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The reason you’re stuck creatively is not because your mind has run out of ideas.  It’s because your mind is churning out too many thoughts veined with worry, and that’s clouding your sense of proportion and priority.  Truth is, before you can even start cultivating your idea, you first have to navigate all of the mental debris that stand in the way of its fullest and truest expression.  Mythology research calls…

Does this feel like a source of untapped potential? An uncomfortable place that we typically avoid? Perhaps a new dimension of ourselves that could present us the opportunity for growth and change?  Perfect. That’s our edge. And we should lean into it like a heavy caliber rifle. Because that’s where all the wisdom lies.  Masters outlined the characteristics of this sacred place in his book on true masculine power. He refers to…

Here’s the most important thing you want people to remember about you.  This isn’t all you do. You’re not a one trick pony. There are other arrows in your professional quiver. You have wealth of interesting instincts and skills that combine to form your arsenal of talents, each of which can create real value for real people.  My mentor even had a mantra for this: Everything you do should…

What’s worse than an entrepreneur who is afraid of commitment?  An entrepreneur who is living their lives to accommodate an outdated commitment because they’re afraid of contradiction.  That was the stubborn siren song of my professional life for years: Stick to your guns, shoot yourself in the foot, and then aim the gun at the other foot just so you have a matching set of holes.  My career was…

What do you mean you don’t want to spend every waking minute with me?  That was the fear narrative running through my head for many years. That my girlfriend would feel abandoned and rejected and question my love for her if I took an occasional weekend for myself.  And so, the nice guy inside of me, that friendly midwestern passive aggressive confrontation phobic codependent love addict, would leap in…

Holman’s handbook of addictive disorders defines shame in the following way.  He refers to it as feelings of defectiveness because of having a need.  Because that’s the story we sell inside our heads. Even though we want to bring ourselves into full alignment with what we long for, some part of our brain superimposes guilt on top of that need.  After all, having a need might mean tension and…

Ford was an industrialist, but he was also an enthusiast.  The combination of which enabled him to profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. Consider his words from over one hundred years ago, which still ring true today.  Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the…

Proactive coping is preparing in advance to be upset, angry and disappointed.  Setting yourself up to emotionally thrive in a potentially triggering or stressful situation, knowing that you won’t be in the right mind at the time.  For example, before leaving town to visit your extended family for the weekend, you can activate your healthy support system ahead of time. Perhaps alerting friends or your spouse that you would…

A recovering consultant friend of mine jokes that he used to be paid handsomely to help companies build up the facade of a business that deep down they knew was cracking at the foundation.  It’s a sad but widespread paradox of life. One that only happens to corporations, but also to individuals.  Many of us have been there before. Putting energy into being other than ourselves, it’s completely exhausting. Even if…

Every guitar player learns the same first lesson. It’s better to practice five minutes every day than five hours on the weekend.  That regular interval of concentrated effort keeps us connected to the music. Not to mention, helps heal those painful callouses faster.  This principle applies to almost every area of life. Because if we only do something every few months, it’s impossible to get on top of the…