"Some feel that fear is okay as a lifestyle because theyve heard that the meek shall inherit the earth. So they can go on with being meek as a way of life. They become soft-spoken and compliant, never standing for themselves; always resigned to being a fluffy doormat. But scholars now say that in the scriptural texts that were translated from the Greek, the word praos doesnt exactly mean meek as people have always thought. In fact, it is more accurate to say it means disciplined. A very big difference in those translations. Its much more... Read More

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name. Chinese proverb Since Im now based in China, I thought this enigmatic proverb might be an appropriate way to launch this next series of Extraordinary Minutes. Often Im so caught up in my vision or my story that I stray from rigorously telling myself (and others) the full truth. Whether it be your personal or professional history, or having, as the Buddhist sages say a rigorous regard for reality, being able to actualize a... Read More

You have to keep showing up, being open, and doing the work. The journey into the self is not a group experience. Its a solitary work. But so many of us are afraid of being alone. So you need to experiment The whole process of following these spiritual instructions has a lot to do with conquering our fear. Beryl Bender Birch I am not a spiritual teacher Im a student. However, this notion of being an experiment is appealing to me on our personal and professional growth journey. As we near year-end its a... Read More

Number Three of The Eight Power Principles for Extraordinary Success The movie Forrest Gump begins and ends with Forrest, a man of limited measurable intelligence and unlimited wisdom wondering aloud about whether our lives turn out they way they do through our choices or is it fate? His conclusion, of course is a little of both as famously captured in his Mothers oft repeated life is just a box of chocolates. Author Simone Weil says that Liberty, taking the word in its concrete sense, consists in the ability to choose. Does... Read More

The thinking of creative and successful men is never exerted in any direction other than that intended. That is why great men produce such a prodigious amount of work, seemingly without effort and without fatigue. The amount of work such men leave to posterity is amazing. Walter Russell Assuming Mr. Russell (1871-1963 thus following the syntax of his era) inadvertently failed to include women in this quote, I really like its pragmatic take on intention. In working with my executive coaching clients and teams, one of my... Read More

If you read this question and see nothing wrong with the language, or consider the question reasonable, then you might want to consider other ways in which your current perceptions are limiting your results. The seemingly innocent language of this question reflects the ordinary perception that things happen to us and this perception is often what prevents us from achieving the results we want in our lives. Is there another choice? If youre our executive coaching client or you've participated in one of the Lifespring, ARC or... Read More

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -Sydney J. Harris Ive had this belief for as long as I can remember that at some point the work Ive done on myself would end because Id be some kind of complete, enlightened soul. The joke, of course, is on me. Recently Ive been aware that I have some regrets hanging around in my consciousness. Objectively I know that its a choice and Im making one that ultimately doesnt work... Read More

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are stronger at the broken places. - Ernest Hemingway Acclaimed author Hemingways life was an example of how the world breaks everyone; however those who wrote about him claim he was remarkably ego-centric . So he was talking about us and not himself. If that is true, it doesnt change the value of the counsel. The world and our choices do indeed break us from time to time. Loss of a job or a mate or our health stuff happens. The only question is whether we choose to adopt an... Read More

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. -Henry Ford Long-time readers know of my affection for simple words that express profound wisdom. Fords words match that standard. If your learning goals or current challenges would benefit from some personal coaching, schedule a call with me by just clicking here for my calendar availability. The bad news about my bout with... Read More

From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received. -Albert... Read More