The Blog

It's frequently called a second act. In his book on the subject, David Brooks named it in the title, The Second Mountain. Fr. Richard Rohr calls it "the second half of life" in Falling Upward.

Whatever you call it, some of us at some point decide to move from making a living to living a...

It took me almost three years to unpack what and who Creative on Purpose was for. That's a long time to spend alone in the desert seeking insight.

While engaged in this walkabout (or was it a coddiwomple?), I developed tools for maintaining my commitment to my endeavor while protecting my...

Which comes first, purpose or passion?

The short answer is, "Yes, and..."

If you're like me, you were brought up to believe that purpose and passion are to be found within us or through work you're born to do.

What a crock.

Scientific surveys indicate that only about 20% of those asked can...

People like us, who seek to make a difference through work that matters, love to learn. We buy books, attend talks, enroll in online courses, and scour the internet for know-how. But is that really learning?

It sure feels like it. All of these activities remind us of how we were...

Humility is a paradoxical thing. Claiming to possess it reveals that it is lacking. More than any other virtue, humility is less about acquisition and more about the daily pursuit. And a daily discipline of embracing humiliation is a healthy way to remain on the path.

"I have prayed for...

If you're reading this, you're an aspiring or advancing difference-maker. What's going on in your endeavor right now? What needs to happen next to continue developing your potential and delivering on your promise in your enterprise?

Here are three questions to help you re-center,...

How do you provide meaningful feedback that helps others help themselves?

It feels generous to turn on lights and open doors for others. However, more powerful advances are made when switches and thresholds are revealed, and someone turns on lights and walks through doorways of...

"Fortune favors the bold" (from the Latin proverb, "audentes Fortuna iuvat") may sound like trite or even dangerous advice. Yet, it's a motto employed by military units, family crests, and even universities across the world. It resonates strongly enough with me that I adopted boldness as one...

Fate and destiny are terms frequently confused and conflated. Agency is an idea often ignored and misunderstood. A better understanding of each and how they work together may determine whether your journey as a creative difference-maker is frustrating or flourishing.

Fate is simply what is...

Is life happening to you or through you?

The victim's role is enticing. When the story you tell yourself is that life is happening to you, you're off the hook. "People and forces beyond my control are conspiring against me, oh woe is me." You might even seduce a few friends...

The thing about inserting the phrase "all well and good" into a sentence is that it's never the end of the statement. You never see it punctuated with a period. "All well and good" is always followed by "but" and then some contradictory statement.

I hear it most often when colliding...

Human beings are fascinating. 

We work. All living things seek and capture energy to produce or accomplish things. This, after all, is what distinguishes living things from inanimate ones.

But only humans endeavor as a means for building identity, forging meaning,...