I found Karen Armstrong’s newest book The Case for God to be so top notch, so all-encompassing as an objective history of religious thought, that I’m considering writing a series of blogs about it. One entry alone could not do justice to Armstrong’s volume, which is an opus-like credit to the woman who is sought […]
Today I spontaneously did for myself what I have facilitated for numerous clients and individuals. I conducted a thorough S.W.O.T. analysis on me, taking a deep look at my perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is a long-established, popular and simple tool, and perhaps easy to dismiss in an age of many sophisticated assessments […]
Today I was coaching a business leader who said she struggled in balancing passion for an idea, with the proper emotion to express while communicating the idea. As we talked and I asked probing questions, my thoughts circled around Don Miguel Ruiz’s “Four Agreements” (from a book of the same title) and Ruiz’s suggestion for […]
As we become more deeply entrenched in what is increasingly—especially for the younger generations—a post-denominational culture, I’m giving more thought to what mainline entities such as my own (United Methodism) can continue to do to meet relevant spiritual and tangible needs. The recent tragedy in Haiti brought out the best in my denomination (see […]
I’ve been a huge fan and practitioner of key self-awareness assessment tools such as StrengthsFinder; DiSC; and Myers-Briggs. I think that each tool gives individuals a framework and a vocabulary for honing in on their natural talents and predispositions, with suggestions and resources for intentionally fine-tuning a very relevant skill set and thriving in a […]
A long paragraph in the middle of Martin Luther King Jr.'s timeless April 1963 Letter From a Birmingham Jail reads as follows: Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, […]
Sometimes my Christian friends wonder why I’ve been spending lots of time in recent years reading works by authors from other faiths. Ever since stumbling across the volumes of famed mythologist Joseph Campbell a few years back, I’ve been intrigued by studying thinkers in Campbell’s vein and have learned much from works such as the […]
Last night I heard an NPR interview with the versatile British actor Daniel Day Lewis, best known for roles in films such as My Left Foot and Last of the Mohicans. Lewis stars in an upcoming movie entitled 9, based on the life and work of Italian film director Federico Fellini (who made a famous flick called 8 […]
“Be curious rather than critical.” That was a key statement from Dr. Graham Reside during a presentation on leadership values at Vanderbilt University this morning. Dr. Reside, a professor with Vanderbilt’s Divinity School, is executive director of The Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions, which hosts monthly breakfasts that draw participants […]
Coach Bobby Bowden of the Florida State Seminoles football team announced his retirement today, at the age of 80. FSU football has endured mediocre seasons for many years now after putting together an impressive dynasty from 1987-2000, and the university's alumni, boosters and fans in general had grown increasingly restless for Bowden to call it quits. […]