Enjoy the following two non-fictional accounts of frogs: Story 1:  Four frogs were happily hopping down a dusty dirt road on their way to the neighborhood playground.  One of the frogs was feeling particularly boisterous and attempted to leap over an abandoned tire in the middle of the road.  Unfortunately, his leap fell short and he fell into [...]

Climbing out of a rut is most difficult when you are in a rut.  Redundant?  Not so fast. We soak up and spew motivational quotes, optimism, and philosophies of action when we are relishing in the serene and comfortable passages of life's journey.  We boast of our courage and resilience when they are needed least. When we [...]

(Revised version of Comfort Zone: The Birthplace of Success) I want to debunk one of the more prominent motivational metaphors . . . "Success exists outside of your comfort zone" Nope!  I disagree. First, the mental construct of a singular "comfort zone" is restrictive and illogical.  You don't have ONE comfort zone, you have many.  At home with family, [...]

You are on a staircase of an MC Escher painting.  Your environment is reasonable at a glance but illogical upon inspection.   Define "success" Your definition reflects your philosophy of life and your self-identity. It is your true north. There is also an societal and implicitly defined version of success that is, likely, disparate with yours. Oddly and illogically, [...]

I'm questioning the function of my professional network. Here is why: I was recently blessed to participate in a year-long leadership program with a group of tremendously gifted and grounded human beings.  The program repeats each year with a new "class" and, like a college, has an alumni association. At the graduation ceremony, two messages [...]

"Keep your core tight!"  At the tail-end of a group aerobic workout, each of us are writhing in pain and bargaining with the devil for more energy or a higher pain tolerance. "Keep your core tight!" barks the instructor. Truthfully . . . I'm not sure what "keep your core tight" means.  I understand the academic [...]

Defining success is elusive. Although we struggle to define what success is, conventional wisdom assures us that it is located "up" there - up the ladder, on the mountain top, in the stars. I'm not sure I agree. When I reflect on the "successful" moments of my life, each of them began with me peering down [...]

Read a book and you consume the thoughts created by its author. Listen to music and you consume the art created by the musicians. The distinction between "consuming" and "creating" is not complex or revolutionary, but it is a critical element in evaluating our lives and our relationships. Consider the groups to which you belong [...]

"Think outside of the box" - labeling this adage as a cliche is so cliche. The unintended consequence of this motivational poster slogan is the devaluation of the role that the "box" plays in the creative process. Give a genius a box and s/he will, from time to time, break through the walls of that [...]

We are pattern recognition experts.  All of us.  Give yourself a trophy for it.  However, patterns breed expectations and predictions which in turn breed assumptions whose kindred is often inaction. Huh? The NFL season is upon us which is a petri dish ripe to observe this phenomena. "The Dolphins will beat up on the Jaguars [...]