Like many of you, I have the opportunity to listen to talks and speeches on a wide variety of topics. The explosion of podcasts makes it relatively easy…the key is blocking out the time out of our 168 weekly hours and choosing wisely.

Every once in a while I will find a talk that is especially meaningful. This week, I was fortunate to listen to two wonderful talks.

The first talk was by Ben Sasse, the former Senator from Nebraska and president of the university of Florida. In a blog post in May and a Forbes article, I discussed the remarkable way Sasse is dealing with a terminal illness and the example he is setting for millions of people around the world.

He reiterated in his talk in an amazingly positive way that death is not the end, but really the beginning of eternal life. Rather than looking for sympathy, he described his condition as a blessing and a reminder for all of us to focus every day of our lives on what really matters. The blog post and Forbes article include links to his talks and interviews that I know you will find of interest.

I also had the opportunity to listen to a talk by Admiral Bill McRaven. I am always impressed by his ability to take complicated topics and turn them into simple advice and life lessons. One of his quotes that I always remember is: “If you want to change the world, start with making your bed”😊

Here is the link to that speech at the University of Texas at Austin commencement in 2014:

We often read and hear comments that the younger generations lack the courage, commitment, and sense of duty and service that was exhibited by earlier generations. Admiral McRaven, in the talk I heard this week, was adamant that nothing could be further from the truth. As a leading former US commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, he discussed in detail the remarkable courage, commitment, and sense of duty exhibited by the young people he served with.

He summarized the various challenges facing the younger generation as they deal with global uncertainty, climate issues, AI, etc. Nonetheless, he is extremely confident that the younger generations will successfully confront these challenges in a constructive way.

Here’s wishing you a great week!!