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Articles by Terry L. Sumerlin

Browse published articles attributed to Terry L. Sumerlin, with full-archive search.

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By Terry L. SumerlinAug 15, 20041 topic

THE IMPORTANCE OF FEELING IMPORTANT

About twenty years ago, when our married daughters were in elementary school, they had a bicycle accident. Jo Ellen, our oldest, lost control of her bike and ran into her sister, Amanda, who was standing right in her path. Suddenly the front fender of the bike slid rather abruptly between Amandaâs fingers, and left a sizable gash that required several stitches. nnThe thing I remember most about the incident took place after we returned from the doctor. Amanda stood in our d

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

5,389 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJan 7, 20051 topic

SEX, SEX EVERYWHERE

While driving to and from the barbershop, I pass a different kind of bar. Itâs billed as a place where the waitresses dress in bikinis. As if thatâs not enticing enough, a hand written sign on the street disgustingly announces that the place offers âeye candy.ânnOne day, as we passed by, I commented to Sherry that I was puzzled by the barâs apparent success. I couldnât understand why those who would go there for a limited amount of âcandyâ wouldnât simply go

Primary topic: Sexuality

3,610 views

By Terry L. SumerlinSep 7, 20041 topic

CAT KICKING CONDUCT

There was once a church that decided to bring their absentee members back into the fold. The preacher went to see one member for that purpose. His visit took him so far out in the country that youâd have to walk five miles back toward town just to start picking up firewood. nnWhen he finally located the rundown house and property, he was greeted by a crusty, old graybeard. The coffee was good, however, and the conversation easy.nnFinally, the preacher got to the point of th

Primary topic: Stress Management

Stress Management

2,589 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMay 25, 20041 topic

MERELY TALKING VERSUS COMMUNICATION

Question: âIf you could live forever, would you and why?ânnAnswer: âI would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we could live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.â - 1994 Miss USA Pageant ContestantnnSounds a little like some sports interviews, doesnât it? Though some athletes respond intelligently, "meaningful communication" is not always evident. Often it mor

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

1,370 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJun 8, 20041 topic

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO A BETTER MARRIAGE

A customer recently told me of a fellow whose wife told him she was leaving him for another man. The fellowâs response was, âIs there anything I can do?â The wife replied, âSure, you can give me a couple of weeks to find the right guy?ânnI laughed, as possibly you did, at an obvious joke and then I began to do a little thinking. What I began to think about is how Sherry and I have been able to stay married.nnI donât think it is because we were so mature when we ma

Primary topic: Family

1,263 views

By Terry L. SumerlinSep 29, 20041 topic

"DO YOU LIKE HER?"

One Saturday, I left the shop a little early so that I could change clothes and make it across town in time to officiate a wedding. It was for a very sweet, young couple we know.nnI was reminded of the time not long ago when Sherry and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Though we've only been married 35 years, weâd heard so much about the 50th anniversary that we decided to go ahead and celebrate it in advance. We had one grand celebration. We went on a cruise and e

Primary topic: Family

1,232 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMay 25, 20041 topic

MERELY TALKING VERSUS COMMUNICATION

Question: âIf you could live forever, would you and why?ânnAnswer: âI would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we could live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.â - 1994 Miss USA Pageant ContestantnnSounds a little like some sports interviews, doesnât it? Though some athletes respond intelligently, "meaningful communication" is not always evident. Often it mor

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

1,221 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJun 29, 20041 topic

"EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RAISING KIDS..."

While itâs not entirely true that "everything I need to know about raising kids I learned behind a barber chair," it is true that I've learned some things.nnI was reminded of these things, after hearing a sad statement from a conscientious dad. He said that he and his son are now on different paths. I asked how old his son is. "Twelve," he answered. I thought of how close I am to Jon, our 22-year-old son, and how it would hurt me to think we were "on different paths" when h

Primary topic: Child Development

Child Development

1,172 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJul 18, 20041 topic

GET AN EARLY CURMUDGEON VACCINATION

âHave you ever heard of a curmudgeon?â the customer asked. To me it sounded like the seasonâs latest flu virus â the curmudgeon influenza. âI believe your last customer is a curmudgeon,â he said. âHe didnât have a good word to say about anything.ânnI had to agree with his observation. However, though I like to read almost more than I like to eat ice cream (which is saying a lot), his unusual word is one I had never come across. So, when I got home I pulled o

