Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Reflections”
Today I’m feeling uninspired. I have flipped through journals, reviewed drafted articles that didn’t get published, and scanned interesting articles by others that I’ve collected. I’ve looked at photos, and some of my favorite books for inspiration or an idea. Nada. Zip. Zero. I’ve distracted myself with emails, a cross-word puzzle, small tasks, and multiple cups of tea. I’ve scheduled …
Nightfall comes early in the Amazon rainforest to those of us who are accustomed to daylight savings time and extended daylight hours. Light fades as the sun sinks below the canopy of trees and the darkness is absolute. There is no glow from the lights of a city, traffic lights, street lights, or house lights. A velvet blackness swallows shadows …
“Oh, you’re my best friend…” The lyrics of that song by Queen have been running through my mind lately. Which is a much better choice than what usually cycles and recycles through my monkey mind at times. I heard the song a few days ago, and it caused me to ponder: what if we truly were a best friend to …
Most of us are oblivious to our repetitive thoughts until we experience the consequences of our actions.
I’ve been thinking a lot about self-esteem, how it drives our behavior, affects our relationships, business success, and ultimately our happiness and sense of ease. Another way to think about self-esteem is how we value ourselves. How we think about ourselves can be global (all encompassing) or situational (I feel good about my work life and how I’m viewed, but …
It was Baron Dahlberg-Acton (English historian, politician, and writer) who first coined the phrase,“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I’ve been wondering about the nature of power lately. No, I didn’t go back and re-read Machiavelli’s treatise on power, nor did I review Sun Tzu’s Art of War. But I’ve been curious about what I’m observing in …
While reflecting on an experience a few days ago, a vision of a trout thrashing on a shiny metal hook popped into my head. I imagined she had been swimming along peacefully, when she spied something that looked familiar and reacted by snapping at it. She was hooked! What caused me to imagine a hooked trout? I was that trout. I …
Extroverts, Introverts, and the Brain’s Reward Center As an introvert, I’ve always been intrigued (and at times annoyed) by the ability/propensity of extroverts to talk as much as they do, especially about themselves. Before I really understood how extroverts were wired, I used to think they were unusually self-absorbed. However, it is just that extroverts process information more externally, while …
I watched a short video a few months ago of the 2016 commencement address from Dean James Ryan of the School of Education at Harvard. His speech centered on five questions he thought were important to ask oneself when navigating life. I made a list of those questions. It sits on my desk and I review it regularly. The fifth question …
What is the central principle around which you organize your life? Have you thought about it? Do you have one? How do you utilize that principle to make decisions, especially when challenged or stressed? I’ve been pondering these questions as I reflect upon my behavior and the decisions I’ve made over the years. It’s not that I regret my …
