Life Is Combustion. Sometimes, that’s Good. Sometimes It’s Not.

When you light a fire (or a candle), that’s combustion. The process goes like this. Ignition: Heat starts the process. When enough heat is applied to a suitable fuel source and oxygen, the fuel and oxygen molecules get excited and start moving faster, increasing the likelihood of colliding with enough energy to react. The Bonds […]

Curation vs. Compassion

We see what we want to see. We see what others want us to see. We think we show what we want to show (but do we really?). Multiply by a zillion if it’s on social media. A “curated” life is a mirage. A facsimile. It’s the green grass on the other side of the […]

Where Does the Fire Go?

Where Does the Fire Go? A cold night. A cozy room. A fire lit in the fireplace. You fall asleep by the fire. When you wake, the fire has gone out? But where did it go? You set the table for dinner. The candles are lit. Conversation ensues. The candles finally go out. But where […]

The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself

Franklin D Roosevelt launched his presidency (the first term) with a spare 20-minute, 1,883-word address. The most famous bit was a riff on Henry David Thoreau’s observation . . . “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.” Roosevelt was elected in the teeth of what is now called “The Great Depression.”  His opening […]

Showing Up is Half the Battle

It seems silly to say this, but showing up is the first key to out-performance. Sometimes, this means at all. Get there. Sometimes, it’s about timing. Get there first. Sometimes, it’s about consistency. Show up more often. Sometimes, it’s about intensity. Bring more to the game. What’s true is you can’t win if you’re not […]

The Next Time You’re Shot with an Arrow

A famous Buddhist parable (sutta) relates a conversation with a man called Malukya. It begins with Malukya demanding answers from the Buddha to what were then referred to as the “fourteen unanswerable questions” —e.g., is there life after death, what is the nature of the cosmos, etc. These are the same questions we’re still asking […]

Experiments Are Failures We Learn From

Experiments are “failures” we learn from. “Failure” is another word for “not what I expected.” Expectations help keep us going. Dopamine levels increase when we expect a positive outcome or reward from an activity. The chemical hit makes us feel energized and focused. But here’s the thing: It’s not the actual achievement of the reward […]

Don’t Be Clickbait

A headline is an advertisement for an article. It makes a promise: New, better, cheaper, faster, Going Fast, fascinating, shocking. The lead (or lede) sets the hook. The best leads put across the key insight or big idea. They communicate both an understanding of what interests the reader as well as what’s important to know. […]

Carry On

There is a point in every big deal when it looks like it will all fall apart. There is a point in any creative project where you become convinced that the work is crap, and it should be thrown away. There is a point in any writing project where the bank page just won’t stop […]

Interested. Committed. Obsessed.

Interested. Committed. Obsessed. I heard someone the other day talk about the difference between these ideas . . . about the step-change in focus, persistence, and potential outcomes. Without saying more, I’m sure you can parse the differences. Perhaps you’ll do what I did: I made a mental list. What are the things that interest […]