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

1,161 views

By Terry L. SumerlinAug 20, 20041 topic

DON'T LET FINANCES RULE OVER YOUR SELF-ESTEEM

I know a barber who had the opportunity of buying one of the oldest and best barbershops in his city. He had worked there for a few years, and knew it was a good investment. So, he made arrangements with the owner, and took the plunge.nnHowever, it wasnât long before he realized he was in serious financial difficulty. Actually, he was in trouble before the purchase of the shop, and the added debt put him in way over his head.nnPrior to obtaining the barbershop, this fellow

Primary topic: Personal Finance

Personal Finance

1,145 views

By Terry L. SumerlinOct 18, 20041 topic

SWAPPING COFFEE FOR LOTTERY TICKETS

Every morning, when at the barbershop, I walk across the street to the convenience store. I come back with three items â J.B.âs coffee, my coffee and my banana.nnOne morning, as I was waiting in line at the register, the cashier scanned the purchases for the customer in front of me. When she came to his coffee she entered the amount manually. Seeing the amount on the screen, he immediately reacted rather strongly.nnâNaw! Take that off,â he said. âIâm not about to

Primary topic: Leadership

1,126 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMay 30, 20051 topic

YOU GOTTA PUT ON A GOOD SHOW

Amarillo, Texas is known for at least two things â Palo Duro Canyon and some of the finest people youâll find anywhere. nnIt was recently my good fortune to be with some of those good people. I was that districtâs keynoter for the annual safety awards banquet of Texas Department of Transportation. nnBoth before and during the meeting part of the banquet, I received some good natured ribbing about my Barber-osophy outfit. The red and white stripped vest and arm garters,

Primary topic: Sales Training

1,101 views

By Terry L. SumerlinOct 10, 20051 topic

A SIMPLE WAY TO MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCE

When our schedules permit, Sherry and I begin our day at a McDonalds that is conveniently located across the highway from Judson High School (Converse, TX), where she teaches. One morning as we were sipping coffee and chatting, she related the success she was having with one of her eleventh grade math students. It didn’t take long for me to realize the success was not accidental. nnSherry said that on the first day of school, when the girl walked into her classroom, she

Primary topic: Relationship Advice

Relationship Advice

1,077 views

By Terry L. SumerlinDec 8, 20041 topic

THANKS FOR NOTHING

We gathered at our daughter, Amandaâs, and her husband, Russellâs, for Thanksgiving at Rockwall (near Dallas). Our daughter, Jo Ellen, and her husband, Curt, came in from the Tampa area; and our son, Jon, and his wife, Priscilla, were there from the Oklahoma City area. Also, Mom rode up with us from San Antonio and Sherryâs mom came over from Ft. Worth. It was a wonderful family reunion!nnWe dined on an incredible meal that Amanda prepared, and then we retired to the li

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

1,064 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJul 25, 20041 topic

ADVICE CAN BE FISHY

Some years ago, while Jon was shining shoes in the shop, a customer was giving him business advice. Since the man is retired from a rather successful business, I was pleased that Jon listened. However, the conversation reminded me of how easy it is to take too much advice.nnI heard of a man who opened a fish market but was having little success. A friend stopped in and asked how things were going.nnâNot well," the entrepreneur replied.n n"Well, I can understand that," the f

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

1,045 views

By Terry L. SumerlinAug 30, 20041 topic

WOULD YOU LIKE TO FEEL TWENTY-ELEVEN?

Several years ago, while speaking in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to hear the Righteous Brothers. It was an unforgettable experience. Not only did they bring the house down with one standing ovation after another. They brought back memory after memory. nnMost were surprised to learn that they sang together for over 40 years, and that their song âYouâve Lost That Lovinâ Feelinââ has been played the most of any song in radio history. Not bad for a couple of âold

Primary topic: Health Education

Health Education

1,045 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMar 2, 20051 topic

BREAKING OUT OF JAIL

One of the fringe benefits of doing âenrichment lecturesâ for Princess Cruises is that, at various times, Sherry and each of our children have accompanied me. Weâve had wonderful times together.nnOnce, when our youngest daughter, Amanda, was with me she asked a question that has sort of stuck with me. The conversation took place some years ago but, if my memory serves me correctly, it took place while we were having breakfast in the beautiful Horizon Court of the Sun Pr

Primary topic: Health Education

Health Education

1,039 views

By Terry L. SumerlinSep 21, 20041 topic

LUCKY DAY THINKING

The Del Lago Golf Course, near Lake Conroe, was beautiful. It was a nice fall, south Texas morning. Well, as nice as 95 degrees gets in mid September. Iâd already spoken four times in two days, and was to speak two more times before heading home. A round of golf, with good friends, sounded like a great way to relax. The way I play golf, I probably should have chosen to relax over a good book.nnWe had played several holes and were having a great time, when we came to a 150-y

