Sharp Tools
Over the years, I have made many things out of wood: buildings, furniture, cabinets, Art Boxes, doorstops, spoons, and the list goes on and on. To do that, I’ve used saws, drills, chisels, planes (manual and power), scorps, hook knives, carving knives to cut wood; rulers, squares, tapes, dividers, calipers, story sticks, and more to […]
New! Improved! Going Fast!
Great headlines sell. They do the hard work of getting you to stop, pay attention, and change your focus from over there to RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! This is true for direct mail. It’s true for newspapers and magazines. It’s true for television (those scrolling chyrons on the bottom of your screen are headlines. It’s […]
When It’s Time to Stop, Stop
Over 40 years ago, I bought a motorcycle. I got no training. Never got a license. I rode around Hawaii on what was then a high-performance machine in shorts, sandals, and sunglasses. Madness. When I moved to San Francisco, I sold the bike. It’s a small miracle that I’m here to tell that story. Many […]
Boredom vs Tedium vs Mastery
This may sound like a distinction without a difference, but bear with me . . . When you say, “I’m bored,” what are you really saying? I’m not interested? What’s the point? I’d rather be anywhere other than here? You could be bored sitting in a classroom, talking with people you love, or listening to […]
Enter Slowly
At our local Zen Center, we don’t just enter the room. We stop, bow, and then enter. In some traditions, it’s a little bow. In others, it’s three bows going to the floor and back. Other spiritual traditions have similar practices. You don’t just enter the room. You don’t just do the next thing. There’s […]
The Map is not the Terrain
A geodetic map shows terrain lines. It’s helpful if you plan to hike, bike, or ride across the land. An Atlas (the old kind printed on paper) sections the landscape into “states” or “countries” and highlights “cities” and parks and mountains and maybe roads. A road map sections the landscape in standard increments and highlights […]
Certain About One Thing
Werner Heisenberg was a giant of 20th-century physics. If you were collecting physicist trading cards, you’d want one of his. If you took high school physics, you probably remember hearing about “Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle.” If not, here’s the simple version . . . You can measure where a particle is or where it’s going, but […]
Lost in Space. Or Not.
Like most people, I’m not following what is or isn’t going on at the International Space Station. I might be able to pick Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams out of a photo montage, but only if they were posing in flight suits and floating weightless. If none of this is ringing a bell, you are […]
Build Better Than Code
Talking with a colleague this morning about “code.” Not that kind. Building codes. They’re there for a reason. They level the playing field (everyone must meet a standard). They increase owner and buyer confidence (the building is safe, efficient, and durable). They make it possible for lenders to underwrite. Building codes also stifle innovation. You […]
We All Want Control
“Control” and “connection” are paired but opposed ideas. A sales conversation that feels like a battle for control versus one that feels like a connection will yield very different outcomes. This motivation for control is deeply rooted in a desire for predictability, certainty, autonomy, independence, influence, and power. Most of us fear chaos, many fear […]