Photo by Dean Rose on Unsplash The counter-intuitive relationship between aspiration, attitude, and achievement. I used to teach philosophy classes at a community college — after working a full day at my 9–5 job. I would leave the office at 4:30, drive about an hour to the campus, and try not to bore a group of tired students… Read More »Slow is Fast, Small is Big, Soft is Hard
Photo by Avi Richards on Unsplash Hidden deep in every job is the opportunity for much more. But how many of us take it? Of all of the phrases I hear regularly that bug me, chief among them is “it’s not personal, it’s just business”. I consider that phrase a very special brand of bullshit. I say… Read More »The Undeniable Spiritual Nature of Work
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash How to single-task and achieve full concentration on a task, so you can enjoy the benefits of single-tasking. More frequently than I would like to admit, I have a lot of tasks to get done, and a smaller amount of time than I’d like which to do them. I… Read More »Harnessing the Power of Concentration
credit: Tov Mauzer (via DeviantArt.com) Or, why everything you *think* you know about a (supposedly) violent and misogynistic work of art is probably wrong. 1999 was a simpler time. You could get on an airplane without having to remove half of your clothes. Most people were eating gluten and didn’t seem to care. There was Nu… Read More »My Enduring Intellectual Love Affair With Fight Club
Photo by Francisco Moreno on Unsplash How our unique place in the history of consumerism and technology has blurred an important distinction, and how we can see it more clearly. We are simultaneously in a great time to be alive, and an extremely dangerous one. On one hand, we have at our fingertips all kinds of stimuli — from… Read More »The Pleasure Trap and How to Escape It
image credit: Jonas Verstuyft on Unsplash A simple, 2-step method to help you learn and unlearn more effectively, and gain a stronger body of knowledge in the process. For all the lip service that we tend to give the concept of “an open mind”, I have found that it both (a) isn’t clearly and consistently defined (b)… Read More »How to Practice Active (not Passive) Open-Mindedness
credit: Jordan Madrid on Unsplash On mission, values, attitude, and connectedness. For the past few months, I have been working on crafting a personal mission statement and set of core values. Ever since reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for the umpteenth time, I have been utterly convinced of the importance of a mission… Read More »Open Mind, Open Heart
Credit: Daniel Chekalov on Unsplash The way we look at a our personal and professional lives takes a toll on both. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Since the time I began working a grown-up job, I have been hearing things about “work-life balance”. From what I can gather, this is supposed to mean something… Read More »Against “Work-Life Balance” and In Favor of Something Better
“closeup photo of green bamboo sticks” by Bennett Dungan on Unsplash On Limitations, Self-Discovery, and Creative Work There are two types of limits we have when it comes to creative work: those that we just encounter, and those that we place on ourselves. The limits we place on ourselves are the most prevalent, and the most insidious.… Read More »“What Wouldn’t You Do?” — A Question to Break Through Creative Blocks
Credit: Olivier Fahrni on Unsplash A Simple Acronym: B.E.L.L.A. Staying mindful is no easy task. Whether you’re sitting and meditating, or attempting to do an activity mindfully, certain things tend to get in the way of being present and basking in the moment. The Buddhists have a name for these things: hindrances. There are 5 of… Read More »A Practice to Build Resilience and Learn to Endure Through Difficulty