Primary topic: Stress Management

Stress Management

1,025 views

By Terry L. SumerlinAug 6, 20041 topic

COFFEE AND A TIP

One of the challenges of multi-career marriages is allotting time for the family and for each other. Some years ago, Sherry and I began to realize this and decided to take steps to insure âour timeâ every day. So, we began going to a convenient place in the evening just to have coffee and to visit.nnWe found it a bit amusing (and a compliment to our 35-year marriage) when some of the staff at one restaurant thought we were having an affair because we would often arrive in

Primary topic: Success Coaching

Success Coaching

1,021 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJul 15, 20041 topic

A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD RULE

The pre-teen âcleaned upâ real nice and looked good in his new haircut. In fact, I was plum proud of my work. But, he was totally under-whelmed. In an attempt to get a smile, I said, âYou really donât need to be quite so excited about this haircut.â His mom laughed, but he didnât.nnAfter they left, another customer commented to the effect that the boy would likely have been happier about his haircut had it been his idea. âProbably so, I replied, âBut apparentl

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

1,013 views

By Terry L. SumerlinDec 27, 20041 topic

DE-FENCE AGAINST I-CAN'T-ITIS

It was a cool winter morning, and getting cooler. That morning, before I left for the barbershop, I told Sherry that maybe the yard work we had planned for the next few afternoons should be postponed. The clock radio had said it was supposed to be very cold for a few days. It would be very uncomfortable out and might make both of us sick. nnWhen I arrived at the shop, the preceding thoughts and what follows became part of a conversation with a customer. I pointed out that our

Primary topic: Self-Esteem and Self Confidence

Self-Esteem and Self Confidence

1,008 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJul 14, 20061 topic

KEEP THOSE GOALS IN PERSPECTIVE

Do you want to build a business, change a relationship, improve your health or quit a bad habit? Do you want to earn a million dollars or be debt free? I canât promise you any of these things, but I can promise this: You stand a better opportunity for achievement in these areas if you set goals, and if the goals are compatible with all your other goals. Youâve probably heard others make the same observations. What we sometimes fail to point out is that we must also be ver

Primary topic: Goal Setting

1,000 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMar 24, 20051 topic

REVISITING OUR PRIORITIES

After his haircut, the young man stepped behind my chair and, without saying a word, hugged me. I must say, in all humility, it was a great haircut. It wasnât the haircut, though, that brought about the hug. It was the result of a bond we had established during the haircut.nnWhile cutting his hair, I mentioned that I had recently, and unexpectedly, lost my mom. She would have been 75 in July. She had only had two surgeries in her life and had enjoyed good health and indepen

Primary topic: Family

1,000 views

By Terry L. SumerlinNov 21, 20051 topic

DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR - YET

Every day, several times a day, I saw the same sign. It was taped on the inside of the door, leading from crew quarters to passenger staterooms. As a guest lecturer aboard the Coral Princess, bound for Panama, I was considered part of the crew. I was one of those to whom the sign applied. It simply said: âPlease remember that you are about to enter a passenger area.ânnIâve never had opportunity to find out specifically what the cruise line had in mind with those words.

Primary topic: Business Opportunities

Business Opportunities

982 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMar 22, 20071 topic

THE FIND SUCCESS UNIQUE UP ON IT

Henry John Dutschendorf, Jr. was an architecture major at Texas Tech University. In 1964 he quit school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue another career. According to my source, the young man was informed he had no creative ability, and was advised to go into another field.nnSome time later, this college dropout began to manifest obvious signs of affluence. His friends became curious. What happened? As it turned out, the student with no creative talent had hit it big. Heâd

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

981 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMay 19, 20061 topic

THE CURE FOR BELLYACHIN'

It was a quiet Thursday morning at the barbershop. J.B was in the shop reading the paper and I was seated at the desk in the office, talking on the phone. Suddenly, the front door opened and someone asked, âIs Terry here?â Quickly I ended my conversation, and opened the office door to see who had come in.nnI was pleased to see one of my regulars, a very successful businessman that I especially like. He said that his wife and son were outside in the car, and he wanted to k

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

955 views

By Terry L. SumerlinFeb 27, 20061 topic

SPLITTING HAIRS OVER BALDNESS

I’m a barber with no hair, and the oddity of it is such that it seems to startle people into saying something. So, regularly, there is someone who – in jest – comments about my bald head. Generally, it’s in the form of, “You’re not going to cut my hair like yours, are you?” And, I usually laugh along with the customer. nnI’ve had plenty of time to get used to being bald and to references to it. I started losing my hair when I wa

