Repost: A Meditation on Something I Heard the Other Day

On Friday, October 11th, I attended a professional development workshop at the college where I’m employed.  The title of the session was “Communication Skills for Collaboration.”  Looking back, I don’t think the title gave an apt preview of what the talk would cover.  Plus, the title was boring; whereas, the actually workshop was quite interesting. During the early moments of the presentation, the presenter began … Continue reading Repost: A Meditation on Something I Heard the Other Day

woman in red long sleeve shirt holding her clothes

The Best Option You Can Take

So, two things have happened to me recently.  Believe it or not, it’s been a year since I boldly decided to leave my former employer in Hong Kong and divert to Singapore. Since then, I haven’t tried to make much happen. Instead, I’ve taken the time to concentrate on reforming my inner world.  Still, I’ve kept my ear close to the ground on the off … Continue reading The Best Option You Can Take

Repost: On Dealing with Emotional Extremes

I’m getting older.  We all are.  Of course, as we age, we lose things.  For example, because I’m older and injured my knee playing competitive sports when I was a young guy, I can no longer jog without having significant pain afterwards.  That sucks, but I’m fine with that limitation and loss. It’s not all bad news though.  I’m gaining things too.  For example, I … Continue reading Repost: On Dealing with Emotional Extremes

Repost: Napping as an Act of Defiance

I’ve been thinking a lot about defiance lately.  Actually, because I’m very much a contrarian at heart, I’m always thinking about ways to defy.  That’s what contrarians do; they defy conventional wisdom (among other things).  (By the way, it seems pretty clear that we need a lot more contrarians in the world.) I guess you could also say that I’m part of the resistance against … Continue reading Repost: Napping as an Act of Defiance

Feed Your Appetite: An Unintentionally Honest Slogan?

Not that long ago, I found myself stopped at a traffic light, across from a rather pricey development combining shopping and dining. Next to the road was a large sign, advertising for the entire place. What caught my eye was the slogan for this place: “Feed Your Appetite.” I was partly amazed, partly amused, and partly disturbed. Of course, if what “feed your appetite” meant … Continue reading Feed Your Appetite: An Unintentionally Honest Slogan?

gold kettle pouring hot water on cup of tea

Embracing Wabi-Sabi: The Beauty of Imperfection in Japanese Culture

Several centuries ago, during the peak of the Japanese autumn, in one of Kyoto’s splendid gardens, a tea master instructed his apprentice to prepare for a tea ceremony. The young man meticulously trimmed hedges, carefully raked the gravel, plucked dry leaves from the stones, and cleared the mossy path of any twigs. The garden appeared flawless: every blade of grass was perfectly in place. Silently, … Continue reading Embracing Wabi-Sabi: The Beauty of Imperfection in Japanese Culture

Repost: Does Anyone Know Where I Left My Car Keys?

I’ve been forgetful lately.  I’m talking like, I’ll be in one part of my house, decide that I need something from another room, head to that locale, and as soon as I arrive there, I can no longer recall what I wanted to get.  I know this is a near universal human experience because I’ve had numerous friends, once I’ve told them about this tendency … Continue reading Repost: Does Anyone Know Where I Left My Car Keys?

man facing road

Why I Miss My Job but Don’t Regret Leaving It

My friends, family, and former colleagues often ask me whether or not I miss flying. It’s been a year since I handed in my resignation letter and decided to divorce from a 12-year career.  I’m incredibly fortunate to have had the time to decompress following all the political upheaval I was caught up in Hong Kong.  When people ask me if I miss it, my honest … Continue reading Why I Miss My Job but Don’t Regret Leaving It

Repost: On Work and Money: Part Two

If you haven’t already done so, you might want to have a look at part one.  That one was mostly about work.  This second piece will be more focused on money; although, work and money really go hand in hand because without the former, the latter is hard to come by. In part one, I mentioned (and linked to) “The Shame that Keeps Us in Our … Continue reading Repost: On Work and Money: Part Two

