Imagine a fir tree, covered in green needles. Should a strong wind come, the tree will bend to and fro in the gusts, but it won’t break. The tree survives the wind because it is flexible. A second tree, of the same size, has dried out and become rigid and brittle. Facing the same wind, it will break. Its branches will snap off. It may even be toppled. You must… Read More »Flexibility is Strength
My wife and I play a lot of tabletop games together. And while I always play to win, I’ve come to see losing as a good thing. It’s all a matter of perspective. When the game ends and Christina has a higher score than I do, there are two equally valid interpretations: I have lost. Christina has won. They are, of course, simultaneously both true, but we rarely hold two… Read More »The Practice of Losing Well
No one likes being told what to do. (It’s not just teenagers.) But you’ve probably been tempted on more than one occasion to give unsolicited advice to a colleague, friend, or family member. I sure have. How’d that go? Were you surprised that your ideas were not welcome? That they resisted, got defensive, and ultimately didn’t follow your advice? Often, telling people what to change or how to change causes… Read More »Your Life is Your Lecture
My wife and I spent Memorial Day Weekend in a small town in central Washington to go birdwatching in the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge. And devoting an entire three-day weekend to birding felt like a perfectly normal thing to do, but three years ago, I couldn’t have imagined such a thing. Now, I’m obsessed with birds. So what happened? And what does this have to do with becoming better? The… Read More »Passion Comes From Repeated Engagement