TrulySignificant.com presents author and mentor Amos Balongo.   Here are the big takeaways from this inspirational leader:

Influence is gained with people five levels. Every person who leads others has to start at the bottom level with another person and work his or her way up to higher levels one at a time.

Don’t leave your footprints in the sand where they will wash way; let intentional living show you how to leave footprints in the hearts and lives of those you love, and leave a legacy that will last.

Connecting is a skill you can learn and apply in your personal, professional and family relationships. And you can start right now!

Amos Balong came to America in pursuit of the American dream. His journey to America has been humbling, Illustrious and rewarding. Amos serve in senior leadership roles in fortune 500 companies as well as International organizations and various Non Profit Boards.

Amos also serves as the Chairman of Camp Ohana Foundation, a Youth development organization that serves children in Hawaii and Kenya and other parts of the world through unique collaborative programs.  visit www.campohana.org and donate today.

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TrulySignificant.com presents Matt Ross debuting his raw, honest book- Grow or Fold-Transform Yourself in Midlife and Beyond. His wisdom is only earned by living it. 

We think Grow or Fold represents Matt moving from success to significance. 

Hear the inside story on his son, his recall on 9-11, in this deeply personal book. Grow or Fold is a blueprint for you, your friends and for your proteges. 

It's time to take inventory of your life, reconnect with your core values, and design the ROYL....rest of your life to do something significant. 

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A Tribute to Pope Francis.

 He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the son of a railway worker in Buenos Aires. A boy who once swept floors and manned the register at a bar with his brother. By all accounts, an ordinary lad from a country stitched together by tango, politics, and prayer. But destiny, you see... destiny doesn’t always wear robes when it knocks. He was a chemical technician. A literature teacher. A janitor. And once, almost, a husband. For there was a girl, young and beautiful, to whom he wrote love letters. But his heart—his true heart—had already been spoken for by Someone Else.

He joined the Jesuits, where vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience weren’t just ideals... they were marching orders. He walked the alleys of the forgotten, knelt beside the sick, and baptized the unwashed with the tenderness of a shepherd who knew every sheep by name. In March of 2013, white smoke spiraled above St. Peter’s Square, and a humble man stepped onto the world’s stage. Habemus Papam. And for the first time in 1,200 years, the Vicar of Christ bore a name never before taken—Francis.

Not in gold, but in linen. Not in a limousine, but in a Ford Focus. Not behind palace gates, but among the poor. He refused to live in the Vatican’s ornate apostolic apartments. Instead, he chose a guest house with a single bed, a small desk, and a crucifix. The Pope, yes... but never far from the priest. He kissed the feet of Muslim refugees. He washed the hands of AIDS patients. He dared speak the words “Who am I to judge?” He turned doctrine into dialogue. Orthodoxy into empathy. And whether you agreed or not, you knew you were in the presence of someone utterly sincere.

 His critics said he was too soft, too political. But he simply said, “Mercy is the name of God.” He saw climate change as a moral issue. Inequality as a theological concern. He believed the Church should smell like the sheep—dusty, tired, and real. And then, as all men must, he reached his final days. No procession of marble horses. No velvet banners. Just the legacy of a man who tried, earnestly, to be more than a Pontiff. A bridge, truly. Between tradition and transformation. Between dogma and love. They say he died with a rosary in hand, a smile on his lips, and peace in his heart. And whether saint or sinner, Catholic or not, the world paused—just long enough—to say thank you. Thank you for showing us that greatness isn’t about standing above... but kneeling beside

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In early 2025, we received word that Coach Bill McCartney had passed away. We knew Bill and his son, Tom, that coached at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado where our daughters attended. He was a wonderful dad, grandfather, friend and a man of football. The fiery head coach of the University of Colorado, he built a program that went from underdog to top dog, achieving college football's ultimate prize: a national championship in 1990. His name became synonymous with gridiron greatness. But there’s a significant chapter of McCartney's life that few know—a chapter not about Xs and Os, but about hearts and souls.

Let me take you back to the late 1980s. McCartney was at the height of his career, leading the Buffaloes to national prominence. Across state lines, in Nebraska, there was Ricky Simmons—a once-promising wide receiver for the Cornhuskers. Simmons had all the talent in the world, but his life took a tragic turn. After his football career ended, he spiraled into drug addiction, eventually finding himself behind bars for drug distribution. It would’ve been easy for most to write Simmons off as just another cautionary tale. But not Bill McCartney. When he heard about Simmons’ struggles, McCartney didn’t shake his head in judgment or walk away. He leaned in.

