How do we celebrate the deepest things in our lives? I think it is a challenge to celebrate well. Life moves quickly. Even when we decide to commemorate a particular event, all the traditions can get in the way of true celebration. I live in a culture that tends to celebrate with consumption. Our special days are filled with eating certain foods and spending money. Each holiday has its own requirements, whether they are hot dogs, or roast turkey, or candy canes, or colored... Read more
Will you spend more time thinking about work today, or tomorrow? I will probably invest time and energy in work today, particularly because I am trying do five days of work in four. I have a three-day weekend, especially one dedicated to independence, right in front of me, drawing me toward it. I will clear space on my virtual desk. Today will probably not be much of a day for reflecting about work. There will not be much in the way... Read more
I know people who think that being a leader comes from having a certain title, or a position of responsibility. I know people who believe that becoming a leader is a matter of education or experience. Some people think leaders wear particular kinds of clothes, or speak particular languages. They see leaders as behaving in some ways and not others. People believe that leaders follow the rules that differentiate between those who are leaders and those who are not. Leadership... Read more
I was not born contemplative, nor was I born in a large city. I knew from an early age that it was more valuable to know things than to learn things. Learning was just a step on the path toward knowing; knowing was the result of learning. It was far better to know the right answer than to be in the process of learning. Learning meant that you had not yet arrived at knowing. Knowing is also more fun than... Read more
My work is a combination of working on my own and working with other people. The line separating them becomes more and more difficult to see. It is often working on my own that is more of a challenge for me. I suppose I may be harder to work with than most people. I have expectations of myself that can be unrealistic. I am learning to trust myself, my intuitions. I am learning to take my own needs into consideration. There are times when other people... Read more
What is leadership, anyway? Some people see leaders as Imperial Storm Troopers, enforcing rules and imposing their will on people. Some people see leaders as little more than cheerleaders, motivating the people who are doing real work. I used to know that leadership was telling people what to do. People go to leaders with questions, leaders give them the answers. I also used to know that leadership was about results. Leaders were able to get people to do things, no... Read more
What does healthy spiritual life look like? How does it feel? I know people who believe that spiritual health is about what they know. When they have the right answers to important questions, their spiritual life is healthy. I have believed that myself. I know people who believe that spiritual health is about what they do. When they follow certain practices, exercise their spiritual muscles, they build up spiritual strength. I know people who believe they are spiritually healthy when God gives them a... Read more
Some days are all uphill. There are times when I start at the bottom of a big hill and, no matter how hard and long I work, I do not get very far. They are low gear days. It feels like the weight of the world rests on my shoulders, that building momentum is beyond me. It is easy for me to get tired and frustrated, to feel like giving up and going back to bed. I like to see... Read more
We think of leadership as happening dramatically. We face a crisis, and a leader steps forward to guide us to success. Our myths and our movies show the least expected candidate emerging to save the day and become the leader we need. At a critical moment, the leader realizes they can become the leader they have the potential to be. While that may be an engaging story that stirs our hearts, true leadership is shaped over time. Leaders take time and... Read more
We love life and health. We work very hard to be physically healthy, to build strong physical lives. We want to live as long, and as well, as we can. When we are injured or sick, it is urgent that we get care. It is an emergency. We are anxious about our financial lives. We work hard to make sure we have the resources we need to buy what we want. We protect our investments. We get help from experts... Read more
Strategic Monk
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In