I was helping some men work out a conflict the other day. We went through a typical expression and reflection exercise, where each man got to honestly express the facts, his feelings, and his opinions, and the other man listened and then echoed what he had heard.   They both expressed, listened, and reflected [...]

  There is a lot of chatter these days about the proper way to behave when the Star-Spangled Banner is being performed and the flag is being presented.   On the one hand, I’m guessing most people would agree that standing at attention, focusing on the flag, with no hat on your head and your [...]

  One was passionate and almost frantic in her approach, like she had one too many cups of coffee and was auditioning to be a drill sergeant. I was watching some videos from spiritual teachers today and was really struck by the difference in their energy. The other was peaceful, soft, and gentle. Everything about [...]

  I was watching some videos from spiritual teachers today and was really struck by the difference in their energy. One was passionate and almost frantic in her approach, like she had one too many cups of coffee and was auditioning to be a drill sergeant. The other was peaceful, soft, and gentle. Everything about [...]

  I love to rise through levels of learning and accomplishment. I think we all do. The sense of pride we get is programmed into us early in our school lives, when we go from 1st grade to 2nd grade, and so on. Graduating and moving up to the next level is very empowering! Experts [...]

  When I was a younger man, people didn’t argue in public nearly as much as they do today. Generally, people held their emotions in check. Being cool and calm and civil was considered a virtue. Adages like “think before you speak”, and “choose your words carefully, because tomorrow you may have to eat them” [...]

  When I was a young man, I used to get triggered a lot. Something would happen, someone would say something or look at me in a particular way, and I would get angry, instantly. And sometimes, my own memories and fantasies would trigger me too!  I would get pissed off over what I was [...]

  Every once in a while, I notice I have a little hesitation or resistance to doing something. It could be making a collections phone call, following up on a mysterious credit card charge, or sending out a tough email of some kind. And sometimes I put it off for a while until I am [...]

  I’ve suffered from a few setbacks in my career, as I’m sure you have, too. And boy, have I worked with a lot of clients who have been going through some tough times. Bad luck and nasty problems don’t just happen to an unlucky few. They happen to everyone. And a lot of your [...]

  Some people just like to wing it. They like to act spontaneously, speak extemporaneously, and follow their hunches. I like to do that, too. It can be a pretty cool, fun, and exciting thing to do! Unless efficiency matters. Unless there is a lot of risk in doing so. Unless your time and money [...]