The decorated coach, known for his fiery sideline demeanor, quietly began visiting Simmons in prison. He wasn’t there to talk football. He wasn’t there to lecture. McCartney came as a man of faith, offering something Simmons had long since stopped expecting from the world: compassion. Ricky Simmons later admitted he was stunned. Why would a man like McCartney, a national figure, care about someone like him—someone who’d seemingly wasted every opportunity? But McCartney wasn’t interested in Simmons’ past. He was invested in his future. 

McCartney spoke about forgiveness, redemption, and the God of second chances. He wasn’t preaching at Simmons—he was walking alongside him. And step by step, those prison visits began to change Simmons’ outlook. When Simmons was released, he didn’t just turn his life around—he became a motivational speaker, using his story to help others escape the grip of addiction. But this story doesn’t stop there. McCartney’s compassion for Ricky Simmons wasn’t an isolated act. It was part of a larger mission that would soon take shape.

 On the field, McCartney was known for uniting players from every background—Black, white, rich, poor, urban, rural—calling team meetings to tackle hard conversations about race and unity. In 1990, shortly after his championship season, McCartney founded Promise Keepers, a men’s ministry dedicated to fostering faith, accountability, and reconciliation across racial and cultural lines. Its heartbeat? The same belief that drove him to Simmons’ prison cell: the idea that every man matters and that unity is a calling higher than competition. Bill McCartney’s career may have been defined by the scoreboard, but his legacy? That was written in places far from stadium lights—in prisons, in locker rooms, and in the lives of people like Ricky Simmons. So, the next time you hear his name, don’t just think of championships or the roar of the crowd. Think of the quiet moments of compassion, the belief in second chances, and the power of reconciliation. Here’s to Coach Mac- a significant difference maker!

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Three lives of Significance. Each uniquely different. All on the same path beyond success. 

Three individuals from different eras and with vastly different means shared a common vision—to ignite the power of words, the beauty of stories, and the timelessness of books for the benefit of humankind. Their names: Andrew Carnegie, Dolly Parton, and Jeff Bezos. It began with Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who came to America with nothing but a dream and determination. Rising to unimaginable wealth during the Industrial Revolution, he saw his success not as an end but as a responsibility. In the late 19th century, Carnegie embarked on an audacious mission: to provide communities with the tools to educate themselves. The Carnegie libraries—1,689 in the United States alone—were more than just brick-and-mortar buildings; they were cathedrals of learning. From small towns to bustling cities, these libraries opened the door for millions to enter the world of literature, learning, and opportunity. Carnegie didn’t just donate books; he planted seeds of hope. He believed, as he once said, that "the man who dies rich dies disgraced." Instead, he died having enriched the world. Decades later, a voice with a twang as sweet as her home state of Tennessee would carry on this legacy in her own way. 

Dolly Parton—a country music legend—never forgot her roots in Sevier County. She remembered the poverty, the isolation, and the hunger for more than just food. And so, in 1995, Dolly founded the Imagination Library, a simple yet profound idea: to deliver free books to children, no matter their family’s circumstances. Today, Dolly’s Imagination Library has gifted over 200 million books to children in the U.S. and beyond. From board books to bedtime stories, these treasures have sparked countless imaginations. "If you can read," Dolly said, "you can dream. And if you can dream, you can do anything." Her melodies of compassion harmonized with her mission to ensure no child would ever be without a story to call their own.

And then came Jeff Bezos, a visionary of the digital age. In 1994, he launched a modest online bookstore from a garage in Seattle, naming it after the mighty Amazon River. What began as a humble effort to sell books grew into the largest marketplace in human history. Yet at its core, Amazon’s foundation was storytelling—making books, both new and used, accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Through Amazon, the dusty corners of secondhand shops met the sleek shelves of bestsellers. Independent authors found a global stage, and readers found stories they didn’t know they needed. Bezos once said, "We’re not in the business of selling things. We’re in the business of enabling dreams." And so, he did. With billions of books delivered worldwide, Amazon has become a lifeline for readers and writers alike.

Three lives. Three visions. One profound impact. Together, these stewards of literacy have helped to ensure that readership is not only up but thriving. Illiteracy is on the decline, and storytelling continues to inspire the next generation. Carnegie lit the first flame of access. Dolly carried the torch to young hearts. Bezos propelled it into the digital era. The result? A world where books remain the bridge to understanding, empathy, and significant connection.

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Over ONE million Former Students of Texas A&M University love and honor General Earl Rudder. 

Today, we pay homage to an American hero and THE leader who changed the landscape of Aggieland forever. 

