Why Failure is Necessary for Success

Last updated on: January 21, 2013 at 6:00 am By JBW

I hate failure. More to the point, I fear failure. It’s a major pain-in-the-ass disruption to the carefully structured images we create for ourselves – those beautiful Greek-statue marbled facades from whence we derive so much self-assurance and self-worth. But, alas, ladies and gentlemen, failure is inevitable in this life, in our work, in our relationships, so we best gird our loins. The sneaky good news, though, is that failure generally fails to destroy us. Yes, this is failure’s dirty... Read more

I’m Doing My Part, God’s Doing His…

Last updated on: January 16, 2013 at 7:00 am By JBW

For those of you interested in getting a close up view of the intimate details of my every day life, well, that’s never going to happen. Instead, though, what I can offer is this video clip that gives you an up-close, high-def view of me talking about God, faith and career path (courtesy of my good friends at The High Calling.) It’s a little weird seeing myself on video, but, whatever. It’s done. So, enjoy! Read more

Surrender Does Not Mean Giving Up

Last updated on: January 14, 2013 at 6:00 am By JBW

Here is an excerpt from my e-book, “At Work as it is in Heaven: 25 Ways to Re-imagine the Spiritual Purpose of Your Work.” A friend suggested I start meditating. He made it sound so easy and fun. And I said, “Well, yes, that might help calm me down.” But I was also secretly thinking how practicing meditation would make me sound extremely hard-core spiritual. “Okay,” said I. “How do I start?” “Here’s how you do it,” my spiritually superior... Read more

Five Life-Altering Career Lessons For Young Professionals

Last updated on: November 28, 2015 at 11:44 pm By JBW

My first entry-level professional job paid enough for a decent apartment with a sofa and TV. As far as I was concerned, this was the good life, and planning for the upcoming weekend was about as far out as I could comprehend. Lucky for me, I married a brave, visionary woman who was wise and encouraging and saw the greater potential for our future that I couldn’t always see for myself. She believed in me, nudging me along through my... Read more

Five Ways to Avoid Blogging Burnout

Last updated on: January 1, 2013 at 10:40 am By JBW

Last year I decided to subscribe to a new-ish blogger who was addressing workplace management issues. I generally don’t subscribe to more than a handful of blogs since I tend to get overwhelmed by the information overload, but I must have been in an expansive mood that day. What I didn’t know was that this blogger, an anonymous middle-manager in some nameless corporation, was determined to post a new 500-word post every single day. I suppose he had gotten this... Read more

Thanks for the Lovely Gift Basket

Last updated on: December 26, 2012 at 12:06 pm By JBW

Some new neighbors moved into the house across the street from us a few months ago. Being the self-centered and aloof person that I am, I usually don’t give much thought when it comes to these things. But for some odd reason I got it in my head that I was going to turn over a new leaf and show generosity and a welcoming spirit to these new folks. I imagined myself ringing their doorbell circled by my wholesome family weighed down... Read more

I’m Getting Too Old for This – Part 2

Last updated on: December 11, 2012 at 5:49 am By JBW

Continued from the previous post. Here is the truth about me, as I’ve gotten older: I’m a little meaner, for sure. I’ve also become more introverted, and prefer to spend time alone or with my family rather than being with people all the time. Also, I am much more skeptical – about matters of faith, about people’s motives, about believing anyone who clings too tightly to their claims on truth. I’m not so shocked and disappointed by the sins of... Read more

I’m Getting Too Old for This

Last updated on: December 7, 2012 at 6:15 am By JBW

I met up with an old business colleague while in New York City for a meeting. He had tracked me down through the miracle of LinkedIn. We hadn’t seen each other in over twenty years, back when we worked together as two young bucks in a small management consulting firm. I was curious about his career path, and what had become of him – or someone like him, I should say. At that time, in my mind he was untouchable:... Read more

The Next Big Breakthrough Business Idea: BE NICE

Last updated on: December 4, 2012 at 7:00 am By JBW

A colleague was telling me about an epic deal he was working on, involving dozens of high-powered lawyers and bankers “It was incredibly intense,” he said. “We had a huge conference area set up like a war room, with each party’s representatives lined up on either side of the table. For five days we worked around the clock negotiating to close the deal.” “Ugh,” I groaned, imagining the excessive hot air with all those $600-per-hour egos clogging up the room.... Read more

The Last Laugh

Last updated on: November 30, 2012 at 6:00 am By JBW

When was the last time you laughed so hard that you almost peed your pants? I’m sorry. That’s probably not an appropriate question coming from a business professional, and all. And it is most certainly off-topic from this blog’s usual content of spirituality and work life. But, dear reader, I believe it is a worthwhile question to consider. So, really, when was the last time you just threw your head back and busted a gut? I ask this because, well, the grown-up life... Read more