The Delayed ‘Me Too’
In a recent post, Culinary Conversations, I urged for everyone to make a sincere attempt at listening and asking questions during conversation rather than defaulting to talking and giving opinions. Now, in this post, […]
Life
Ode to a Self-Improvement Junkie
Ode to a Self-Improvement Junkie The truth is, you’re an addict,And you’ve been one for quite some time now. Your goals are set so pure and exact that they could be passed as new legislature.You […]
“Because That’s How It’s Always Been Done”
Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.— James Belasco and Ralph Stayer Flight of the Buffalo 1994 […]
Giving Feedback Even When It’s Hard
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” –Martin Luther King Jr. Feed Them Remember, for a moment, a specific time when a colleague at work acted in a […]
Complaint City
A couple of weeks ago, a Monday to be specific, I had a bad day. A very bad day. Making a long story short, I lost one of my most prized possessions, a watch, somewhere between […]
Balance is Overrated
I was talking with a friend earlier this week and he asked me this question: “how do you keep balance in your life?” Then he said. “Man, I‘m in my early 30’s and I still […]
Behavioral Osmosis
Yawns and accents are two things that are easily passed to others through behavioral osmosis. What else is passed on?
The Satellite Strategy
In my last post, Being in Two Places at Once, I discussed the almost supernatural ability that our devices give us, the ability to be co-located, to sit in one place while teleporting to another, […]
Being in Two Places at Once
Just because you can be in two places at once doesn’t mean you should…
How to Be a More Interesting Person
Think of the most interesting person you know. Now, answer this question: why is this person interesting? Pause for a second to answer before you read on. This question is a tough one for me, not […]
The Best Books I Have Read So Far This Year
If you have spent even one hour with me then you have probably heard me talk about the book I that am currently reading at that time and how it applies to something in our […]
Putting Yourself Out There
“Talk Less, Smile More, Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for. You wanna get ahead? Fools who run their mouths off’ wind up dead.” — [bad advice from] Aron Burr, Hamilton […]
The Balance of Pleasure and Pain
“Happiness existed only as a contrast to unhappiness, and one could not exist without the other. Therefore, they balanced out: ‘Since pain naturally and infalliably produces a pleasure in proportion to it, every individual creature […]
The Internet of [Buying] Things
“What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention…” — Herbert Simon, Nobel Prize Winner and Economist Basic Economics of […]
Living with Purpose
“A rubber band is useless unless it is stretched.” I heard my Jiu Jitsu instructor say this recently and it stuck with me, despite its drastic simplicity. Think about it. A rubber band (or “rubber […]
Make it Take it
The only sport I was ever half-way decent at while growing up was basketball. My skill developed mostly by shooting hoops in the driveway with my older brother, Andrew, or playing at the local YMCA […]
When the Thrill is Gone
What do you do when the thrill is gone? When the honeymoon phase is over? When the new job is now mundane? When the task that once excited you is now obligatory? What do you […]
Don’t Think of an Elephant (A Way to Improve Your Speaking)
This post is about how the words we use shape our voice and dictate the results we achieve, or don’t achieve. I write this as an essay to myself, as I have for so many […]
Process Makes Perfect
A couple of months ago I was fortunate enough to see Jerry Seinfeld's comedy show in Minneapolis at the beautiful Orpheum Theater. If you haven't seen Jerry do stand-up live, I would urge you to […]
On Money and Spending
This is not a post on how to get rich. If I knew that, I wouldn’t tell you anyway, I would be too busy swimming in my coins like Scrooge McDuck. It is, however a post […]
How and Why to Take Your First Ice Bath
“Difficult things aren’t easy, but they’re worth it.” – Mia Love Ice Baths and Performance For years professional athletes have been taking ice baths after big games and tough practices to repair their bodies. There […]
Book Recommendation #3: Linchpin
“Stop settling for what’s good enough and start creating art that matters. Stop asking what’s in it for you and start giving gifts that change people. Then, and only then, will you achieve your potential.” […]
Podcasts: Where to Start (8 Great Episodes)
I’m still shocked when I find out that many of my friends and colleagues do not listen to podcasts and have no interest in starting. To me, this is purely a missed opportunity for them. […]
Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?
“His retreat into himself is not a final renunciation of the world, but a search for quietude, where alone it is possible for him to make his contribution to the life of the community.” ― […]
Your Marathon
Picture her, a lean runner jogging briskly through a freshly paved path between green and brown earth. The crisp autumn wind bites at her cheeks. She is alone, early in the morning as she has […]
Have a Plan for Your Life… And Sometimes Even Stick to It
Looking Back and Looking Forward One year has come to an end and another has begun. As I summarize 2016 I can quite easily look back at this blog and see the thoughts, hobbies, and […]
Stop Saying the Word “Busy”
“Labour not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would be pitied or admired; but direct thy will to one thing only, to put thyself in motion and to check thyself, as […]
Holding Your Tongue When Others Are Wrong
For a long time, I was using the words “further” and “farther” interchangeably in my speech as if they meant the same thing. I just didn’t know the difference so I would use whichever one […]
Leave it Better
We have all been in this scenario… You are exiting a public restroom with a crumpled paper towel in hand, rushing out the door to resume your busy life. As you toss the paper towel […]
8 Leadership Lessons from a Marine Officer and Business Leader
I was twenty-one years old and like most college kids, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. This concept infuriated me: the one that tells teenagers to pick a college major […]
