I watched a movie about Young George Washington recently, and it left me thinking about something far bigger than one man’s life. History has a way of convincing us that extraordinary people were born extraordinary. We look at Washington and see the Father of a Nation. We look at great inventors, leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, and … More The Myth of Extraordinary People
One of the interesting things about the World Cup being here is that it gives people a chance to discover something the news rarely does a good job of showing. Most people are not their governments. Most people are not their headlines. Most people are not the loudest voices on television, social media, or in … More The World Cup Chronicles: When the World Shows Up in Person
There is one sentence I’ve probably said more than any other during my life. “You’re not wasting forty minutes of your life with me.” When I worked as a substitute teacher, I refused to treat a classroom like a study hall. If the teacher left lesson plans, we followed them. If they didn’t, we learned … More If You Give Me Five Minutes…
There is an old saying that goes, “Common sense is a flower that does not grow in every garden.” I used to think it was just a clever expression. The older I get, the more I wonder if it should be engraved on the entrance to every parking lot, grocery store, and government building. Whatever … More The Common Sense Chronicles: The Flower That Doesn’t Grow in Every Garden
Every now and then someone asks me a question that catches them a little off guard. “Do you make money from your blog?” The answer is simple. No. There are no pop-up advertisements. No pay-per-click revenue. No subscription fees. No premium articles hidden behind a paywall. I don’t earn anything simply because someone visited my … More Why I Keep Writing… Even When It Doesn’t Pay
There is a garter snake that lives under my driveway. At least I think it’s the same snake. Every summer when I mow the lawn, I know roughly where his hiding spot is. Before I get too close with the mower, I walk through the grass and make a little extra noise. Not enough to … More The Snake Under My Driveway
Ten years ago this month, I was carrying around a worn-out index card. At the time, it was one of the most important things I owned. I was facing a decision that felt enormous. I was considering leaving my home, my house, walking away from a job I had held for sixteen years, and moving … More Stop Trying to Solve Tomorrow
I was thinking recently about playgrounds when I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. Modern playgrounds look like they were designed by attorneys. The playgrounds of my childhood looked like they were designed by people who lost a bet. Back then, playground equipment wasn’t necessarily built to be safe. It was built to … More The Playground Chronicles: We Survived… Mostly
One of the greatest frustrations in life is being judged by a test you were never designed to take. Imagine asking a fish to climb a tree. Imagine asking a mathematician to compose a symphony. Imagine asking a gifted musician to prove their worth by rebuilding an engine. None of those people are incapable. They … More You’re Not Failing. You’re Taking the Wrong Test
“In Finding Your Transformative Life, I wrote that transformation begins when we become fully present in our own lives. The challenge is that modern technology has given us access to the entire world while simultaneously distracting us from the one place we’re actually standing.“ I was sitting at a traffic light the other day when … More The Cell Phone Chronicles: Living Life 12 Seconds at a Time