I came across an article written by Ben Stein and I just had to share it. Ben Stein’s article sums up the philosophy of the wingman. The only life worth living is a life that is lived for other people. True heroes are not the ones in the tabloids but are the ones who are living in the trenches of life to help make a difference. How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today’s World? "…I no ...

My wingman screamed over the radio “Break Right, Break Right! Missile launch your 3 O’clock!” I looked to my right and saw two SAM’s (surface to air missiles) skyrocketing towards my aircraft at twice the speed of sound.  If I didn’t maneuver my aircraft immediately, I would get shot down.  There was no time to think. I lowered the nose, went to full power, banked the aircraft aggressively to the right and performed my best missile defense maneuver.  Then I heard my wingman ...

What is the meaning of the 4th of July? On June 5, 2009, a young rancher named Neal Wanless claimed one of the biggest undivided jackpots in U.S. lottery history -- $232 million. He bought the ticket in the small town Winner, SD, part of Todd County, which according to the Census Bureau, was the nation's seventh-poorest county in 2007. In this rural and impoverished area where cows outnumber the human population, people do whatever they can to help one another. They ...

As a professional speaker and consultant, I’ve been able to network and build trusting relationships with a lot of very successful people all over the world.  This truly has been a blessing and I really enjoy facilitating what I call “wingman connections” in my network.   My travel schedule often prevents me from networking locally in my hometown of Atlanta, but this past week I was home so I went to a few events. Now, I’m no pro at networking.  I ...

Arlete is my cleaning lady.  She is the most positive, loving person I know. And I love her for it. I have to admit I just don’t like to vacuum and mop my floors so I would rather pay someone to do it. So, Arlete comes by when I need her and she creates a space happiness in my life by giving me TIME. But she’s much more than that to me.  Arlete always has a smile on her face and has ...

I’ve been getting countless e-mails and newsletters this past week from coaches and consultants capitalizing on the downturn in the market. Their message is fear based.  “The dow is down again, it’s scary out there, layoffs are rampant!”  Then they offer a $1,995 weekend seminar on wealth building or business growth that will solve all of your problems.  These “compassionate coaches” become opportunistic vultures praying on the carcass of your fear. Give me a break! Here’s my take on it wingmen - Strap ...

So, how do you get a 35,000-pound F-16 jet fighter to fly? It’s no easy feat. To overcome the force of gravity, you have to create a force that is greater than gravity’s grasp. That force is lift. As the F-16 blasts through the sky, there is an “enemy” of  lift that must be overcome known as drag. There are two kinds of drag – Induced and Parasite. Induced drag is a “good drag’ in that it is a bi-product of lift and ...

COMMIT COMMIT! December 21st, 1998 – a brisk winter day in Saudi Arabia. I was stationed on my first combat deployment, flying missions enforcing the Iraqi southern no-fly zone. I was scheduled to take off on only the fourth combat sortie of my career, inexperienced and quite nervous. It was a mission I’ll never forget. I was flying that day with my flight lead Lt Col “Hos” Hyatt, the commander of the 79th Fighter Squadron Tigers. Our “2 ship” of F-16’s were ...