OPPORTUNITY CAFE

Women cry when they want to get angry.  Men get angry when they want to cry.  Is it that way in every culture?  I don’t know.  It is in mine.
Shame is a manifestation of fear.  Fight fear as you would a plague.  It is the opposite of Love.
Take your knocks, shake it off and move on- looking forward, never back.  Continuing to fight the good fight of faith.
It is not what you do for others that sustains life and peace.  It is how you make them feel.  And that is …

When is a deal a deal?  When the words are spoken?  When the hands meet? When the contract is signed?
In contrast to some countries which have a reputation for corruption at the local and country levels- within government and in the private sector, too- the United States, for all its wayward steps and occasional embarrassments, continues to be respected and desired as a business partner.  The United States is known as a country where deals are reliable.   The United States is viewed as a place of safety, opportunity …

Post from 2009:
Janet Napolitano is President Obama’s “point person” for Immigration Reform. As the US Department of Homeland Security Secretary and a past governor of the State of Arizona, she is well versed in immigration issues. While she is an advocate of immigration reform and national security, she does not bode fools well. She is famous for her statement “You show me a 50 foot wall and I will show you a 51 foot ladder.” On November 13, 2009 she met with John Podesta, President of the Center for American …

Music is the language of angels.  Sharing the pleasure of Jesse Cook…

The United States is a country that has welcomed those fleeing persecution since the time of the Puritans.  It is a proud American heritage.  It is a heritage grounded in heart.  Throughout the world, people may disagree with the government actions of America and may even view us as “cowboys”- but even the most bitter recognize and appreciate that Americans have a heart.  A terrorist in Iraq once commented that he saw a sign set by the Americans that gave him pause:  It said, “We are building, you are destroying.”  …

Get it.   We are interdependent.   Economically and spiritually, we are a chain.  A world of links, one pulled by the other.  And yes, the USA is the mother link, economically.  Now.  That will not always be the case.  Change is the nature of life.  Today, the USA.  Tomorrow, perhaps, China.  The next day, perhaps, Jamaica.  Or Brazil.  Or Dubai.  Or Cuba.  What is clear without a doubt, is that we are all linked together.  For the well being of one, we must root for and support the well-being of the …

Faith. The belief in something that is as yet unseen.

Hope. Belief in a positive outcome in the future.

Love. The antithesis of Apathy.  The opposite of Fear.
(No, not hate. Hate is a disfiguring of love.  The true evil is apathy.)  Love must begin with love of self.  From there Love catalyzes all else.

The Biggest Obstacle to Success: The absence of Faith, Hope and Love.

Faith, Hope and Love – these three.   But the greatest of these is Love.

Believe in Yourself.   Believe in a Positive …

The Ebo tribe in Nigeria frowns upon praising relatives, friends and acquaintances.  Showering someone with verbal sentiments of love, appreciation, respect, etc. occurs less frequently than in many other cultures.  It is thought that such praise will “go to  one’s head.”  Rather, caring is evidenced by action.  It is in the sometimes dull, but constant, loyal and dedicated presence and support of one for another that love is evidenced.  To the Ebo tribe in Nigeria, LOVE IS A VERB.

There is a television show on American T.V. about a man known as “The Dog Whisperer.”   Born in Mexico, his ability to communicate with dogs became apparent when he was young.  The locals called him: “El Perrero”- which is Spanish for “The Dog Man.”   On every television episode of “The dog Whisperer,” Cesar Millan tames and rehabilitates dogs who seem impossible to control.  The ferocious, the biters, the “fraidy-cats,” the “escape-artists”- Cesar Millan can cause them all to become well-behaved and well-adjusted.   But on last night’s episode, it looked like …

Luis is a Taxi Driver from Argentina who has evidenced a keen aptitude for dispute resolution.  On a recent road trip in Baltimore, I appreciated his ability to “be his own boss” and complained about the lack of “human-ness” working in a corporation.   He jumped at the opportunity to share his unhappy experiences in the corporate world, as a manager stuggling to balance work needs and the needs of employees in the midst of office politics and pettiness.  It seems the employees were constantly arguing about the heat.  Some thought …