My heroes have no super powers. They can’t, to my knowledge, blow anything up. They probably don’t run very fast and can’t jump very far. I didn’t challenge them to an arm wrestling match, but I doubt they are very strong. They did for me what I couldn’t do. They did it even though I […]
Better stories are not about greatness or about winning. Better stories, when told well, will expose our weaknesses. When you choose to pursue a life that is more than anything you have ever done, you will become overwhelmed. You will become vulnerable. You will experience helplessness. Incredible stories show us how little we can really do. […]
Several weeks ago I made the decision to clean out my home office. I found things I haven’t used in years. I found things I would never admit I once liked. I found things I didn’t even know I owned. After no fewer than 6 large black garbage bags were filled I stopped to assess […]
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. – Lao Tzu According to walkingsite.com, the average step by an adult is 2.5 feet long. Using their numbers, it takes 2,315 steps to walk one mile. Need to go 5 miles? 11,575 steps. Want to go 100 miles? 231,500 steps. But if you really […]
If taking a shortcut to a better story never works, then what what does the long road look like? Instead of telling you, I offer an example. The Story She was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje on August 26, 1910. At the age of 18 she joined the Sisters of Loreto with the goal of […]
As I listen to Lance Armstrong admit that he cheated to win seven straight Tour de Frances, only one question comes to my mind. Why? Why would you want something you didn’t earn? Why cheat? Why would you lie to the world? Why would you lie to yourself? I don’t know if he ever answers my […]
Tomorrow is uncertain. Yesterday is done. The only thing we have is today. This moment. Now. These circumstances, whether wanted or not. These people, whether rich or poor. Whether ugly or beautiful. This task, whether easy or hard. These decisions. These steps. This path. Despite our riches, we possess very little. But we do have […]
What keeps you from living the story you want? What keeps you from doing a difficult work that matters? Is it fear? I read an article on the internet last month about fear. The point was simple. Fear keeps us from living better stories. I certainly agree. The author went on then to offer the […]
Opposites help us understand the world. The opposite of hot is cold. The opposite of fast is slow. The opposite of big is little. The opposite of spicy food is bland, tasteless food that is hardly worth eating. But what is the opposite of love? The Opposite of Love Some might say that the opposite […]
New Year’s isn’t just about resolutions (or habits), but also college football bowl games. In what is typically a heavily commercialized celebration of “amateur” athletics, a story that stands out in its uniqueness emerged amidst the typical fanfare. One coach taught us to live better stories by being committed. Breaking the Cycle of Bigger and […]
