The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost. G. K. Chesterton Often referred to as the prince of paradox, Chesterton wrote and lived from a deeply spiritually informed and humanistic stance. My sense is that given who he was, he meant this quote to be positive and not that we should operate our lives fearing failure and loss. Andy Grove, the long-serving CEO of Intel, talked about leading with a healthy paranoia. Valuing what we have our businesses, our relationships, our health, our knowledge ... Read More

When I speak of change, I do not mean a simple switch of positions or a temporary lessening of tensions, nor the ability to smile or feel good. I am speaking of a basic and radical alteration in all those assumptions underlining our lives. Audre Lorde This poet and human rights activist left the physical plane in 1992 yet her words have a freshness to them during these times of persistent, even radical change. My own experience is that incremental change doesnt work very well. Our... Read More

Leadership is about how we shape futures that we truly desire, as opposed to try as best we can to cope with circumstances we believe are beyond our control. Peter Senge MIT Professor and author of the best-selling book The Learning Organization (plus lots more!), Peter Senge is a gifted teacher. I got to know him through his facilitation of the Leadership and Mastery seminar where I learned just enough about General Systems Theory to be dangerous! One of my personal... Read More

"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immoveable, those that are moveable, and those that move." Benjamin Franklin Inventor, American Revolution era Minister to France and prolific writer of wit and wisdom. Those are only a few of the many roles Ben Franklin played during his extraordinary life. His quote here could be judged as too simplistic; yet it conveys one of those hard truths we all need to deeply understand and apply. Im reminded about the train metaphor: you can watch the train go by;... Read More

Example is not the main thing in influencing others, its the only thing. Albert Schweitzer Eighty percent of success is showing up. Woody Allen I really like the contrast of the cerebral comment from Dr. Schweitzer and the witty approach of Woody Allen. Youll note that they are pointing to the same reality: we need to fully participate in the matter of our own life. Being a spectator is sometimes fun but wholly inadequate to... Read More

The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber. William Mather Lewis The 1950s comic Brother Dave Gardner was asked why he was referred to as Brother Dave yet he wasnt really a Preacher. His answer: I am a Preacher. The onliest difference is, Im preaching for it, not agin it. I suppose that witty response could be interpreted many ways. For me, it speaks to the need to develop that strong... Read More

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. Henry David Thoreau Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all of our possessions. John Randolph Its a two for one sale on quotes about the value of our time! Some powerful thoughts here about the ticking clocks of our lives. Thoreaus quote speaks powerfully to me. Long-time readers know that Ive spent way too much of my life hanging out in the past or dreaming about the future.... Read More

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Victor Frankl Dr. Frankls book Mans Search for Meaning is perhaps the most important book Ive read in my own journey toward wholeness. His central notion is that we can find meaning in every circumstance including those we judge as horrible. This entire construct and context is dependent on our taking personal responsibility for our experience and reactiveness. My work... Read More

"This is the one true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be t horoughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for... Read More

"No matter how big and tough a problem may be, get rid of confusion by taking one little step toward solution. Do something. Then try again. At the worst so long as you don't do it the same way twice, you will eventually use up all the wrong ways of doing it and thus the next try will be the right one." George F. Nordenholt This week I really enjoyed attending the Denver University Voices of Experience talk with Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey. In answering an audience members request for advice about... Read More