A few weeks ago I noticed that at least one person had viewed one of my posts after searching “reflexion.” This gave me mixed feelings. For example, I was glad that they found and read what I wrote. I appreciate any avenue that leads anyone to meet me and check out what I think. At the same time, I was born and raised in rural Wisconsin, in what many people call a “simpler time.” Things seemed simpler, in part because... Read more
Travel fascinates me. I grew up in a family that took very few vacations, and those were only to visit relatives. The trips we did take tended to be surprises for us kids; they were not designed to incorporate our interests or educate us. I have never really grasped the idea of planning a trip for months in advance, savoring each moment of the preparation and decision-making. It used to be that vacations would actually make me physically ill. The... Read more
A few days ago, I was talking with a friend about my enthusiasm for my iPad, which I have described in an earlier post. This friend is also a convert to the Apple way of life, and was eager to show me even more apps that I might have missed so far. It was the kind of conversation that begins with “You really need to this; this is so great; here, I will even help you find it.” The explanation... Read more
My father spent more than thirty years working on an automobile assembly line. He had a clear, concrete, tangible understanding of many things, including the meaning of the word “management.” To him, “management” was “a kid in a tie.” He never tired of telling me, and many others, about the day he went to where he was going to be working, attaching a part of the door assemblies to the frame of sixty cars a minute for eight hours. Before... Read more
Being Wrong by Kathryn Schultz begins with some very good, and intriguing, questions. Why is it so fun to be right? Why do we say that we value humility and openness, yet argue so tenaciously that we have the right answers? If, as we say, “To err is human,” why do we go to such great lengths to avoid being perceived, even by ourselves, to have made a mistake? Why is it so difficult to say, “I was wrong?” Being... Read more
What is there to say about silence? What can words add that silence does not already contain? For God alone my soul waits in silence Psalm 62 There is something very powerful about silence. For an extrovert, silence is often experienced as an opportunity to talk, to influence, to share. Silence can be intimidating; something to be endured, or filled. Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before... Read more
I walk quite a bit. Most of my walking is fairly well-populated; city sidewalks, shopping centers and department stores, to meet people in offices or coffee shops. Sidewalks are crowded, and shared with people on their cell phones, bicycles, baby carriages, skateboards, even tables and chairs. In the evenings I enjoy walking around the neighborhood, and those sidewalks are shared with runners, people walking their dogs, and more bicycles and skateboards. I have enjoyed walking on the beach, feeling the... Read more
My Summer Craft Brewery Pilgrimage is in full swing; I have already visited two of the six stops on this year’s list! I am a pilgrim with a mission; actually, several missions. Recognizing the strong historic connections between monastic life and brewing beer, and the significant contributions monks have made to brewing, I set out to explore those connections. I also believe in living a life of leadership, monasticism, and revelry; a brewery pilgrimage just seems to fit. In addition, I have heard that Southern California has... Read more
Many nonprofit organizations have a wealth of resources that they do not recognize. It’s so easy to get caught up in the details of the urgent tasks to be completed every day, and to lose sight of the deep values, principles, and vision that brought you here in the first place. Within a nonprofit, it’s possible to begin seeing the staff and volunteers as obstacles in your path of successful implementation. Some people even start to blame the very people... Read more
Faith on Tap” is a short series on the divine connections I see between monastic life and the art of brewing beer. (Check out Part 1 and Part 2 here.) This blog series is meant to be a red-carpet inauguration of the First Annual Strategic Monk Brewery Pilgrimage. Our tour began on May 1st with Eagle Rock Brewery in Los Angeles and continues on June 4th at LadyFace Ale Companie in Agoura Hills. RSVP here to join us! There is a long and storied history... Read more
Strategic Monk
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In