The Tiger Within
The Tiger Within A pregnant tiger stumbles through the woods, desperately seeking its next meal. With her unborn cub weighing her down, the tiger mama is nearing the end of her rope. If she doesn’t find something to eat soon, she’ll most certainly die. Crawling out to edge of a rocky promontory, she looks down […]
Five Ways to Manage Toxic Relationships
I’ve heard it said that relationships give us a mirror to see ourselves, and boy was that true for me last week at my regular Sunday drop-in volleyball group in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Here’s what happened.
The Truth About Inconvenience
Some years back while teaching English in Japan, I found myself speeding along on a bullet train down to Nagasaki to visit a friend whom, I’ll admit, I had a bit of a crush on. While there, my friend introduced me to one of her buddies: a successful, local architect who shared with me an […]
There IS an “I’ in “Team”
I played a lot of sports in my school days – football, basketball and tennis, mostly — and at least once a season, like clockwork, one of my coaches could be relied upon to get up on his soapbox and declare, “There is no ‘I’ in team!” Know-it-alls that we were, my buddies and I […]
“Jazzing” Up Your Leadership Style
I first met today’s guest writer, New York jazzman Tim Armacost, in college almost 30 years ago, at a time when both of us were grappling not only with what kind of careers we wanted to pursue, but also with what kind of adults we wanted to become. While I eventually chose team development, training […]
The Seahawks’ Super “Mistake”
“You’re either a mistake maker or a life learner.” –Anonymous Given that over 120 million viewers were watching the end of Super Bowl XLIX this past Sunday, the chances are fairly good that at least some (if not most) of you witnessed the puzzling play calling from Seattle Seahawks’ coach, Pete Carroll. Here was the […]
Life’s Three, Hidden Opportunities
As many of you probably know from reading my articles and blogs over the years, I’m a long-time volleyball player. Not that I’m an “A+” player, mind you… At 5’9”, I’m not exactly spiking the ball over people. But whatever the outcome, I do love getting out there and running around with my Sunday group […]
Patience
Yoda: Luke! You must complete the training. Luke Skywalker: I can’t keep the vision out of my head. They’re my friends. I’ve gotta help them. Yoda: You must not go! … Obi-Wan: Patience! Luke: And sacrifice Han and Leia? Yoda: If you honor what they fight for, yes! Obi-Wan: If you choose to face Vader, […]
Running One’s Stories
My girlfriend and I are running through the park yesterday on a warm, sunny, California afternoon when my partner — observing my relatively-slow jogging rate — suggests, “Ready to step up the pace?” Nonplussed, I respond: “Give me a break! Can’t you see I’m struggling to keep up?” Silence ensues, followed by a hurt: “I […]
7 Attitudes Towards Competition
“I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam: I looked into the soul of another boy.” –Woody Allen It’s funny how the things we learn in elementary school stick in our heads and take on an element of “truth” as we get older. As far back as I can remember, for […]