I live in Pasadena, California. Most holidays in Pasadena are fairly typical. There are eggs on Easter and fireworks on Independence Day. People in Pasadena carve pumpkins on Halloween, and get together to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. They put up trees and give gifts on Christmas. One holiday, though, is Pasadena’s holiday. Pasadena may be the best place in the world to celebrate New Year’s Day. New Year’s may be my favorite holiday. I love the feeling of a fresh,... Read more
When we think of the word “Leader,” most of us get a picture of someone in our head. We may think of someone who is confident, or articulate, or dynamic. We may think of someone who is nurturing, or compassionate, or dignified in the face of opposition. We may see someone who is insightful, or deeply committed to a cause, or empathetic. We may think of a person who has demonstrated their leadership, either in history or right now. We... Read more
If 2011 is any indication, we have only the slightest glimmer of insight into exactly where we will be at the end of 2012. I am confident about some things, and choose to believe some others. It is not that I am lost, or do not know where I would like to be. If this year teaches us anything, it is that the possibilites are limitless. I have learned more and grown more this year than any other year I... Read more
It is a challenge for me to be awake and alive to the possibilites of each moment. I am easily distracted from the present by the regrets and excuses of the past, and the fears and fantasies of the future. It takes a lot of work to be attentive to the present, and working that hard makes it difficult to be open. I was deeply asleep to myself for a long time, living to meet the expectations of others. As... Read more
It is easy for me to get lost in my own story. It is easy to become focused on achieving the things that call out for my attention each day, to lose the direction and the narrative. It is easy to allow the immediate to distract me from the meaningful. This is a good week for rediscovery. It is an opportunity to recall the wonderful gifts I have received throughout this year, and reflect back through other years. This year... Read more
Preparations for the Expanded and Enhanced 2012 Craft Brewery Pilgrimage continue at a fever pace. If I say so myself, I have been relentless in my research efforts. Thank you to everyone who has participated in research so far. Please let me know if you are able to help. Every good researcher knows the value of collaboration, and of collecting as much data as possible. My pilgrimages have several missions. Recognizing the strong historic connections between monastic life and brewing beer, and... Read more
Yes, my birthday is three days before Christmas. Actually, less than two shopping days before Christmas. I was born a month premature, and spent that month, including my first Christmas, in the hospital. My parents got a tax deduction a year before they expected one, but that did not really translate into special birthday benefits for me. I have had a lifetime of “one present for both,” of people busy with holiday parties or heading out of town, of “maybe we... Read more
The Winter Solstice is the day each year with the shortest amount of daylight. Each year, the light grows shorter and the darkness lasts longer, until today. Even now, with our technologies to turn night into day and bring light into the darkness, the balance of light and darkness shapes our lives. I work with people who struggle against darkness. For some, it is the darkness of being cut off from their true selves, from the leaders they can become.... Read more
Our lives are filled with things which must be done: errands, tasks, to-dos, responsibilities. We move through life accomplishing these things, checking off each one and moving on to the next one. We finish our errands, meet our responsibilities, get things done. Our lives have a rhythm, a comfortable pattern, that keeps us going. We do not even really need to think about the deepest part of ourselves; we just move on to the next task, the next to-do. Every... Read more
1. That person with a striking haircut, piercings, and tattoos really can help me learn how to us my new iPad, iPhone, and iMac. 2. I may be able to survive without caffeinated coffee. 3. There are people who are interested in listening to what I have to share with them. 4. Being kind is not about the other person. 5. It is possible to be contemplative on Twitter. 6. I learn more when I fall down and get up... Read more
Strategic Monk
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