What inspires you? You know what I’m talking about: every now and then something snaps you out of the weeds – some kind of internal force propelling you to embrace a bigger future, motivating you to become more engaged, more hopeful, more visionary, better able to mobilize your team to achieve greater results. But where does it come from? I was having lunch with a couple of friends the other day – two hard-charging CEO’s – and we got talking about the things... Read more
Several years ago I found myself in a bit of a career funk. I was restless, annoyed, and generally prone to a good deal of whining. Conveniently, I had given the whole mess a spiritual stamp of approval by filing it under the “God Has Bigger Plans For Me” department. These particular plans happened to include a high-impact leadership position at a different, better company. Also, with a far richer comp package. After several months of unresolved angst, I decided to... Read more
I once came across this shocking headline: “Cutting Calories Leads to Weight Loss.” A well-funded publicity campaign propelled this revolutionary news story to the forefront of major newspapers, websites, and network news programs. Well, Duh! Do we really need a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine to tell us that we’ll lose weight if we eat less? So, I was not at all surprised when another sensationalistic headline came across my desk that said, “Money Can Make You Greedy.” The link... Read more
Smith magazine, home of the six-word memoir, has joined forces with global HR firm, Mercer Consulting, to put on a very cool contest. They are asking people to describe what inspires them to do their very best work, in – you guessed it! – six words. The submissions are then judged by work/happiness consultants of the moment, like Gretchen Rubin, and Tony Schwarz. What. You’ve never heard of work/happiness consultants? (You can get with the program and read more here.) The winner will get... Read more
For many of us, connecting work with spiritual life is an elusive quest. A few days ago, one bold soul came forth and asked quite directly how I personally handled this dilemma of integrating my faith into the workplace. As if I were the expert. Much to my surprise, I rattled off a five-pronged strategy, delivered with a great deal of authority and confidence. Perhaps I have actually learned a thing or two over the past couple of years. So,... Read more
So here’s what happens: I’m dreaming up my next brilliant blog post while driving into work, say, or taking a shower or what have you, and suddenly this surreptitious little voice in my head interrupts, saying: “Who do you think you are? No one cares about your stupid blog! Look at you pathetic people, pretending to be so clever with your advice and wisdom and deep thoughts. What a load of crap! Let me tell you, the only two bloggers... Read more
Every now and then it’s good to take an enormous step back and evaluate where you are in life. My friend Rob did this for me over breakfast the other day. You’d like Rob. He is a smart, successful, energetic, forty-something investment banker. The whole package, you might say. Or, what I once assumed was the whole package, but now I know better. Anyway, I’ve gotten to know him through some business and professional dealings over the past few years, and... Read more
In his book, “Lynchpin,” author Seth Godin takes the concept of work to an art form. Not that work isn’t going to be hard and monotonous some of the time. But Godin points out that the elements of art – passion and initiative and the burning desire to create something meaningful for others – is the essence of what our daily labor should be about. So why not tap into it? “Art is unique, new and challenging to the status... Read more
I was listening to a podcast of the radio show, On Being, as host Krista Tippet interviewed the astrophysicist, Lord Martin Rees, about how scientific discoveries – specifically, the deep structure of space and time – relate to spiritual life. Call me crazy, but I am fascinated by this stuff. Krista began by asking Rees how he got into the study of cosmology. Rather than blinding her with the brilliance of his single-minded career path, he replied in a starched... Read more
I woke up the other day and felt a little bit off. I went about my business, figuring these things usually wear out as the day progresses. But it lingered. My mind felt fuzzy. I could barely string two sentences together. I couldn’t concentrate. I felt lethargic and low. Maybe it was allergies. Or I didn’t get enough sleep. Or maybe it was one of those mysterious biological universe circadian rhythm things, where the cosmos was blocking my energy force. Okay, I made... Read more
Shrinking the Camel
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