I wonder if you are familiar with the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Mihaly describes a state of mind when a person can concentrate on one activity so completely that all other matters slip away. He calls it flow. I think I get into a state of flow from time to time. …
In a recent study by the University of Chicago, Americans were asked if they were very happy. Only 14% answered “yes.” That’s a 17% drop from a 2018 survey and the lowest ever recorded. Using my mathematical wizardry, I recognized that means more than four out of five of us …
Some sneaky employee slipped the book Quiet by Susan Cain onto my desk when I was going to the bathroom. No need to pussyfoot around. I know I talk too much. This is a great book. It gives credit to introverts, the thinkers who don’t feel the need to pipe up at …
Last week, I did a randomized study – just like they do at the big university research centers. I randomly (kind of randomly) picked out five acquaintances of mine – not close friends, but individuals who did not hide out when they saw me coming. I had prepared a …
Maybe it’s too darn simple, but I have a firm belief that we can help overturn our country’s tough times by showing kindness to each other. The Change Companies® has collected a sampling of these kind and courageous acts. Please browse through and let me know your favorites …
As I approach 75, I’m paying more attention to how I walk. I keep reading that “motion is lotion.” My wife mimics for me how I walk when I’m tired and focused on something other than my glutes and abdominal muscles. She means well, but I hope she’s overaccentuating the …
This may never happen to you but, from time to time, I just want to run from myself. For example, I was recently at a meeting with a group of community leaders who were exploring the launching of a new city project. Of all the people in the room, my guess is I was the …
Last night, I pulled out one of my old journals. It was from a time long ago when I recognized I had made some big mistakes. I was in trouble. However, never a person who lacked aplomb, I had a grandiose plan to fix everything. I wish the older, wiser me today could have …
Your response to my request to come up with a single word to represent the fourth quarter of our lives was overwhelming. Thanks for taking your time to help me out. Some of you broke the rules and replied with more than a single word. As a lifelong rule breaker, I …
Over the years, I’ve never paid much attention to my toenails. They just hung out at the end of my toes, requesting no special attention. Actually, they were self-sustaining. A number of times, I dropped heavy stuff on my toes. A nail or two would turn black and then fall …