DW's Blog

The Universal Touch of Community Grocers: More Than Just a Store

by DW Green — December 18, 2024

… the heart of grocery remains constant: serving communities, one family at a time.

Recently, a conversation with my friend Jeff Stack, president of Strack & Van Til in Indiana, sparked a profound realization. The grocery industry is one of the few businesses that truly touches every family, every community, every day. This isn’t just a casual observation – it’s a testament to the sacred role local grocers play in our lives.Think about it. In an increasingly fragmented world, where digital connections often replace physical ones, grocery stores remain steadfast anchors of community life. They’re where neighbors bump into each other on a Tuesday evening, where teenagers get their first jobs, where local farmers find markets for their produce, and where families make decisions that impact their daily lives.But this universal touch goes deeper than mere transactions. Every holiday celebration, family dinner, or morning coffee ritual likely involves something from a local grocery store. These aren’t just stores – they’re partners in countless family stories, witnesses to community growth, and facilitators of daily human connection.The most successful grocery leaders understand this sacred trust. They know they’re not just selling ...

by DW Green — December 11, 2024

…life’s essential purpose is simply to Be.

Being is the profound realization that existence itself is complete, requiring no additional thoughts, actions, or words. From this perspective, life’s essential purpose is simply to Be. In this state of pure presence, we experience life as a magnificent play, meeting each moment with lightness and joy. This state isn’t achieved through effort but rather through deep surrender into the present moment, letting go of our constant need to do, fix, or become.

Read More – Big and Little Thanks

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by DW Green — November 20, 2024

By remaining fluid and adaptable like water, we can discover creative alternatives that feel natural and require less strain.

Just as water flows effortlessly around obstacles, never fighting against rocks but simply finding new pathways, we too can learn to navigate life’s challenges with graceful adaptability. When a stream encounters a boulder, it doesn’t waste energy trying to force its way through; instead, it naturally discovers the path of least resistance, continuing its journey unimpeded. Similarly, when we face obstacles in our work or relationships, forcing solutions often creates more tension and resistance. Instead, by remaining fluid and adaptable like water, we can discover creative alternatives that feel natural and require less strain.Like plants that instinctively grow toward sunlight without doubt or hesitation, we possess an innate wisdom for recognizing opportunities that nourish our growth. A seedling doesn’t question its path or waste energy growing in numerous directions – it simply extends toward the light through the most direct route available. When encountering obstacles, like a fallen log blocking sunlight, plants don’t force their way through but gradually adjust their growth pattern, bending and reaching until they find ...

by DW Green — November 13, 2024

What deeper connections might we recognize if we listened more carefully to our hearts?

Have you ever noticed how life’s deepest insights often come in the most ordinary moments? Recently, I experienced one of those unexpected revelations that reminded me how much we might miss when we rush through our days without truly listening to our hearts.What follows is a letter I wrote to dear friends after such a moment. I’m sharing it because I believe its message might resonate with many of you who are also discovering profound meanings in simple moments…Dear Ellen, Susan, and Julie,Last Friday, on my birthday, I was deeply touched by your wonderful greeting. As I wrote back to you Ellen, ‘It’s receiving these wonderful messages that makes life so special. I truly feel like we’re part of each other’s families, and I’m deeply grateful for each of you.’Later that evening, during something as ordinary as brushing my teeth, it dawned on me why I feel this sense of family connection so strongly – it’s unconditional love. Isn’t it amazing how life’s most profound realizations often come in these quiet, everyday moments when we truly listen to our hearts? This particular moment led me to reflect on my prayers about dedicating my life to uncondi...

by DW Green — November 7, 2024

Many of the things that upset us are a product of the imagination, not reality.

The author Raymond Chandler was describing most of us when he wrote in a letter to his publisher, “I never looked back, although I had many uneasy periods looking forward.” Thomas Jefferson once joked in a letter to John Adams, “How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened!” And Seneca would put it best: “There is nothing so certain in our fears that’s not yet more certain in the fact that most of what we dread comes to nothing.”Many of the things that upset us are a product of the imagination, not reality. Like dreams, they are vivid and realistic at the time but preposterous once we come out of it. In a dream, we never stop to think and say: “Does this make any sense?” No, we go along with it. The same goes with our flights of anger or fear or other extreme emotions.Getting upset is like continuing the dream while you’re awake. The thing that provoked you wasn’t real—but your reaction to it was. And so from the fake comes real consequences. Which is why you need to wake up right now instead of creating nightmare.

Let Go

by DW Green — October 30, 2024

Pay attention to the things you hold onto in your leadership. The things that bind you.

When you let go you are free. Free to see and to act without filters. Difficulties will arise, celebrations will erupt, titles and people will come and go…and you will have gleaned the most you could from every moment and created experiences that will change you and the people you serve. Pay attention to the things you hold onto in your leadership. The things that bind you. Look at them unflinchingly and see them for what they are. Then let them go.Let go of…Control – You don’t really have it anyway. If you think you are in control rest assured that circumstances will conspire to teach you otherwise.Outcomes – Allow things to unfold differently than you imagined. The way you see the outcome determines what it will mean to you, not the outcome itself.Fear – When you are afraid, you project thoughts, attitudes and beliefs onto people and situations creating serious leadership blind spots.Knowing – When you let go of knowing you create room for learning. Otherwise, you are stuck.Proving – Trying to ...

by DW Green — October 23, 2024

The original blueprint for existence itself appears to be rooted in relationship.

Core DefinitionsThe ancient Greek concept of Logos represents the fundamental ordering principle of the universe. In modern usage, a logo is a visual symbol that helps identify and distinguish organizations, while logotherapy is a therapeutic approach focused on helping people discover meaning in their lives.Exploring the ConnectionIs there a deeper connection between these three concepts – the cosmic Logos of Greek philosophy, the meaning-centered practice of logotherapy, and the art of modern logo design?The Role of Logos in BusinessIn business, a company’s logo serves as more than mere identification – it embodies the organization’s identity, values, and purpose. Like a welcoming face, it invites people into relationship with the company and signals a commitment to service.The Primacy of RelationshipPerhaps this connection isn’t coincidental. The original blueprint for existence itself appears to be rooted in relationship. The primordial Logos established relationality as a fundamental principle of reality....

by DW Green — October 16, 2024

Life is a “progress,” a passage through time, “not a station,” never a stopping place.

As Emerson taught, life is a “progress,” a passage through time, “not a station,” never a stopping place. It is a progression of events that leads to insight, self-knowledge, and the discovery of our inner home. One experience at a time, we begin to understand who we really are and what happiness truly means for us. Then, what the poet Emerson wrote becomes glaringly clear: “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.