Photo by Tim Gouw: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-white-shirt-using-macbook-pro-52608/ As a college student, I worked hard through school. I took on a large credit load so I could graduate early and worked between 40-50 hours each week. I worked so hard I burned myself out, and by my last semester I was skipping classes, working 10-12 hours each week, [...]
Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-dartboard-1552617/ “100%” There was a gold star on the top of the page and the two “0s” had little dots in them with a smile drawn underneath them. It was a 100% smiley face. That’s how well I did on my second grade math test. I snap out of the memory [...]
In these moments of conflict, a leader rises to guide the way, picking the restaurant and allotting funding, hopefully inviting participation in the discussion, weighing each option wisely with data, and then making "the right call." But it isn't ever that simple.
A friend and I were talking about an interview he had at an ad agency. When he was greeted by his interview, the first question that was asked was, “Do you want a beer?” I laughed out loud. It was a disruptive question to ask before the two even sat down. How do you respond? [...]
My wife and I sat at our kitchen table with Evernote open to a blank note. "OK," she said to me, "who are we?" For several months we talked about creating a set of values for our family. This past year, I've been obsessed with company culture, corporate values, and how articulated missions, goals, and [...]
I want. My wanting isn't just for material things. My want is bigger. I want security, comfort, and the assurance of knowing I'm taken care of. Sometimes that comes in the form of material possessions like a house, a solid bank account, and 401K (I'm in my 30s and I still think that is something [...]
My son is thankful for paper towels. It's Thanksgiving. A few friends and family members are over for a small Thanksgiving dinner. As we gather around the table, we ask the question, What are you thankful for? People share and we arrive at my three-year old son for his turn. He speaks, I'm thankful for [...]
An oil change can just never be an oil change. As our family vehicle approaches 90,000 miles I know that every 7,000 mile visit to the mechanic means I am going to get a list of what we need to fix to keep the car in good shape. Since we only have one vehicle I [...]
I am sitting on the ground, my legs curled up into my chest and my head between my knees. My hands are over my face and I'm breathing heavy. I know I am going to die. My anxiety was welling up in the morning as we prepared to leave my parents house for the airport. [...]
I only know one thing - it is time for Christmas gifts to end.
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