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40 Years Old
I remember my dad’s 40th birthday. We were on one of our annual cross country family trips—this time flying. My siblings and I were proud of our work—we had used our limited artistic skills to make my dad wear a black t-shirt that we had decorated with puff paint. Big words that said OVER THE […]
Pajamas
Earlier this year I watched a few minutes of The Aviator, the biopic about Howard Hughes. Hughes is furious after watching the footage from Hell’s Angels which should showcase some of the best flight sequences ever captured on film. He had famously brought in dozens and dozens of pilots and filmed for weeks on end […]
Waffles: A Way to Community?
My wife and I just purchased a waffle maker. We’re probably a little bit too excited about it, but we don’t care. We both really like breakfast, and it is nice to make a slightly nicer treat with ease at home. Just last week we finished our very first breakfast of waffles on a Sunday […]
Active Appreciation (examples)
I present my Active Appreciation workshop in a variety of settings, and so sometimes I race through the examples. I wanted to share a few of them up close in a blog and explain the WHY they are important. While all of these are Thank You notes written to me, I share them not to […]
Trophy for More Than Trying
I have a bin in my apartment containing a random assortment of item: old photos, newspaper articles, thank you notes, the polo from my campus tour guide organization, and apparently some trophies. Today while looking for some things from the bin that I may use in a future presentation, I stumbled upon this trophy. I didn’t […]
Kettle Corn & Raisinets: Reconnecting In Relationships
I think it is a weird treat. I just don’t get it. I mean–I like kettle corn and do enjoy some Raisinets from time to time… …but together? But that is what she asked for. It was January of 2011. My wife and I were still early in the dating phase having recently had the […]
Life Lessons from Spain (2 of 5): San Sebastián/Donostia
This summer my wife and I spent just over two glorious weeks in Spain. In addition to experiencing the rich Spanish culture and history, as well as dedicated time with my wife, I found myself reminded at times of important life lessons. This short blog series will focus on the five lessons that jumped out […]
Measuring Tape: Quantifiable Goals
I’ve been spending a bunch of time over the past few days setting some new goals. I tend to do things like this twice a year–in January when everyone does New Year’s Resolutions and sometime during September when I get a quick lull in my speaking schedule. I’ve got the standard physical/fitness/weight loss goals. I’ve […]
“Happy Cold Stone Day” (15 Years Later)
I can’t believe it has been it’s been fifteen years. A lot has happened since then. Some good. Some bad. Some joy. Some sorrow. Still, my memory of that horrible day–when so many innocent people died and our world was forever changed–isn’t all bad. No, even with all of that darkness, there is a small piece […]