I do not enjoy dressing up. One of my career goals now is never to need to wear a tie again. It is not the only reason I moved to Southern California, but it certainly helped. My challenges with dressing up stem from childhood. When I was a boy “dressing up” meant being physically uncomfortable. It also meant a long series of fashion tragedies which I had no ability to avoid. There was the multi-colored sport coat which was a... Read more
I believe in the power of revelry. Revelry is authentic and deep. Revelry is being awake to the value and potential of each moment. Even the experiences that test us, that are challenging, unpleasant, and painful have lessons to teach us if we are paying attention. We swim in an ocean of potential and opportunity. If we are awake and open, our lives give us the gift of wisdom. Life is filled with reasons for celebration and recognition. We have the... Read more
Each of us is making a pilgrimage, and each day is a pilgrimage within our pilgrimage. Our pilgrimages, and our days, are filled with single steps. Each of our days is filled with conscious, deliberate decisions to take steps. Some of those steps continue the well-worn paths we are following. Some steps ask us to take new risks. Some steps require us to prepare for them. Some steps we need to take alone. For some, the first step is the... Read more
Jennifer Alhasa is a great friend. She is strong and courageous, and appreciates the value of leading with love. Jennifer is smart and insightful, and has the heart and perseverance to learn the deep lessons that come with overcoming an intimidating challenge like cancer. Jennifer has an amazing smile and an excellent laugh. She has eyes that see with wisdom, and a heart that is full of love. Jennifer is the kind of leader I want to be. In our... Read more
I belong to a liturgical church. Each week, we remind ourselves of the story that brings us together, and we share a meal. In the middle of the orderly, predictable time we spend together each week, a burst of pandemonium breaks out. It is sparked, ironically, when one person says, The peace of God is always with you, and the rest of us respond with, And also with you. We pass sacred peace to the people around us. Some people are... Read more
I work with people who get to a point in their lives where they ask questions. They may accomplish the goals they have set for themselves, or arrive at the moment of their dreams, and still feel unsettled. They may believe that they have the right answers, and still feel empty. They may be surrounded by friends and family, and still feel alone. I can understand and relate to how they feel. I have been where they are. I was... Read more
What is the connection for you between pleasure and joy? Is there even any difference between joy and pleasure? When you do things that give you pleasure, is your life more joyful? How are they different? I have friends who have serious questions about my being the Strategic Monk. They think of monks as people who renounce things and give up the joy of life for no good reason. They see monastic life as full of repression and suffering, people punishing... Read more
Leadership is about finding your balance. It is more than sorting through all the things that demand your attention. It is more than addressing conflicts and working out reasonable compromises. It is more than finding an efficient path through competing options and desires. Leadership is about balance that encompasses the full spectrum of different perspectives. Leadership is finding your own path which grows out of your core values and principles, is shaped by your vision, and helps you move toward... Read more
Our lives are filled with things that attract our attention. There are things we want, things we need, and the ways we intend to get them. Our minds generate ideas and plans of action. Thoughts and emotions, songs and voices, images and sensations, tastes and aromas flood our lives. Memories of people and places, joys and pain take us back to the exact moments we experienced them. It is easy for us to be distracted. It is easy for us... Read more
There are many differences between where I was born and raised and where I live now. There is more traffic here, on more freeways. There are more earthquakes and wildfires here, but more tornadoes and blizzards there. There are more people, from more different parts of the world, speaking more different languages, here. There is no professional football team here, but there is a place for the Stanley Cup. One of the most significant differences is how people understand the... Read more
Strategic Monk
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