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credit: Mohamed Hassan They may be poorly written and totally implausible, but they hold a valuable bit of wisdom I am a firm believer that you can learn something from everyone you interact with. It’s easy for us to learn from well-known geniuses and successful folks in the public eye. But what about email spammers? What — if anything — can… Read More »What Those Spammy “Nigerian Prince” e-mails Can Teach Us About Content Creation

Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile from Pexels Enlightenment is not just for meditators or yogis, but it’s often misunderstood and misused, which ruins it for everyone What does the word enlightenment mean to you? Does it evoke images of a monk in a saffron robe, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, with a slight smile of contentment? Does it conjure… Read More »Are You Enlightened or an Escapist?

Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash How death reminds us of how we should be living A colleague of mine died a few weeks ago. Strike that. A friend of mine died last week.He was indeed a friend. Sure, we worked together, and met because of work, but he was more than that — he was a friend. He was… Read More »Where Do We Go When We Die?

source: Wikimedia Commons An essay on a different way to think about both hard work and failure. A few nights ago, I read my 5 year-old daughter a book about Amelia Earhart, which featured the following quote: I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men… Read More »The Importance of Having a Mission, Correctly Using Failure, and Leaving the Ego Behind

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash A lifetime of misery can come from chasing the wrong kind of happiness Without thinking too much about it, answer this question: what is the end goal of your life? All of the accomplishments, relationships, and possessions you may be chasing right now — why are you chasing them? What is it… Read More »The Important Distinction Between Absolute and Relative Happiness

A meditation on why it’s necessary to embrace life’s detours. Photo by Burst on Unsplash In May of 2001 — when I was about to graduate from high school in my suburban Illinois town — I had a conversation with an Army National Guard recruiter. Their table had been outside of the school’s lunchroom every Friday for nearly the whole year.… Read More »The Path is Rarely Direct, and That’s How it Should Be

Photo by Quincy Alivio on Unsplash Whether you meditate, exercise, journal, or sleep in — the most effective morning routines boil down to one essential component. Morning routines have been a big deal for a few years now. People from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe seem to have something to say about the best morning routine to make your day… Read More »The Only Morning Routine You’ll Ever Need

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash The practical reasons for “loving thy neighbor,” and how to make it a habit. What do you think when you hear the word compassion? Most likely, what comes to mind is touchy-feely, emotional, and impractical — right? And that reaction makes sense, considering how compassion has been approached throughout history. Most of the… Read More »The Practice of Strategic Compassion

We encounter impermanence every day, but we seem to forget it when remembering it would do us the most good. Photo by Mikito Tateisi on Unsplash I have worked at a handful of companies (both non-profit and for-profit) for 20 years. I’ve had kids for nearly 5 years, but already, I am struck by the parallels between… Read More »This Too Shall Pass: A User’s Guide to Impermanence as a Tool For Self-Improvement

On the difference between active and passive goals, the “goal” of goal-setting, and meeting reality on its own terms. Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash Here’s a question that might sound dumb: why do we set goals? The short answer is that setting goals is the best way to make sure you keep on growing. The longer… Read More »Use Active Goal-Setting to Improve Your Odds of Success