Primary topic: Relationship Advice

Relationship Advice

950 views

By Terry L. SumerlinNov 8, 20041 topic

AN ALL-TOO-COMMON ADDICTION

It was a beautiful spring morning in LaJolla, California . I had flown to San Diego the evening before. After a pleasant breakfast, the cab driver had taken me five miles to LaJolla. In an hour and a half he was to pick me up for the trip to the San Diego airport, where I would catch a shuttle for the two-hour trip down to Ensanada, Mexico. From there I would board the Dawn Princess to Hawaii.nnAs I strolled through LaJolla, I was completely charmed by its gorgeous Pacific se

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

910 views

By Terry L. SumerlinAug 22, 20111 topic

LIFE'S CAUSES AND EFFECTS

Someone has observed that we are always free to choose, but weâre not free to choose the consequences of our choices. We see proof of this principle in Washington and on Wall Street. The present state of the economy is the consequence of many years of bad fiscal choices. Recovery will depend on better choices. Young people also demonstrate the accuracy of this same concept. Unfortunately, though they are free to sow wild oats, they have no choice regarding the crop with whi

Primary topic: Leadership

910 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMay 4, 20051 topic

THINKIN' AND THANKIN'

Generally, when it comes to long distance travel, air is preferred to ground because it gets a person there and back quicker and with less wasted time. However, since my travel took me to Malvern, Arkansas and Lancaster, Texas for two weeks of speaking, I decided to drive. It provided the familiarity of my own car rather than someoneâs rental, and gave me the leisure time to enjoy the landscape and the roadside stops. It was a nice 1100 mile trip.nnDuring the time away I ha

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

910 views

By Terry L. SumerlinDec 30, 20051 topic

NETWORKING 101

âExcuse me, weâve never met but would you mind giving me a list of all your friends and business contacts so that I might sell them my products and services?â Who would make such a foolish request? Yet, some of the things that are done in the name of networking are just about as foolish.nnNetworking is one of the most effective, and most widely used, means of promoting your business. Itâs a process of connecting with others, to help build each otherâs businesses thr

Primary topic: Sales Training

895 views

By Terry L. SumerlinSep 5, 20051 topic

REPLACE WISHES WITH GENUINE HOPE

Customers at J.Bâs Barber Shop hope theyâll get a good haircut. No question about it. You can tell by the way they talk. Itâs not a wish. Itâs definitely hope.nnâWhatâs the difference?â you ask. Thatâs best answered with an illustration. nnMany times Iâve asked Sherry for a new corvette for my birthday. I still donât have one, but I keep hoping. I also hope she remembers my birthday. Of the two, only the latter is legitimate hope. The other is simply a wis

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

893 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMar 31, 20061 topic

A Collection Of Assorted Attitudes

It is possible that barbers hear more answers to the question, âHow are you?â than just about anyone. Some of the answers are funny, but all of them hold a certain fascination for me. Although I am genuinely interested in people, Iâve made a hobby of asking folks how theyâre doing and then collecting their answers. Here are few samples from my collection.n nâI canât complain.ânIt sounds as if the person is determined to suffer silently, but would like to be pers

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

874 views

By Terry L. SumerlinJun 27, 20051 topic

HOW TO SUCCEED AT PRACTICALLY ANYTHING

I don't know how many times I've been asked, "How do I get into the speaking business?" The question always frustrates me. I'd rather be asked something I can really answer, like how to become a barber. nnOne inquirer said something, though, that caught my attention. He said he had speaking down to a science, and that he could speak exactly 20 minutes, 19, or whatever was needed. Always the exact length of time, though! nnWhile there are certainly speakers who need to pay att

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

858 views

By Terry L. SumerlinDec 19, 20051 topic

A LITTLE SEASONING

The week before Christmas is usually one of the busiest times of the year at J.B.'s Barber Shop. It seems that everyone wants to look nice for family, photos and parties. So, we look forward to the increase in business. However, I must admit that I don't generally look forward to the holiday, as such.nnFor years, Sherry and the kids considered me kind of a Scrooge. Thus, they learned to just tolerate my annual moodiness.nnI finally reached a point where I felt guilty about my

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

828 views

By Terry L. SumerlinMay 25, 20041 topic

MERELY TALKING VERSUS COMMUNICATION

Question: âIf you could live forever, would you and why?ânnAnswer: âI would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we could live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.â - 1994 Miss USA Pageant ContestantnnSounds a little like some sports interviews, doesnât it? Though some athletes respond intelligently, "meaningful communication" is not always evident. Often it mor

Primary topic: General Self Help

General Self Help

817 views

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