The prolific Leadership Guru John Maxwell is quoted as saying, “Everything rises and falls on Leadership.” That one phrase over the years has spoken to me about my own need not to just follow good leaders, but even more importantly, to be a great leader so I can contribute to the society I live in and inspire those around me.

Just call me The Don. No, not the Mob Boss...the Dog Dad.

As of 10:00 PM Monday, April 30th, my beautiful German Shepherd, Stasia, gave birth to 9 cute little pups and now my family has just extended its territory to include the garage, which has upped my list of titles to include Dog Breeder.

Since I was a kid, I've always loved German Shepherds and I've had plenty of the breed over the years. At first I was real creative with their unique names as I started with AJ, then BJ, then CJ, DJ, and then Mattie, which was my little sister's nickname given her by an old family friend. I even picked up a German Shepherd in my last year of college, which got me sent home and suspended from Southeastern University for a week. The administration said it had something to do with me being a "rebellious" Bible College student. Go figure. My last one we named King, but with raising kids and starting the Church, I just didn't have the time to devote to training him the way he deserved, so we gave him to a family that owned a ranch.

And then came Anastasia, the beauty I've been waiting for. Big, black and tan, and sweet as a dog can be. It was our goal from the beginning to breed her and I wanted a big, black, strong male out of the litter. When the time was right, we connected her with a male by the name of Kato and pregnant she became and for the last 60 days we've been anticipating the birth of her pups. I never dreamed this breeding and birthing thing could be so exciting and yet so dirty at the same time. OMG, this wasn't at all what I expected. Our four kids being born at Baptist Hospital was a lot cleaner than having these pups. I mean sure, the newborn puppies are so cute and cuddly with their little eyes closed as they enter the world, but there's also this other stuff that's coming out of Stasia everywhere and it's not that cute at all. Give me a barf bag quick. I'm getting dizzy and the room is spinning fast. And what is that smell? I don't remember reading anything on Google about the interesting odor birthing pups would emit into the air. I had no idea being a Dogfather would be such a bloody and ugly mess.

Then again, I guess if you want to expand your family, influence, business or otherwise, things can get pretty messy. Dreams have a lot less headaches when they're experienced in our sleep. It's when you try to put flesh on them that reality wakes you up to a whole different experience that requires change and growth, and that in itself is a dirty, bloody, ugly mess.

We're told that one of the fears many people experience in life is the fear of success. When I first heard that I thought to myself, "who could be that fearful?" Then I learned it's not that people fear the fun or the experiences that success can bring them, it's the pain, the sacrifice, the adjustments and changes that need to be made on the way to achieving success. But that's exactly what's required if living larger than we presently are is desired. It's one thing to manage life, but it's another thing to expand our lives and territory.

I'm a little nervous not knowing exactly what lies ahead for our family, Stasia, and the cute little nine pups. I've already been on the phone a number of times with the Doggy Doctor and Breeder just to make sure we're doing everything right. Momma Stasia is doing what female Shepherd's do when they have their babies and the little pups are making all kinds of noises. So far, it's been middle of the night checks and plenty of sweeping, moping, feeding, cleaning, waiting and watching. And that sounds exactly like what all of us will have to do when we get on the road to seeing our dreams come true.

OK, now I need your help naming our 4 males and 5 female puppies. Any suggestions?

So my wife Mary has gone out and done it again. Every so often, she'll get something in her head that we need around the house which requires a trip to the store and home she comes with a new gadget that promises to enhance our lives. She's so good at this, that sometimes she doesn't even need to leave the house, but instead makes a call or orders the product online that she just saw on TV. Well the other day she brought home a doozy.

You have to understand something about Mary. Right up there with her love for music is her obsession with smells and aromas, and it was this love for aromas that inspired her to bring home this new gadget. I'm not sure what commercial she saw for this one or what advertisement in the store grabbed her attention, all I know is I'm ready to yank the new thing off of the wall, open the patio door and throw it in the pool, because while the new Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Odor Detector is making our house smell fresher, it's also scary and insulting.

Here's the description of this machine. "Keep your home smelling fresh and welcoming all the time with AIR WICK® FRESHMATIC® Odor Detect™, the first automatic spray device with odor sensor technology. This breakthrough technology automatically detects and overcomes thousands of unpleasant odors, without you having to think about it." Sounds like the silver bullet of odor control right? Well maybe.

