Is it possible to collect happiness? People collect all sorts of things. When I was a kid, my neighbor spent time collecting more beer cans than I’d ever seen. My parents collected things, too: mom had her teacups and dad his funny cartoons. I used to collect bruises (soccer players will understand). Some people collect…
Category: Happiness
The Truth About Being “Authentic”
Years ago, my marketing person (aka, my wife) came up with a short bio that’s read before I speak to a group. Here’s the short version: Bringing authentic leadership to life, from the board room to the family room. It’s not always read as it’s written. In Alabama, the woman introducing me read that I…
You Need This Japanese Word: Ikigai
Koh-nee-chee-wah, readers! That’s Japanese for “Hello.” The English language is full of Japanese words, like emoji, tsunami, karaoke, haiku, koi, tofu and, of course, sushi. But my favorite Japanese word is ikigai, and that’s the topic of today’s blog. The English language doesn’t have a word for ikigai, but it roughly means, “your reason for…
We Are ALL Snowflakes!
Snowflakes exist in every generation, gender, and political party. You are one of them, and so am I. If you have found yourself offended, here are 3 tips…
Wearing My Birthday Suit at Work
I’ve learned that clothes can be stained and crotches can blow out from the end of the zipper to the top of the waistband. So now I just wear my birthday suit at work. And it’s paid off in a HUGE way!
Boosting My Humanity Quotient
Until moments ago, I thought I had coined the phrase Humanity Quotient. But apparently, the phrase is already in common use. Instead of rehashing what others have shared, I want to share my own personal lessons on how to increase my connection with the world around me. Meaningful Connection Begins with Intentional Disconnection All day…
3 Practices of Happy People
How do people become and stay happy—whether or not they have external trappings of what we might consider success? Here are three things happy people do differently…
Engagement Lessons from a 12 year-old
My 12 year-old daughter applied to be a peer mentor in her school. But what she wrote applies to engagement at school, work, life, and beyond.
One at a Time…Right Now
While running this morning, it dawned on me how much time I waste discouraged about yesterdays and worried about tomorrows. Am I the only one who does this?
Be the Light…
Karen asked herself, “What can I do today to create the kind of world that I want to live in?” Then she rescued a dog named Angel…
Quit Stalling: How to Stop Procrastinating
Call it procrastination or work-avoidance. We all have some form of it. I offer 5 TIPS as a former, world-class procrastinator on how to quit stalling and start getting things done NOW…
Thinking About Doing Vs. Doing
As a kid, I hated the very thought of taking a bath. I would stonewall and avoid getting into the tub for as long as I could. But I’ve since learned that thinking about doing something is way more exhausting than actually doing it.