What are You Looking At?

What are You Looking At?

“Get this straight; I don’t want you to even think about going near that rock.” These words, a final bit of coaching advice, were said to me just as I got ready to paddle over Nanny Falls, the culminating rapid on the Nantahala River. It takes a few excursions before...
Leaving Known

Leaving Known

West of Kilkenny, in the hills of Ireland, sits the tiny village of Galmoy, the birthplace of my great-grandmother, whom we called Gandy. While nearly all of the houses from her generation are now gone, the home she grew up in is still there. Down a winding gravel...
Courageous Unlearning

Courageous Unlearning

Kids need to grow up. So parents patiently guide and coach their children to behave in ways that honor their individuality and spirit. Or not. When dealing with a back-talking, ever-whining, emotion-manipulating kid, patience walks out the door and parental control...
Looking Back For Forward Courage

Looking Back For Forward Courage

Back in the 90s, and even today, when setting goals senior executives retread the same advice, “Begin with the end in mind!” It helps that they are grounding their advice on sound management principles, first proffered by Dr. Stephen Covey in his über-selling book,...
The First Virtue

The First Virtue

Here’s the deal: if you resolve yourself to live a courageous life, by making courage the foundational virtue of your life, all of the other virtues – like compassion, justice, patience, and honor – are strengthened and emboldened. Courage is the First Virtue because...