I struggle with saying ‘no’. This struggle doesn’t always present itself. I find it much easier to institute the ‘no’ boundary when I clearly see a transgression or injustice. However, for me, it can be much more difficult to be direct in saying ‘no’ in the gray areas. There are several reasons this is the case. First,...
Growing up, I can remember my mom keeping an old-school tape recorder in her purse to capture song ideas that would come to her at random moments. Today, we have smartphones with thousands of hours of recording space. We have access to apps that allow us to record at a quality level people could only...
There are few things that I enjoy more in life than a great conversation. I love people. I’m fascinated by understanding more about what makes them tick and how they view the world. In this way, conversations present me with meaningful opportunities to honor and value the ideas and experiences of others. Great conversations also stimulate...
I know of no sport that exists where the championship happens at the top of the season. It would make some sense. At the beginning of the season your roster is usually at its healthiest. You’re usually missing the least number of players to injury. The team is fresh and rested. As with the beginning...
I think it’s safe to say that we all experiment with doing what our hearts desire against the instruction of conventional wisdom. For some, this desire-based approach to living marks an entire season of life. A subset of these people string together enough seasons to make this approach to living the theme of their lives. These...
In music, EQ shapes the sound of a sound source by adding or subtracting frequencies from that source (a general explanation). In the human experience, EQ, or emotional quotient (commonly referred to as emotional intelligence), heavily influences the way we experience the many frequencies of life. During this season of my life, I’m experiencing a lot...
Each year, I collaborate with God to choose an orienting word on which to focus. As I wrote about in my final blog post of 2020, I went on a major Karate Kid and Cobra Kai binge to cap off the year. There were so many unexpected gems of wisdom in this series, but one concept...
I recently finished a book entitled “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise” by K. Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool. Historically-speaking, books with the word “science” in their title tend to intimidate me. However, this book was an accessible read with inspiring insights into just how attainable the expertise we admire really is. Though...
I have a nearly obsessive fixation with eradicating ignorance from my life. Simply stated, I love to learn. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy knowing as much as I enjoy learning. It’s sort of like the feeling of watching a TV show for the first time vs. having watched it already. If I could erase...
There’s this thing I do. From time to time, I notice myself drifting towards things that are the opposite of what I value. I get distracted. There are a number of factors that cause this. First, humanity is dynamic. I drift because I am constantly changing and evolving as a being. I’ve noticed that when I...