What makes you tick?

It’s the question I ask all my subjects and interviewees, all while mentally rubbing my hands together in anticipation. (But not in real life, that would be too creepy.)

Most of the people I write about are high achievers, Eagle Scouts and the parents of Eagle Scouts, award winners and difference makers. They’ve all shared some awesome stories with me and my readers. They’ve defined success their own way, worked to build on their greatest strengths.

What makes them tick? Most of the time, it’s family, and work, friends and faith. They decide on the things that matter and pay attention to those and hold them close. They find their own way to work through disappointments and challenges. They want to live a life of consequence and light in a world where that can be a complex negotiation. I do too.

Isabel Allende once told her daughter that one can’t live a life without memories. Here are mine. I share it with you.