The Blog

What defines some sound as "music?" It's organization and intent. Music is sound meant to communicate and connect and rhythm is the organizing element of that sound. Music is done out loud, with and for others, and it has a beat.

With music, as it is in any meaningful endeavor, timing really is eve...

What does it mean to be devoted?

We don't talk much about devotion these days. Why have we lost touch with the idea that we can be enthusiastically loyal and true to an idea, or cause, or another person? What's wrong with observing and honoring the goodness, worth, and even sanctity of something or...

The significance of what it means to testify goes beyond the context in which the term is often heard today. There's more power in the act of testifying than what it means in the legal or even religious sense.

The root of "testify" means "witness." Bearing witness in a legal or religious context is...

The status quo favors the exclusive club at the top. They stay there through control and compliance. For those winning the status-quo game, confidence, certainty, and even arrogance are rewarded.

Curiosity, courage, and creativity are discouraged. Those that don’t take a hint are punished. The stat...

Why do we cling to beliefs that hurt our sense of well-being and impede our happiness?

Why do we believe in things that don't stand up to scrutiny or science?

Why is the change we know is good for us so hard to make?

We're born with the capacity for reason, why do we use that power to rationalize...

I think stoicism is stupid.

To be clear, what I mean is ordinary English usage, lowercase "s" stoicism, is a pretty poor strategy for cultivating happiness while creating a life worth living.

Meaningful living and work, without question, involves challenges, misfortunes, and invitations for shame ...

Teaching is what I was born for. Some of my earliest childhood memories are about sharing what I just learned with others.

What I've learned is that teaching serves the teacher as much as the student. It reveals what you truly understand and what you don't. This allows you to leverage your strength...

What is productivity, really?

It’s not just “getting things done.” Everyone gets all sorts of things done daily. After a day of doing things, most are exhausted, But some get remarkable work done every day and appear energized by the effort. Wouldn’t you like to be one of those people? I decided th...

My wife and I homeschooled our sons. We invested much of that time in cultivating a love for storytelling. The boys were not only avid readers but also developed a love for crafting tales in various ways.

They also had a knack for inventing words to better describe things that existing words just d...

Shame is an invitation you do not have to accept.

There is no shame in sufficiency.

You can’t advance any endeavor without making mistakes. Getting things "right" involves going through a lot of "wrong."

And some of those "wrong" choices come with a heaping helping of regret. And when regret appe...

Creatives break things. It comes with the job. Things are as they are, and then the creative brings forth something new. Suddenly what was is no longer what is.

It so often happens at the micro level that you simply stop taking note. But sometimes the change is so profound that everyone notices.

E...

Many ancient philosophical and religious traditions speak to the importance of virtue. The ancient Cynics said it was all that was required to live "the good life." The Stoics said it was "sufficient." As a kid, I learned the Catechism of the Catholic Church which instructed that a firm disposition ...