I Say?

When I was a kid, one of my friends had just learned to use a lawn mower and was mowing his yard for the first time. I sat across the street and watched as he mowed a strip of yard, retraced his steps on that same strip, and then moved over to mow the next […]

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Why Are We Here…or Anywhere?

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Why Are We Here…or Anywhere?

When I was a kid, I remember riding in the car with my dad when we came upon an accident. A pickup truck had stalled on the railroad tracks as a train was approaching. Luckily the driver got out before the train hit the truck. Unfortunately, however, a dog had been chasing the truck and […]

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What Do You Do?

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What Do You Do?

When people ask me what I do for a living, I’m never quite sure what to say. The easiest answer is to say that I’m a “motivational speaker,” because most people understand that label. “Motivational humorist” might be more accurate, though, because my typical delivery method is funny. My business card simply says that I […]

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Life and Depth

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Life and Depth

If you’ve read my blogs or seen me speak, you know that my life and work were highly influenced by the time I spent as a home care social worker at Hospice of Northern Virginia. The opportunity to sit by the bedside of someone at the end of their life was extraordinary and because of […]

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Oh, Now I Get It

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Oh, Now I Get It

I will admit that I may be not the sharpest tool in the shed. Yet, what I lack in intelligence, I make up for with common sense and good looks. But my stunning appearance is not the point of this blog. Instead, I’d like to discuss how my occasional thickheadedness can interfere with simple communication. […]

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Question Everything

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Question Everything

My wife Wendy is really good at asking questions. She doesn’t ask them in an annoying way like “You did what?” or  “Why can’t you put the lid down?” or “Who let the dogs out?” Instead, she asks them in both a thoughtful and interested way. If you watch her in a conversation, you’ll see […]

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Just Turn Your Perspective Over

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Just Turn Your Perspective Over

What drives me crazy about politics is that we usually only hear about the views on one side or another. Even though there are gray areas to almost every issue, many people refuse to see an alternative view. And unfortunately, if we’re not careful, we can go through life with limited perspectives just like that. The […]

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It’s Not Just What We Do But How We Do It

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It’s Not Just What We Do But How We Do It

My family went out to dinner one night and the service was really slow. After a long wait, our server brought the burgers and fries but did not bring any ketchup. When we asked for some ketchup, the server said she would bring it right out. Ten minutes later we still didn’t have any ketchup. […]

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