The Blog

Gratitude Starts with Others

A practice I learned from Seth Godin in the altMBA is "Finding the Good in Others." There are just two steps. First, "catch" someone doing something "right." Second, tell them.

Here's my "catch and tell" for today - "I noticed that you read my blog today....

What does it mean to be exceptional?

It starts when you decide to stop accepting the way things are and not simply keep doing what's expected. That's the short, clear circular path of the status quo.

And there's nothing wrong with that path. Things are generally fine just as they are. So are you,...

Gratitude is appreciation for what you have and receive. You may be grateful for a tangible object or an intangible concept. Regardless, when you mindfully and genuinely practice gratitude, it can bring profound benefits to your life — not the least of which is greater happiness.

Expressing...

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"Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn

Books are my go-to source for inspiration and...

Sure, things are pretty much fine just as they are.

So are you for that matter.

And yet...

Things could be made better.

So could you.

This isn't work you have to do. It's work you get to do.

Sufficiency is no excuse to settle or stop striving.

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker...

The status quo is not the enemy. 

But it is in the way.

Sure, things are just fine as they are. It is what it is. 

At the same time, things can be better.

So can you.

So...

What if you took a look around and at yourself and asked, “What...

I don't recall where I heard it, but I love the exhortation to "Do your thinking on the ground."

Maybe it comes from a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."

Sure, keep your head in the clouds. Dream big.

But do it with your feet...

What does it take to make a difference?

It helps if you’ve considered the Ancient Greek aphorism, “Know thyself."

You also need to see things as they are. What’s within your control? What’s not?

Most things are not within your control, but some are within...

"What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him." - Viktor Frankl

Work worth doing is fraught. There will be delays, obstacles, misfortune, and failure. 

No amount of learning, preparation, or practice can prepare you...

In your endeavor, what are the values on which you won't compromise? What are the principles that serve as your north star?

Here are some of the guiding principles I lean on in my work at Creative on Purpose.

Values:

• Integrity - knowing who I am.
• Intention - knowing what I'm here to do.

Guiding...

You're in a conversation or an email or text exchange. You say or write something that unintentionally, or unconsciously, or otherwise causes injury. The person on the receiving end expresses that they feel hurt or harmed.

And so you say, "I'm sorry that you feel that way."

Let's be clear. "I'm...

When someone is celebrating an achievement or sharing a moment of joy, the signals sent are clear and easy to read.

When someone is anxious, angry, fearful, or suffering, the signals they send can be conflated, confusing, and conflicted.

When confronted or engaging with someone who's in anguish,...