The trouble with this thing started the next morning when my daughter Stephanie and I were up early sitting at the kitchen counter doing some work. There we sat, quietly in deep thought and concentration, when suddenly the odor detector must have detected something it didn't like and went off. You would have thought a bomb exploded as Steph and I were startled out of our chairs. And after we finally settled down, a few minutes later it did it again and scared the hooey out of us. And if that wasn't bad enough, as Mary's explaining to the girls how the new machine detects odors and automatically sends out a burst of air freshener, I walk in the room and stood next to the thing to simply ask Mary a question about another matter, and poof, the stupid thing goes off again, because evidently it didn't like the way I smelled! So now we're all held captive in our clean smelling house by this new Air Witch, because Mary didn't just buy one of these little units...she had to buy two. And evidently, these little machines must be able to read too, because after I typed that last sentence about it being the Air Witch, it just sent out another scented burst of odoriferous spring flowers.

Truth is maybe we all should do life like this little gadget. Yes, it's not easy in the real world and sometimes things happen that simply stink. But instead of automatically allowing the negative to influence you, why not try to be that sudden burst of freshness and make your surroundings a more positive, uplifting environment. You have the ability to change the atmosphere with just one word, so make it a good affirming word and watch how good others will feel.

Here's a question: How do you make the world a better place without being a nuisance?

Recently I had the privilege of ringing the boxing bell that was used at the funeral of the great Boxing legend, Angelo Dundee. In the middle of the bell was a quote the trainer became known for that read, "It doesn't cost you anything to be nice." Yet it seems so ironic to me that of all the quotes to be attributed to this man it would be that particular one, especially since he was connected to a sport that was brutal and the opposite of nice. But evidently Dundee understood one of the secret keys to becoming a success in life...being nice.

Apparently, someone's forgot to tell the people on the streets of Manhattan about this little known key. Just last week I was able to get away with Mary and our girls to connect with a couple of friends, do a little work, and of course take in the excitement of New York City. Walking down the sidewalks in the city that never sleeps is a challenge as mobs of people are in a hurry and the last thing on anyone's mind is being nice. On one particular corner stood a guy handing out club cards to a Comedy joint around the block. As the mob of people filled the sidewalk, he stood right in the middle yelling out his off colored, crude jokes in ear shot of everyone walking by, and after the third or fourth time of having to navigate around him, he and I came face to face. But did he move...did he say excuse me...did he kindly extend an invite to his Club...did he do anything for this tourist visiting the Big Apple? Nada, zip, not a thing. But he did look me straight in the eye and without saying a word let me know I was invading his space on the sidewalk.

Contrast that to the midnight crossing of the Canadian border. After leaving Lancaster Pennsylvania later in the day, Mary and I were determined to reach Buffalo NY before 10:00 PM. Heading up the mountainous roads and highways, we realized 300 miles across that region was a bit different from 300 miles across the flat lands of Florida, but we kept pushing through and finally reached our destination a couple hours later than we had planned. As we rolled into Buffalo we saw signs of Niagara Falls and since that was on our schedule for the next day we figured why not give the border crossing a try now rather than in the morning when traffic may be heavier. Sure enough, as we came up to the Border Patrol the lanes were empty so we choose lane number one and we were surprisingly greeted with the kindest, warmest, most welcoming female agent that asked us a few questions, checked out our passports, and had us across the border in a matter of minutes.

Honestly, I was shocked...even taken back by her nice demeanor to the point that when she started asking questions about our travel I went totally dumb, couldn't think straight, began blabbering something until Mary stepped in to rescue me from myself and answer the agent’s questions. After handing us back our passports, she gave us directions to the best hotels and hotspots of Niagara.

Now I don't usually like to boast, but I'll tell you that this Canadian Border Agent must have thought I was pretty cute as it honestly felt like she was flirting with me. I mean after leaving the bright lights of New York where the people weren't all that sweet and nice, this female Agent was sure enough letting me know I was pretty special. But evidently, according to Mary and the girls, I was wrong and she wasn't flirting with me at all. For if being nice meant people were flirting with me, then I must have been the best looking guy in Canada (which they were quick to remind me is not true) because all Canadians, both men and women, were being so nice. But it did show me two things. First, Canadians are nice people, and second, Angelo Dundee's point about being nice is true. When we're nice and kind to others, it makes them feel pretty special about themselves, and isn't that what life should be about anyway?

I'm going to try and do my best to put on nice everyday, not just on the days I'm feeling good. How about you, what are some of the things you do that helps you be nice to others?

America seems to be hungry for a good story. In the past three weeks, the movie “The Hunger Games” has brought in just over 300 million dollars in box office revenue making it the film to reach this mark in the shortest period of time in movie history. The story takes place in a post apocalyptic America where a 12 district federation sends two teen members to compete in the annual “Hunger Games” where participants must fight in an outdoor arena until only one remains alive. The prize? The winning district is handsomely rewarded with much needed food and honor is bestowed upon being the strongest and best represented.

