In the movie Antwone Fisher, the main character is on track to get kicked out of the Navy for belligerence and disrespect for authority when the Navy shrink (Denzel Washington) steps in. Turns out Antwone’s (Derek Luke) father was killed before he was born and his mother never claimed him. Growing up in the care…
When my dad was in the hospital, I had an opportunity to observe the different styles of doctors. They ran all the way from aloof and distant to intimate and caring. Now I can’t imagine what it does to a person’s psyche to watch people die as part of your job; to literally pronounce their…
Earlier this year, as I said goodbye to my brother and his family at Schiphol airport there was that old familiar pain of saying goodbyes to loved ones; that pang of sadness. In the past it was usually at saying goodbye to my parents and it got worse as they got older; so bad in…
There’s a video feature on every modern day digital camera that most people don’t use. That’s a pity because it really takes no skill to shoot a video. You may not win any academy awards, but you could capture a moment that earns you a spot on America’s funniest videos, or better yet; capture a…
Relationships are hard—very hard in fact. For many of us, the most important ones become strained, unhealthy, even toxic and we stay in them because we are connected through family bonds. Many others die over a period of time. Sometimes slowly, sometimes stunningly fast. What’s amazing to me, is that even when there’s distinct and…
It might seem odd to associate the word practice with relationships, yet I think it’s appropriate. You need to practice at whatever you want to be great at, and the fact is most people suck at relationships. Relationships (not just the romantic ones) end, sometimes bitterly, remain stagnant, or distant—without any passion, joy or excitement—and…
If ever there was an epic display of love, honor and respect it was in the award ceremony of the 2009 Australian Open. The clip is below, and if you’re the emotional type you’ll want to watch it even if tennis is not your thing. You could feel feel a tsunami of emotion in the…
In the quest to improve performance we’ve gone through several useful philosophies about what to manage, specifically we’ve been told to practice managing: time people projects energy These are all valuable management philosophies but they do not acknowledge the most fundamental practice: the practice of managing commitments. What are commitments? Commitments take several forms e.g….
Everybody loves simplification so here are two simple principles you can use in the practice of your life; two principles you must own to get more from life—and by “own” I mean not just understand and explain, but know and act from (without thinking) like an extension of your own mind and body. These principles…
Seems like an odd question to ask. The answer is, well … do your best; give it everything you’ve got. What does that mean, everything you’ve got? I hear people say they gave it 100%, and others say that they gave 200%. Hmmm. Makes me wonder if they have any idea what percentages mean. All…
Have you ever listened to the pharmaceutical adverts on TV? As the soothing voice says “Absolv, when taken immediately after upsetting your partner can bring on feelings of contriteness that a puppy would envy. Clinical studies have shown that 77% of users of Absolv are forgiven for extreme transgressions including not sharing with housework, coming…
Many moons ago a senior director at my old company sat with me talking about my career and said, “Peter your problem is you have no ambition.” That felt like a slap across the face because at the time there was no one working harder than I was and prior to coming to the head…
As we drove along the winding road to Maracas beach in Trinidad, my friend Ilene said to me, “You know, I’ve come to realize that there’s only one thing you really need to get when you have a boss.” “Really?” I replied; my sense of intrigue and wonder stimulated because Ilene is one of the…
If you find yourself blaming someone for some unwelcome outcome or a broken relationship, you might want to consider that nothing is ever 100% anybody’s fault. Accepting this requires an ability to expand your perspective on any situation. For example, in criminal justice it may be relatively easy to prove who robbed the convenience store…
Do you think you should acknowledge people for just doing their jobs; for just doing what they’re supposed to? Many people would say no, of course not. They’re doing the absolute minimum required and it’s only service or results over and above the norm that should be acknowledged or rewarded. If you think this way…
The essence of practice is the consciousness or intention you bring to the practice – something that you willingly choose to participate in every day. Long held practices take on a life of their own and if there is no clear purpose to the practice we call them habits. For some gossiping is a habit,…
If you take a telescope and look upwards and outwards, you’ll soon gain a healthy perspective on how small, how insignificant we and our planet are in the grand scale of our galaxy and the universe. You’ll be similarly amazed if you take a microscope and look inwards; there’s an entire universe of cells, atomic…
You heard me! It’s big, it’s round, it’s talked about, it’s yours. So learn to love it. Would like to say this is a quote from “Embracing Your Big Fat Ass: An Owner’s Manual,” but I haven’t read it … yet. I probably won’t but it is possible. While big fat asses may not be…
What is your concept of the truth, and why is it germane to the practice of your life? Well think about it. If you live your life according to things that you believe are true, and they’re only partially true or flat out wrong, what do you think the impact would be on your life?…
