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...
Well friends, it's Black History Month and my friend Albert Cook has crafted a brilliant 10-part radio/podcast series on the topic "Black History and The History of Racism". For 23 years, Albert has taught in the Social Studies Department of New Paltz High School. This enlightening collection provides a rich, global perspective on Black...
Perhaps some people really don’t know any better. Or maybe it’s more nuanced than that. Perhaps there is a large subsection of the population that never got a chance to see it up close. Maybe for these people it is just a concept. Maybe it’s like the abominable snowman. I could see how it could...
In order to properly launch into the hit series “Cobra Kai” (season three comes out tomorrow… wooo!), I decided to go back and watch all of the original Karate Kid movies. It took me a few days to get through the series but I thoroughly enjoyed them. I gained much inspiration from the late Pat Morita’s...
There’s one extremely easy way to experience “the Christmas miss” this year. What is “the Christmas miss”? It is when you neglect to give your “presence” to the people who matter most to you. This year I’m extremely blessed to have family coming to my new home. I’ve been waiting for this with anticipation for months....
An area of my life in which I’ve found a mixed level of satisfaction is my ability to determine whether or not I should take a gig. It’s always a delight when I take a gig and feel great about the whole situation at the end of it. However, if you do (or have done) gigs...
This week, I’m focused on one thing: presence. Through each of the challenges and triumphs of this week, I want to be here for them. In triumph, there is the chance to celebrate. Triumphs bring me the encouragement that I have what it takes to overcome whatever I’m presently facing. In challenge, there is the opportunity to learn...