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Contrary to what’s portrayed in the movies, three’s rarely one defining moment of conception that changes everything. Life is rarely that simple or that cinematic.  Instead, we usually experience a series of events and epiphanies and inspirations and omens that, when later examined as an entire family of moments, points to a larger journey with a trajectory and a purpose.  The hard part is, you have to trust that…

Handy famously wrote that the sin of modern life was reducing things to their component parts. Life is a mixture, he says. Work doesn’t neatly fit into five days of eight hours. Money comes from many quarters in many different ways. And no one person or organization has to own you if you create collection of different work units that has a theme to it. It accumulates by choice, not by chance. …

I refuse to read a book without a pen in my hand.  For several reasons.  First, because that’s the way my brain works. Reading and writing are one in the same. I don’t differentiate between the two. Each are crucial activities on the same spectrum of creative thinking. You inhale, you exhale. You consume, you create.  Secondly, because if you don’t write it down, it never happened. Innovation is…

A friend of mine loves to remind people, you were born here, and you didn’t deserve any of it.  It’s a powerful realization for any human being to make. But once you accept that the universe does not owe you your heart’s desire, something very real happens inside of a you.  You develop a case of the humbles. You discover that if there’s something you want, you have to…

Personal development is a ten billion dollar a year industry.  Between infomercials, motivational speakers, coaching, training seminars, audio programs, books and other media, there’s no shortage of resources to help people become more empowered and motivated.  And it makes sense, considering the number of studies proving that empowered employees are seen as more innovative, upward influencing and inspirational.  The irony is, power isn’t always the killer app. In fact, sometimes motivation…

All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. Based on my books in The Prolific Series, I’m going…

A popular personal development exercise is to draw a pie chart that divides your life into six or eight or ten equal categories, assign yourself a rating on how fulfilled you are in each area, then keep a journal of your daily progress and ultimately approach enlightenment and balance.  I’ve done those exercises many times, and I believe they’re useful tools for reflection and awareness and growth.  But mostly…

I was walking down one of the busiest streets in one of the busiest cities in the world, when I saw man juggling. Not on the corner, but in motion. He was walking, briskly, jamming out on his headphones, while keeping three balls in the air, for seven straight blocks.  I watched him the entire time, and no matter how many pedestrians, vehicles, pigeons, delivery guys, police officers, bike…

It’s human nature to be self critical.  Doing so taps into the threat defense system. Every time we attack ourselves, the fight or flight response triggers the release of stress hormones, the very chemicals that evolved to help our species survive.  To paraphrase the great playwright, above all things, criticize thyself.  But although it’s a useful arrow in our motivational quiver, there comes a point where chastising ourselves works in…

Inspiration is critical to the creative process, but it’s not a replacement for it.  I recently met a woman who admitted she spent all her spare time watching documentaries about famous people being creative, hoping to get inspired by their tales of taking action.  Which was an intelligent strategy for stoking the artistic fire, but unfortunately, that’s where the work ended. She never took initiative to launch anything herself….