Learning to Love Obstacles

Ryan Holiday in his book The Obstacle is the Way explores the idea that obstacles are actually our best friends, our wisest teachers, our greatest allies. Using examples from Marcus Aurelius to Amelia Earhart, Ulysses S. Grant to Barack Obama, he shows that the greatest feats in humanity weren’t accomplished in the absence of obstaclesContinue reading “Learning to Love Obstacles”

The Warrior’s Destiny

A great Japanese warrior named Nobunaga was going to war with a fierce enemy with only one-tenth the number of men the opposition commanded. He knew that he could win the fight with a well planned strategy, but his soldiers were in doubt. On the way the leader stopped at a Shinto shrine and toldContinue reading “The Warrior’s Destiny”

Your Inner Voice

Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, everyone has an inner voice that guides them in their day to day lives. Most of us can easily recall a situation in which an inner voice, perhaps considered a conscience or merely a fleeting thought, gave us sound advice that we knew was the right option.Continue reading “Your Inner Voice”

The Teacher’s Hand

Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment — to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful. Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought,Continue reading “The Teacher’s Hand”

The Crab Mentality

There once was a man who sat on a fishing dock and observed how a bunch of live crabs, in a bucket, behaved. While all of them squirmed at the bottom, every now and then, one crab would crawl up the side in an effort to reach the top and escape. But each time itContinue reading “The Crab Mentality”

Do what you say you’re going to do

It’s easy for us to lose focus when we have so much going on all around us. We set lofty goals, new resolutions and start well. And then we lose track of what we set out to achieve. But more importantly I think it’s important to do what you say you will do even withContinue reading “Do what you say you’re going to do”

When to be Silent, When to Speak Up

The popular saying “speech is silver but silence is golden” dates back to ancient Egypt. It probably means that in some circumstances the less you say the better it is. I can imagine that when you are in the company of strangers, discretion would be more appropriate than indiscretion. Remaining silent also can represent aContinue reading “When to be Silent, When to Speak Up”

Embracing Minimalism

More people than ever are becoming curious about minimalism. Also known as simple living, or minimalist living, minimalism isn’t just about eliminating physical objects from your life; at its core, it’s about removing anything that isn’t adding value to your life. In doing this, you create more space for the things that will.  A beautifulContinue reading “Embracing Minimalism”

Being Wise, Being Smart

The difference between being smart and being wise might just sound like a question of semantics, but really there’s much more to it than that! Smart people focus absorbing as much knowledge as possible and showing the world that they’re cleverer than average, whereas wise people also find knowledge within and aren’t so focussed onContinue reading “Being Wise, Being Smart”