Ten days before our Easter services, MLC launched the #WWFStreetGames where church members were divided into 5 teams and were encouraged to hit the streets (and their telephones) in an all out campaign to invite as many people possible to attend church on Easter Sunday. And although our games didn’t involve a duel to the death, we played with an urgency that parallels that of survival, only the lives at stake were not our own.

One of the predominant themes of the movie was that of sacrifice. This theme was present in the players of the #WWFStreetGames as well. They quickly learned that in order to play, they would have to give up most of their free time during a busy holiday week. The prize for this sacrifice? The winning team in our games would be honored at a party where the losing teams will serve them a dinner in a formal setting. Why would anyone sacrifice their free time to win a free dinner? It wasn't about the food or the humiliation of the other team. They chose to sacrifice because they too were once hungry for the truth and someone took the time to share it with them. They contemplated the question, “What if someone had not taken the time to tell me the truth?” No better motivation.

Another important theme in the movie was that of appearance, where the value of a person is based not on who they are but what they demonstrate or what they can do. Throughout the movie, image becomes the deciding factor for the success or failure of the contestants. But the true power of the victors was found in this truth: alone we may look like we have it altogether; like we are doing well, but true strength comes from being honest enough to give and receive help. Teamwork is powerful, and watching our #WWFStreetGames contestants make 1500 calls in one night and distributing 8,000 fliers in the City of Doral was only accomplished because we worked in unity. Everyone involved knew that together we could get it done.

In our games, we all experienced the accolades of being the strongest and the best represented because in the end, we ALL won. George Orwell once said that during times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. People are hungry for the truth in America and our games became a way to start a revolution by simply feeding those in need.

What would you sacrifice to share the truth? In what ways has teamwork made the difference in your own life?

If you're a visitor to our wonderful city, then you're swept off your feet with the diversity of our South Florida culture which influences our food, entertainment and shopping experience. From one community to the next, you'll feel as though you're at Disney's Epcot enjoying the many countries of the world. But all that diversity that makes living in our city so fun and fabulous comes to a screeching halt the minute you walk into the Passport Office. And yesterday, it was my turn to have one of those unique Miami experiences that you won't see advertised on TV by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce...it was time for Passport Renewal.

Every local knows that it has to happen someday. You can't be surrounded everyday by the beautiful people of different cultures and not want to venture out and visit their countries, which means sooner or later you'll have to first make the trip to get the "book". Yet that's the one place I want to avoid as it ranks right up there with a prostate exam, for all that unique diverseness that makes up our great community is part of what makes this experience so frustrating.

The moment you pass through the security check point and walk into the very loud room, the journey into hell begins. You can feel the tension in the air as you want to make sure you don't miss something, because the next three hours of your life are going to be miserable. Am I in the right line? Is this the right paperwork? Am I sitting in the right section? What do you mean I shouldn't have signed yet? How much money? Why doesn't that mother quiet her little girl? Am I sure I took my blood pressure meds? Welcome to the Gateway of the Americas.

As stressful as it was though, I must say whoever is responsible for training the personnel at the Passport Agency is doing a killer job. I take my hat off to that individual. From the moment I pulled in to the parking lot I was treated with the kindest, most hospitable, service friendly people. Shocker! Man have things changed at the Agency. Someone in the top office realized that due to the diverseness of our city and the challenges that goes with properly documenting the travel books of those from the different countries that make our city unique, the last thing we need is an agency worker who doesn't want to be at their post. And the little lady at window number twelve was the one who really impressed. Her name was Carmen. She was barely 5 ft tall, tiny little frame, sweet natured, big hearted and seemed to really love her job and she made all the difference and helped me, Mary and our girls get through the experience with a little less stress.

I wish we could all be like little Carmen when it comes to dealing with our differences. Diversity is a good thing as it makes life exciting. It also could be the cause for major stress and division. Instead of letting our differences get in our way of connecting with each other, let's learn to role with the punches and celebrate our uniqueness. Lately, some in the media are using our differences against us and that shouldn't be the case, because I remember the Miami race riots in the 70's when buildings were being burned and precious lives were lost all because some people let the tension of that moment get the best of them. We don't need that in our community or society. Instead, let's take a lesson from the Passport Agency and the Carmen's of the world. Our diverseness is our uniqueness, so let's work together to create a helpful calm in the midst of stressful times.