Earl Rudder, the quiet Texan with the steely gaze, was born to a world of flat plains and boundless skies in Eden, Texas. His story, though, reaches far beyond that humble beginning. It was the 6th of June, 1944. D-Day. Normandy. A day when the free world stood on the brink, teetering between tyranny and liberation. And standing on Omaha Beach, with 225 Rangers under his command, was Lt. Colonel Earl Rudder. Their mission? To scale the 100-foot cliffs of Pointe du Hoc under a rain of fire and fury. The odds? Grim. The stakes? Unimaginable. But Rudder didn’t flinch. He didn’t waver.

 Leading from the front, he inspired his men with a quiet determination, the kind you couldn’t fake. Those men climbed, clawed, and bled their way up those cliffs, silencing the German guns that threatened thousands of lives below. Two-thirds of his men fell that day. And yet, they succeeded. Why? Because Rudder led with his heart, his grit, and a sense of duty larger than himself. But the story doesn’t end on those cliffs. Earl Rudder’s battlefield leadership was just a chapter in his tale. When the war ended, Rudder came home—not to rest, but to rebuild.

A soldier, yes, but also a teacher, he turned his attention to shaping the future. By 1959, he was named President of Texas A&M University. At the time, A&M was a struggling military school, isolated in tradition, shrinking in relevance. It was said that the university’s future looked as bleak as those cliffs at Normandy. But Earl Rudder? He saw potential. He opened the doors to women, integrated the campus, and transformed A&M into a modern institution—one where the Corps of Cadets and civilian students could learn side by side. His reforms weren’t always popular. In fact, some said they felt like a storm. But Rudder knew that true leadership wasn’t about being liked; it was about doing what was right. And so, just as he had climbed Pointe du Hoc to clear the path for freedom, he scaled the walls of resistance to clear the path for progress. By the time he passed in 1970, Earl Rudder had left a legacy on two battlefields—the beaches of Normandy and the grounds of Aggieland. Today, his name is etched into the history books, the hearts of Aggies, and the cliffs of Normandy. In a fitting celebration of the General, Rudder Tower stands 110 feet tall, the exact height of the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc.

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Dr. Jane Goodall is emblematic of the Power of Significance. 

In a quiet English town called Bournemouth, a young girl named Jane found her passion for animals both in books and in the backyard. At the age of five when visiting family friends. Jane Goodall hid in a hen house to learn about chickens and how they laid their eggs. Fast forward to 1960. A determined Jane arrived at the Gombe in western Tanzania with nothing but a notebook, binoculars, and an unshakable belief that she could unravel the mysteries of the animal kingdom. You see, at that time, women didn’t venture into the jungles of Africa to study wild animals. But Jane wasn’t just any woman. She sat. And she watched. Day after day. Month after month. Her patience and persistence paid off when she made a discovery that would upend everything we thought we knew about our closest relatives: chimpanzees made and used tools. For years, humanity had clung to the belief that tool-making was the exclusive domain of human animals. But there they were—chimpanzees, stripping leaves from twigs to fish termites from mounds. Jane proved what many scientists refused to believe—chimpanzees were more like us than we ever dared to imagine. Her work didn’t stop with the science. She gave her chimpanzees names—David Greybeard, Flo, and Fifi—because to Jane, they weren’t just subjects of research. They were individuals with emotions, relationships, and personalities. A radical notion at the time, but one that made the world take a second look at its kinship with the animal kingdom. Then the story takes a different turn. In 1986 Jane saw the forests where her chimpanzees lived begin to disappear. She saw communities struggling in poverty, forced to encroach on habitats just to survive. She realized that if she wanted to save the chimps, she’d have to save the people, too. And so, Jane Goodall became more than a scientist. She became a conservationist. In 1991, launched Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, a program to empower young people of all ages to become involved in hands-on projects of their choosing to benefit the community, animals (including domestic animals) and the environment. Roots & Shoots is now active in more than 75 countries One of its shining moments came in Flint, Michigan, during the water crisis. A group of students took action, distributing clean water and planting community gardens. Their efforts gave their neighbors hope—and reminded us all of the power of young minds to change the world. Then followed the TACARE project and Dr. Jane and the Jane Goodall Institute launched initiatives that helped local communities adopt sustainable practices—like agroforestry and clean water programs—that not only lifted people out of poverty but allowed them to become partners in conserving their heritage and also preserved the forests her beloved chimps called home. One village at a time, one program at a time, Jane showed the world that conservation isn’t just about saving animals. It’s about saving ourselves.

