When my girls were still at home and in school, as with all children there were sometimes challenges. Whether it was a team they were trying out for, a class trip they were taking or this friend or that friend etc. I would always tell them to, Be Bold. Act like you belong there and deserve to be there. Not always, but many times how you are treated in life is about the attitude you go in with. I would tell them to be kind, be confident and be bold.

I was traveling a couple weeks ago to make a speech at a hotel conference and one of my daughters told me, be bold. Ha. The parent has become the child!

I have told this story before, but I was with a good friend of mine in Kentucky some years ago and he needed to fill a prescription at the local CVS. I told him we could drop it off and come back for it later. He said, oh no, I am going to get it filled right now and I said,,,,, ok, roger that. He said it is all about how you approach the situation. If you went in timid, they will make you wait but if you walk in confident, they will fill it on the spot. I know this may not be how is done now but this was back some years ago. I decided I would just watch what happens when he goes in there. Well, he walks in and tells the person he needs it filled and he is in a hurry. 10 minutes later he walks out with the prescription.

The point is that in life many times you need to muster your will, take a deep breath and while always having manners and kindness, be bold in everything you do. KT

In many ways, life can be like a fancy car or a swanky house where there is outside beauty but there is also the question of inside substance. Have you ever met someone that is incredibly good looking and well dressed but as soon as they open their mouth, you realize there is nothing behind the curtain? Similarly, it is like when you peel the Formica or veneer off a table you can clearly see what underneath it is. See what it is made of.

Recently I met a guy at a hotel conference, and he stood out with that look that said, “I have a double masters from Harvard.” Good looking kid with handmade English shoes, five-thousand-dollar suite and more gel in his hair than a John Deere tractor. The problem was that when he started talking, he was a doofus.

Take British vehicles for example. Range Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley etc. are the most beautiful vehicles in the world but you better be prepared for at least two trips a month (at least) to the repair mechanic. See, they look fantastic on the outside but lack mechanical reliability on the inside.

Ok, enough examples. The point I am making is, choose to be better on the inside that you are on the outside. When you get dressed in the morning, take a little time away from the hour you use fixing the outside and prepare yourself on the inside. Read a passage of scripture and have a quiet time with God and ask him for wisdom, anointing and his favor for that day. Fix up the inside before you fix up the outside. Then unlike my Harvard grad (mentioned above) you will have the calmness of spirit, understanding heart and the clearness of mind so that when you do speak, your inside (what you say) will be better than how you look on the outside. KT