Blog

I once stumbled across an application for a sales position that made the following disclaimer.  We are an evangelical ministry, and our strategic plan is to use prayer to attract new customers.  Well then. That’s certainly one way to run a business.  Hope it works out for that company.  Although in my experience, the best way to get new customers is through the attraction of working, not the arrogance of…

The unusual receptivity of their creator’s eyes. If we are to convey the distinct timbre of our thoughts and make pronouncements truly worthy of the world’s attention, it all beings with the quiet moments that we notice out of the corner of our eye.  The openness to allow those unremarkable events to fill our soul with remarkable delight. And the audacity to put them wax and carry our truth…

Patterson, the number one selling fiction novelist of all time, gives this advice to budding fiction writers: Don’t think about the sentences, think about the story.  That’s been his approach to writing dozens of bestselling novels for over thirty years. Rather than showing off with snazzy sentences, he focuses on the core of the scene. And it’s that story which grabs the reader’s attention quickly, makes them hold on…

A comedian friend of mine performs at a variety of open mics around town, almost every night of the week.  His personal challenge for improving his comedy game is, he tries to throw himself off a cliff once a night.  Meaning, there has to be one joke, one moment, one movement or one expression that terrifies him. Because it’s risky. It’s dancing on the edge of danger. The bit…

When I first went into business, I would prepare for sales calls by spending twenty minutes in bathroom, quoting my fee in the mirror.  It was humiliating. But that’s how scared I was. And in those early years, you have to take your confidence where you can get it.  Of course, there’s nothing more maddening than the first time you actually do get the guts to ask for the money, and the…

Here’s an interesting riddle.  You can’t spell comparison without the word prison.  Think about it. That’s exactly what happens inside of our minds when we indulge the thief of joy. We add ten pounds to the bar wondering what the other guy is doing. We look at the people around us for evidence of why we’re not good enough or smart enough or successful.  When the reality is, who other…

Tyson said it best.  Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.  Which is a holy mantra for the boxing world, but also helpful metaphor for the real world.  Because there are always invisible forces working against us. Peer pressure, power structures, tribal gravity, social influence, family guilt, group dynamics, to name a few.  And despite our most honorable efforts to stand by our values, the…

Roark once told his young architectural apprentice:  If you want my advice, you’ve made a mistake already by asking me. Never ask people. Not about your work. If prepared a hash of words to stuff into your brain, it would be an insult to you and to me.  It’s an interesting perspective. Because it’s important to walk with the wise and ask questions and breathe in help and feel…

Einstein wasn’t always a world renewed theoretical physicist.  Like many great inventors, he labored in obscurity, gained traction slowly and eventually was universally applauded.  In fact, he started his career working as a lowly clerk at the patent office. Six days a week, he would sit at a desk reviewing applications submitted by all kinds of inventors from around the country.  Naturally, the work wasn’t strenuous or intellectually demanding,…

Taylor’s legendary song reminds us that when we’re down and troubled and we need a helping hand, all we have to do is call, and we’ve got a friend.  What’s interesting is, that type of companionable relationship isn’t always what we need.  Because friendships involve their own versions of economic systems that we make investments in.  That’s the advantage of support groups, online communities, anonymous message boards and all…