A Twist to Unplugging
The holiday breaks are always a time to unplug, and we need to do more of it during the year. Unplugging enables us to: Refresh our outlook Renew our mind Re-energize our actions Unplug or Pull the Plug The thought of unplugging makes sense, yet it is challenging to do. Maybe “unplug” is too mild…
Moments of Peace – The Christmas Truce Story
The spirit of Christmas loses luster at times. Family pressures overtake us. Economics burden us. Unfathomable events sink us. Even in challenging times, a Christmas moment catches us off guard, bringing a smile of a warm memory or a burst of gladness. It may not matter if one believes in Christmas or not, the seasonal…
What Is Your Information Productivity Personality?
Information Productivity is the new IP. Our intellect expands through reading, being present in engaging conversations, and using the knowledge gained in daily activities. In the Information Productivity Cycle article, we examined the importance of converting the information absorbed into actionable steps. Each step in the cycle plays a role, but converting the information and…
An Unlife Life: Five Different Perspectives
In October, I wrote a post entitled “Creating an Unlife Life.” This post led to a few more and then to a call for others to join in. A few have. It also led to a discovery of others writing about similar life principles. Highlighted below are some of the recent unlife life posts and…
Where Is Your Impatience Placed?
Here’s a test. Write down the things that made you impatient during the past few weeks. What does your list contain? It may include: Waiting in a checkout line Waiting in traffic Getting stuck behind a slow driver Getting stuck in a project that doesn’t fit our career objectives Impatience is usually combined with waiting…
With Gratitude to Sarah Hale, We Have Thanksgiving
It took 40 years of diligent effort by Sarah Josepha Hale for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday. To the leadership and strong beliefs of Sarah Hale, we share our gratitude. Sarah’s Story Sarah Hale’s story is one of challenge and inspiration. Her husband passed away in 1822, leaving her with five children and little…
How to Avoid Drift into Mediocrity
Kent Julian recently asked the following question on his blog, Live It Forward: “What strategies do you use to avoid the drift into mediocrity?” Read his post “Beware of the Drift into Mediocrity” to gain more context. It is an essential question to answer. In thinking through my answer, it came down to story. What…
How Do You Describe Passion? A Gelato Lesson.
This past summer we took a father-sons weekend trip. Part of it took us to Portland, Maine, and into Gorgeous Gelato to discover wonderful gelato and a delectable quote on the wall. The passion of gelato. In my opinion, Auguste Escoffier, an Italian chef, captured the essence of passion in description. Here’s why. It sets…
Three Vignettes on Unlife Life Choices
Creating an unlife life is vital. It is a balance of unlearning and learning to live unstuck, empowering us to grow and live a purpose-filled life. To build on this philosophy, this post contains a unique mix of three perspectives on an unlife life. Unbuckle. Have you ever had that feeling of “it just isn’t…
Creating an Unlife Life
Our lives contain an interesting mix of past and present. We carry forward a legacy from our parents, our experiences, and our communities. Many of these elements can be good, as they form a foundation from which we can build. Some can be bad, as they can hold us back or carry forward unhealthy habits…
3 Key Practices to Working with 21 Authors
Working with 21 other leaders can present a set of challenges. However, a clear purpose serves as a rallying point, aligning activities and personalities. This is what happened when writing “The Character-Based Leader” book. It is as Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed…
Love My Ideal Day
My ideal day…. I close my eyes, and my answer comes into focus. I think about the perfect run, a perfect writing day, and a perfectly quiet day sitting on the beach. All sound really good, yet my ideal day is one simply filled with love. My ideal day is about love of family, friends,…