The BOLD (Dip Your Toe in The Water) In 1927, Max Ehmann wrote a poem called Desiderata. The last line is excerpted below as our quote for this article. In Desiderata, Ehmann lays out the basic building blocks of a good life. What are the basic building blocks of your best life? I suggest that they are the things […]
The Habit Scaffold: Supporting Your Desired Future
The BOLD (I Call This Meeting to Order) This past Sunday, our family gathered around the dining room table and I convened a Household Meeting. Despite wiggling, playing on phones because I was taking too long to take notes and wandering around the room (yes, I saw you, husband mine), we were able to re-negotiate our […]
The Pivot Price: Why Are You So Tired?
The BOLD (Sleepy?) At the end of last week, I realized that I was exhausted. And I noticed that many of my friends, family, and clients were exhausted as well. What, I wondered, was at the root of this exhaustion? We are all having a personal version of a global experience. That means that there are things we […]
The Motto Code: Are You Living YOUR Values?
The BOLD (Deep Courage) Dreams thrive on challenge. If there were no challenge, there would be no reason to be innovative and resourceful and daring. And dreams love it when we are innovative and resourceful and daring. Dreams require courage. I’ve talked a lot about courage, both here and in numerous client sessions, deep conversations with friends and […]
The Opportunity Hunt: The Courage to Stay Open to Possibility
The BOLD (Liminal Space) One of my teachers, John Phillip Newell, has been speaking for a while now about the liminal space between seeking ancient wisdom and using our imagination to reach into what has never been before. First, I love the idea of liminal space. It is the moment when an era, moment, season or […]
The Howling Wolf: Responding to the Provocation with Creativity and Courage
The BOLD (A Timely Topic) I set the theme for March last June. I have a calendar that indicates the monthly themes on which I will write and the theme for this month is Succumb to Courage. Last June I could not have imagined how relevant this topic about courage, fear, discomfort, and hope would be. I’m grateful […]
The Fear Lesson: Learn From Your Fear, Grow Your Courage
The BOLD (Got Fear?) If you aren’t feeling fear, you are probably not risking big enough consequences. Of course, bad outcomes are as consequential as good ones. That is why fear is such a necessary part of any endeavor worth undertaking. We might fail. The consequences might be horrible. The consequences might be wonderful beyond anything we can […]
The Artist’s Letter: Self-Knowledge, Boundaries, and Kindness
The BOLD (Hopper at the VMFA) This past weekend, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts completed an exhibit entitled Edward Hopper and the American Hotel. Hopper is the artist responsible for the painting Nighthawks. I completed my third visit on Friday with yet another companion. I enjoy going to art exhibits with different people because the art […]
The Special Sauce: The Graceful Execution of Strength
The BOLD (Special Sauce) Knowing your secret sauce means you invest your effort in the places most likely to bear fruit and where you are most likely to experience the state of flow. Or, in other words, life is too short to do too much of what you aren’t good at and what you don’t enjoy. […]