Category: Excellence

Enjoy Ron Culberson's insights on a variety of topics

I Admire Perseverance

Last week, in the same publication (The Week), I read about three people who each overcame serous obstacles to accomplish something significant.  This is important for all of us who can get tripped up by the simplest of things. 1. A homeless 18-year-old became a national science contest semifinalist. 2. A British woman became the […]

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Martin Luther King Jr.’s Documents Available Online

The King Center Imaging Project has made over 200,000 documents available online at The King Center.  Among the documents are the handwritten notes for Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech and initial edits of his “I Have a Dream” speech. As a huge fan of Dr. King, it’s is fascinating to see his handwritten […]

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Was Bold

As a graduate student in social work, I sometimes wished I had been born 10-15 years earlier so that I could have participated in the civil rights movement.  It seemed so congruent with my beliefs and the ideals I was being taught as a social worker.  Dignity.  Self determination.  Respect. But alas, I was born […]

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When Times Are Tough, We Need More Fun

For the past few years, just about every industry has experienced economic “tough times.”  One would think that this is a perfect time to explore those intangible employment benefits that may be less economically tied, but in some cases, just as beneficial. USA Today ran a front page article on Friday called “Laughing our cares […]

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Customer Service is Alive and Well at Starbucks

A woman in California is suing Starbucks because they (allegedly) would not let her use the restroom to fix her prosthetic leg, without buying something first.  In other words, they felt it was better to give her a cup of hot steaming coffee so that while she hobbled to the bathroom on her wobbly leg, […]

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Holiday Stuffing

The US Coast Guard, according to a recent report, has reduced the passenger capacity on commercial vessels because the average weight of Americans has gone up from 160 pounds to 185 pounds.  I guess that means too much tonnage in the steerage. As I look at the piles of holiday cookies already accumulating in my […]

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Would You Have Reported Sandusky?

Thomas Paine said, “Character is much easier kept than recovered.” That makes me think of Penn State.  Lost character that may not ever be recovered. I find myself asking, “Why didn’t someone do something?”  And then I wonder, “Would I have done something?” Easier said than done. A number of years ago, my son Ryan […]

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The Prophet – Talking

As a perpetual talker, I found this excerpt from Kahil Gibran’s The Prophet especially poignant.  It really shows how to talk good, uh, well. You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;      And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your […]

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You’ve Got a Friend…Don’t You?

A recent Cornell University study found that on average people have two good friends – down from three in 1985.  A “good friend” was defined as someone with whom you can discuss important matters. In my new book called, naturally, Do it Well. Make it Fun. which will be out in May 2012, I wrote […]

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Don’t Be a Worm

I went to get the mail today, after a long steady rain, and had to dodge dozens of dead worms on my driveway.  Being curious about why so many worms come out during the rain, I consulted the wisest of all sources, the internet, to find my answer. There are several reasons worms may come […]

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