What are you excited about?

Tomorrow I get to enjoy a Skype conversation with Simon Sinek. To say I’m geeked about chatting with Simon is a massive understatement and it reminds me that the anticipation of something good can change everything. Looking forward to something wonderful like a first date, a vacation, a holiday, an anniversary, or even the release of a new movie can … Read More

Let’s not be too busy for people

I’m going to guess that you have a lot of obligations. Me too. The demands on our time often seem unending and overwhelming. The relentless pace at which we run makes us prone to spend our time and focus our energy on the urgent instead of the important. We put out brand new fires each day, finalize budgets at the … Read More

What matters most?

This has been a challenging week. (Note: “challenging” is not the same as “bad”) I have spent time with friends who are hurting, I’ve wrestled at length with my ego and my pride, and I’ve been the recipient of ridiculous kindness and generosity. All of these things have served to remind me that I have a propensity to misplace my … Read More

An Incomplete List of Things That Really Matter To Me

Because I forget too easily and chase the dumbest things Having breakfast with my daughter each morning before school Long talks with my wife about the issues of the day Developing deep, meaningful relationships with people I care about Having my work regarded as valuable by the people it impacts directly Mattering to my employees Music People who care Interesting … Read More

How can I help you?

Last week I posted a note on Facebook asking people how I could help them. Doing so afforded me the opportunity to bring someone coffee and share some marginally valuable parenting advice with a new dad. I want to ask you the same question, my friend. How can I help you? If you could ask me for one favor, what … Read More

Are you a big deal?

On Tuesday a man with my name on a sign met me at the airport and drove me to my hotel in his limousine. It was fun – except sitting alone in the back of a limo is really kind of weird – but riding in limousines has nothing to do with being a big deal. Neither do Facebook likes, … Read More

Your next big opportunity is on the line

It’s obvious that a job interview demands your “A” game. What’s not so obvious is that you are already giving your next job interview right now. The way you do your work, the way you conduct yourself, the way you treat people right now is speaking volumes to the people who will give you your future opportunities. You can’t know … Read More

Does anyone understand you?

The following sequence of words appeared in my Facebook feed recently: “I’m only responsible for what I SAY, not for what YOU understand.” Ugh. I shared the post with a friend who immediately called it “the hallmark of a lazy communicator.” If you have an idea worth sharing, it’s your job to ensure you are understood. To blame your audience … Read More

The Truth Is We’re Only Telling Half Of The Truth

This is what I look like about 20 seconds after I roll out of bed. I’m sharing this photo because I spend a lot of energy trying to make my face/work/body/marriage/life look ideal, but that’s only half of the truth. I want the things I share to inspire you to reject the status quo, do your very best work, and … Read More

The Unapologetic Truth About Your Work

Your Work is occasionally quiet and orderly and beautiful. Other times your Work is windswept, and messy, and caustic. Your Work does not care, not even a little bit, if everyone else is okay with that. Your Work is unaffected by the opinion of others. It loves them anyway. Your Work is unafraid of it’s value. It knows what it … Read More

Falling In Love Is Like Getting Gum In Your Hair

The woman lying next to me in bed this morning has a tremendous reservoir of patience. Today marks 17 years since we were married and started waking up together, a span of time in which I have tested her patience extensively. On the surface it may seem like completely loving someone means you choose them over every other person on … Read More

Kindness matters

Yesterday I found myself scouring the digital archive at my printing company trying to locate a file I was supposed to have stored for a customer. I came up empty at every turn and after searching frantically in every nook and cranny of our system it was clear that the file simply wasn’t here. Defeated, I called the customer to … Read More

Tomorrow is too late

Your life is happening right now. The past and the future are just out of your reach and here you are in this moment, alive. It is so easy to look to the future, expectant, waiting for something better, but please don’t fail to recognize that you can waste an entire lifetime waiting for the future to arrive. Time is … Read More

Humans are not machines

Fellow humans: we are not machines. The stories I am hearing lately from people all around me (including myself) seem to be centered on the need to do more and be more. It seems that for many of us our weeks are filled with crippling workloads and our weekends are spent trying to squeeze in all the fun we can … Read More

Why do you love me, daddy?

The most important moments always seem to sneak up on me. As I was tucking my 7-year old daughter in bed last night she asked, out of the blue, “why do you love me, daddy?” I paused, laid down beside her, looked her in the eyes and give her the most honest answer I could muster: “because you’re my daughter.” … Read More

That Time Gratitude Landed Me On Stage At TEDx

(Just here for the TEDx talk without all the commentary? Here you go.) In late 2011 I made a startling discovery: I was terrible at expressing gratitude. I realized that while I often felt thankful, I wasn’t purposeful about expressing it. Gertrude Stein said, “silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone,” and I couldn’t agree more. It feels great when … Read More