International Speech Competition: I’m hungry for bugs
The funny, but insightful story about how we tend to destroy what is most precious to us. A video from an international speech competition.
Inputs: The real key to changing your life
For our change initiatives to be successful, we have to get down the the core, what really drives change, this is what really matters.
Straining toward achievement
Straining toward achievement This morning I was at the gym—sweating, hurting, thinking I was an idiot, and wondering what in the world I was doing. I’ve got a goal to bench-press 400 lbs, which is about 25 lbs over my prior max. Now I know 25 lbs doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’ve […]
Michael Phelps – setting and achieving goals
Michael Phelps – setting and achieving goals Last week when we were on the Oregon coast, after freezing in the Pacific Ocean for a bit, I decided to warm up on the beach and make a sand sculpture. Since all of our family had been cheering on the great Phelps, I decided to do two […]
Two lessons from Michael Phelps
Two lessons from Michael Phelps Friday night, Michael Phelps fought to win his 7th straight gold medal in the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics, allowing him to officially tie the prior record from former Olympian Mark Spitz. With all that was riding on the race, and in spite of having exhausted himself from so many other races, […]
Finding your own personal sweet spot
Finding your own personal sweet spot In the world of business there’s this little thing called the COP model. COP is an acronym where each letter stands for “Competency,” “Opportunity,” and “Passion,” respectively. Opportunity means there’s a demand or a need for what you do. If you imagine each as a circle (as I diagrammed […]
Michael Phelps – Making your dreams come true
Michael Phelps – Making your dreams come true Tonight I watched the incredible men’s 4×100 freestyle relay. The United States Olympic swim team put to bed the taunting from the French team, destroyed the prior world record, and took home the Gold, all in one fell swoop. The entire race was awe-inspiring, to say the […]
The truth about consumption
The truth about consumption I firmly believe in the importance of measurement—that the only way to ensure we get where we want to go is by frequently measuring ourselves. Measuring the worth of your pursuits is one way, while paying attention to your consumption is another. We’ve all heard “you are what you eat,” but usually pass […]
Four reasons why hope breeds success
Four reasons why hope breeds success A larger vision “Don’t get your hopes up,” the world so often says. Being hopefully optimistic leaves you open to disappointment, and the result? Hope aversion. But naturally optimistic and hopeful people tend to achieve more. Look at most of the people that you know who are high achievers. […]
How to reconcile hope with failure
How to reconcile hope with failure Living the life of an optimist, one naturally filled with hope, how do you continually reconcile a seemingly never-ending barrage of disappointment? Certainly, merely choosing to live optimistically or being hopeful doesn’t make you immune to disappointment, nor does it mean that everything you hope for will come true. […]