Repost: On Work and Money: Part One

Earlier this week I read “The Shame that Keeps Us in Our Jobs,” an article by Paul Millerd, one of my LinkedIn contacts.  Millerd’s piece, about work, work culture, and money, got me thinking about a whole bunch of topics.  This blog is the result of that rumination. I want to begin with something I’ve wondered about throughout my career as a college and university … Continue reading Repost: On Work and Money: Part One

Repost: Experimenting with Self-Discovery in Real Time

I don’t think this is going to be anything like any of my other blogs.  Actually, I’m not for sure what this is going to look like or how it might turn out.  That’s why I’m calling it an “experiment.” I will conduct my experiment by asking a series of personal, self-discovery questions and then answering them.  Each response will be used to generate another … Continue reading Repost: Experimenting with Self-Discovery in Real Time

This Series of Posts Concerning Depression’s Social-Environmental Causes, Solutions, and Johann Hari’s “Lost Connections”

This post (or page), which will continue to be updated, organizes links to my series of posts relating to depression’s causes, possible solutions, and Johann Hari’s “Lost Connections” Continue reading This Series of Posts Concerning Depression’s Social-Environmental Causes, Solutions, and Johann Hari’s “Lost Connections”

Depression and Disconnection from Meaningful Work

One cause of depression turns out to be spending one’s time in work that isn’t meaningful. But what does “not meaningful” mean, and how and why does it contribute to depression? As I’ve written about previously, there are at least six types of social-environmental causes of depression, helpfully cataloged and discussed by Johann Hari in Lost Connections (read my post about the book here). One … Continue reading Depression and Disconnection from Meaningful Work

Let’s Talk and Think about Skin Color

Note:  A version of this post was published earlier.   As America gears up for the 2024 presidential campaign, a variety of Republican contenders, chief among them Ron DeSantis, are doing their absolute best to dethrone the Grand Poohbah, otherwise known as “The Donald,” the man who gives lie to the statement “It can’t happen here.” To achieve this difficult task, these campaigners are going … Continue reading Let’s Talk and Think about Skin Color

Unlocking Personality: A FREE eBook I Wrote!

Everything I write about is aimed at helping people understand and love who they are. To not be ashamed or hide behind some false character armour but instead embrace the gifts that God has given them.  As part of that aim, I’ve compiled an epic ebook entitled Unlocking Personality. Based on the Big Five Personality model – one of the most widely recognised and respected frameworks in … Continue reading Unlocking Personality: A FREE eBook I Wrote!

Repost:  What Vladimir Putin’s War Has Taught Me

Before I get into the body of this piece, I’d like to say that the conflict in Ukraine is especially interesting and tragic because I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Poland during the mid-nineties, not long after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall.  I was sent to Rzeczpospolita Polska—I still remember quite a lot of Polish—to … Continue reading Repost:  What Vladimir Putin’s War Has Taught Me

Four ways we may stumble in attempting to live Stoically

Have you encountered these difficulties in attempting to live Stoically? (Living philosophically?) After a conversation I had, some time ago, about living as a Stoic philosopher, I found myself wondering what pitfalls and stumbling blocks a person is likely to encounter when they try seriously to integrate Stoic teachings and practice into their life. Four things came to mind almost at once. I’m going to … Continue reading Four ways we may stumble in attempting to live Stoically

person wearing red hoodie sitting in front of body of water

The Surprising Benefits of Depression

No one talks about the benefits of depression, do they? No one talks about how depression might happen for a good reason.  Most people assume it’s nothing but a bad thing. A product of low courage. A cancer of the mind. And perhaps it is? When you examine depression on paper, it’s difficult to argue otherwise. I mean, I hardly need to outline the costs … Continue reading The Surprising Benefits of Depression

A Sad Day, a Happy Day

Exactly one week ago, on Saturday morning, my wife and I got into the backseat of my father and stepmother’s car, in Georgetown, Texas, pulled out of their garage, and headed eastward, to make the hour-long trip to the small town of Rockdale, Texas, population 5,323. Our goal was to attend a memorial service to commemorate the life of my uncle, a man I’d always … Continue reading A Sad Day, a Happy Day