Today, Dr. Jane Goodall is a household name. She’s traveled millions of miles, spoken to millions of people, and inspired countless individuals to join her crusade for a better planet. She’s been knighted, honored with awards, and was appointed by Secretary General Kofi Annan as a UN Messenger of Peace. But she’ll tell you her most significant accomplishment isn’t a title or a trophy. It’s the spark she’s ignited in others—a spark of hope, of empathy, of responsibility. And so, Jane Goodall’s story isn’t just about chimps or science or even conservation. It’s about the courage to follow your curiosity, the humility to recognize the interconnectedness of all life, and the determination to leave the world a better place than you found it.

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He was just a boy from Greenville, Mississippi. A shy dreamer, with his head in the clouds and his hands often full of felt and string. Young Jim Henson didn’t want to be famous. He wasn’t chasing the limelight or the applause. No, Jim wanted to make people smile—genuinely, innocently, and wholeheartedly. His journey began not in the grand halls of Hollywood but on a small local TV show. A green sock turned into a frog. A frog that would one day leap from local screens to prime-time stardom.

That frog, of course, was Kermit. And with Kermit came a motley crew of unlikely heroes: a diva pig, a nervous bear, and a cookie-obsessed monster. Each one became a reflection of us all—our quirks, our dreams, our flaws. But Jim wasn’t just building puppets. He was building a bridge—a bridge to imagination. You see, he believed that laughter could heal and that kindness could be taught. He understood that the simplest lessons, delivered through a fuzzy friend, could change a child's world. He once said, "The most sophisticated people I know—inside, they are all children."

And so, he created worlds where that inner child could feel safe, seen, and loved. "Sesame Street" taught us how to count and spell, but it also taught us about friendship and empathy. "The Muppet Show" gave us belly laughs, but it also reminded us that even misfits could create something magical together. But Jim’s creativity wasn’t confined to puppets. It was in his storytelling, his belief in the power of wonder. Whether he was crafting a labyrinth of fantasy or taking us to a dark crystal world, Jim Henson dared us to dream bigger. He gave us permission to believe that a frog could talk, that monsters could love cookies, and that the world was full of possibilities.

When Jim Henson passed away at just 53, the world mourned a man whose work had touched millions. But Jim didn’t leave behind an empire—he left a legacy. A legacy of joy, of creativity, and of significance. For Jim Henson’s true genius was not in his ability to entertain, but in his ability to connect. And so, today, when you hear Kermit’s banjo or see Big Bird’s wide wings, remember: Jim Henson didn’t just show us a world of puppets. He showed us the best of ourselves, the most significant of being childlike. 

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Today is Ronald Wilson Reagan's birthday and we are celebrating his life of significance with author Robert Charles, the masterful storyteller of Cherish America-Stories of Courage, Character and Kindness. 

Enjoy the "Reagan Riffing" on the principles that guided President Reagan through The Cold War, on his communication skills, the words that inspired us, and on how he cherished our country with action. 

Happy Birthday President Reagan. Your work of significance still matters to us. 

Visit www.Towerpub.com for more information on Cherish America. 

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Stand with us today to honor a man who helped shape the soundtrack of our lives, though you may not have known his name. His name was Mark James, and his gift was the ability to pen the kind of lyrics that reached into the soul and stayed "Always on Our Minds."Born in Houston, Texas, Mark James grew up surrounded by the heartbeat of America’s music—country, blues, and rock 'n' roll.

Mark wasn’t just a songwriter; he was a storyteller, weaving melodies with words that captured heartbreak, hope, and humanity. But what set Mark apart was his ability to write songs that transcended time, resonating with millions across generations.Take Suspicious Minds, for instance. It wasn’t just a song—it was a seismic shift in pop culture. Sung by the one and only Elvis Presley, it gave the King of Rock 'n' Roll his comeback anthem, a soulful declaration of love fighting against doubt. With its pulsating rhythm and haunting lyrics, Mark James' words pierced through the clutter and reminded us all of the fragility—and strength—of trust in love.And then there was Always on My Mind. Oh, what a masterpiece. A song so tender, so achingly beautiful, that it became the anthem for anyone who ever wished they had expressed their love more fully. Sung by legends like Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley, it became more than just a hit—it became our song.

Mark James gave voice to the universal regret of unspoken affection and taught us that love, though imperfect, deserves its moments of grace.Mark James didn’t just write songs; he wrote emotions. He didn’t just craft lyrics; he crafted memories. He taught us to sing our hearts out, even when they were breaking, and to hold on to hope, even when it seemed far away.So today, we say goodbye to a man whose words will never truly leave us. They’ll linger, as echoes of love and longing, in every corner of our hearts. Mark James is gone, but his music—ah, his music—will always be with us.

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