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5 days ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
The title of this column is borrowed from one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read: “Seeds of Greatness” by Denis Waitley. But for anyone who had the privilege of knowing Denis, or simply learning from him through his books, audios, or keynote speeches, those three words are far more than a title. They represent a way of life. A code. A calling. Denis Waitley didn’t just write about greatness; he lived it.
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1 week ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
We live in a world where “ask and ye shall receive” has been co-opted by Amazon, Uber Eats, and same-day shipping. The ancient call to persistence has been replaced with a prompt: “Buy now.” We can have food, clothing, furniture, and entertainment delivered faster than we used to be able to get a pizza. But in a world where instant gratification rules the day, are we quietly losing the hunger and thirst that used to drive us?
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2 weeks ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
Have you ever noticed how sometimes you see the shape of a heart in the most unexpected places? Maybe it’s in the clouds as they part and rejoin, or in the way the sunlight cuts through a break in the sky. Perhaps it shows up in the pitting of a worn sidewalk, the irregular pattern of asphalt, or the jagged edge of a stone. It might be in the bark of a tree, the curve of a seashell, or the delicate lines of a fallen leaf.
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3 weeks ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
After decades of working in the personal and professional development space, I’ve had the opportunity to evaluate businesses, teams and individuals across a wide range of industries.
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1 month ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
We all want to win. It feels good to succeed, hit the target, cross the finish line, or land the deal. But if we’re honest, most of us fail far more often than we win, and many of those failures are quietly swept under the rug. That’s human nature. We hide the stumbles and spotlight the wins. But here’s the truth: both wins and losses hold valuable lessons. The people who truly multiply their success are the ones who learn from both. Some people are wired to extract deep insight from failure.
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1 month ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
It was 1975. Bruce Springsteen had just released “Born to Run,” and my world changed. The moment I heard that heart-pounding anthem, I knew I had to hear more. That led me to “Greetings from Asbury Park” and “The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.” I was officially hooked. But Bruce was just the beginning.
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1 month ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
If you want to build stronger relationships, at work, at home and everywhere in between, there’s one often overlooked superpower that is more overlooked and even more effective than charisma, charm or even competence. It’s curiosity. Curiosity isn’t about being nosy. It’s about being genuinely interested in other people, what they care about, what makes them tick, and what they’re navigating in life.
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1 month ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
We are living in a time of incredible pressure, and tragically, it’s our children who are carrying the heaviest burden. Anxiety and depression levels among children and teens have skyrocketed over the past decade, and every credible study points to a clear set of culprits: social media, internet access, and the ever-growing mountain of academic, athletic, and social expectations. It’s overwhelming, and that’s putting it lightly.
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2 months ago | 
coloradocommunitymedia.com | Michael Norton
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael JordanLet that quote sit for a moment. Let it challenge you. Because in today’s fast-moving, tech-saturated world, it’s easy, tempting even, to outsource initiative. Information is on demand. Groceries show up at your doorstep. AI can write your emails. We’re living in a time when tasks once considered necessary are now optional or automated.
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2 months ago | 
vaildaily.com | Michael Norton
“Firm but fair.” It’s one of those classic phrases that has made its rounds through every management seminar, leadership book, and HR handbook for decades. It’s a concept that feels obvious — practically baked into our collective understanding of what good leadership should look like. And yet, despite its wide acceptance as common sense, it remains glaringly absent in far too many workplaces, households, communities, and yes, even comment threads on social media.
