My dad is an architect. And one of the things I learned from him as a kid is the importance of foundations. If you wanna build a tall building, you need to build dig a deep foundation. (Otherwise, the whole thing’s gonna topple over.) The same is true in our lives. If we want to…

Every great book has a handful of Big Ideas that can change your life. One day you see the world this way. Then you learn a Big Idea from a great book. It strikes a chord. And the next day, you see the world differently.  As a result of that insight, you show up differently. And…

There’s a super-simple tool I’ve been using to get clarity on the toughest challenges I’m facing in life. I started experimenting with this last summer. And I’m realizing now just how helpful it can be. It’s called the Most Important Question (MIQ) exercise. It goes like this: 1 – Identify your MIQ. At the end of your…

Howdy! Welcome to the third installment of my Year in Review practice. (Past years here: 2018 + 2017.) Each of these years, since I left the comfortable nest of traditional employment, has been a wild ride in an of itself.  2019 was no exception. Actually, no. 2019 was an exception to a string of exceptional…

Congratulations! Another year has come and gone. You’ve made another trip around the sun on this little rock in space. And you’re ready to gear up for the next journey. But before we do that, it’s time to get present to the unique opportunity of this season. Planning your Best Year Yet is about…well, just…

A Year in Review has become one of the most important journaling exercises I do every year. (If not THE most important.) Your Year in Review sets the foundation for the rest of your year. As Jon Kabat-Zinn says: “If we ever hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step…

Most of us do whatever we can to avoid stress.  When something “bad” happens, we complain, get upset, and try to avoid it. But since Suffering = Pain * Resistance, the power of acceptance teaches us that we needn’t suffer unnecessarily. When we experience pain—physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual—acceptance is the all-healing salve that removes the suffering from our pain.…

When something goes wrong, most people resist it. “This shouldn’t be happening!” Goes the inner dialogue. The resistance comes from a good place—a wish for things to be going “right,” and for you to be okay. But it’s not actually doing you any good. Because resistance is the main thing that causes us to suffer…

One of my clients has a vocal inner-critic. We explored this in a coaching conversation. And I asked how he’d characterize his relationship with himself.  The words that came to the surface were…guilt, blame, and shame. Now, this dude is pretty successful at what he does. Works at a great company. Succeeding in his role.…

I was meditating in my backyard when a handful of flies landed on my body. They walked around my feet. And my shoulders. And my legs. All over the place with their tickly little legs. In the moment when they landed, it was uncomfortable. And as a result, I felt like I NEEDED to do…