Today is the first day of National Storytelling Week.This annual UK festival runs through February 4th and brings live storytelling to schools, theaters, pubs, town halls and anywhere the public will gather to hear stories told. In the UK, lucky school children will get a chance this week to learn to craft and share their own stories. And it just doesn’t seem fair that we don’t all get that chance. So, in celebration of this inspired event, I’ve put together a...
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Want to change this broken world? Then meet me at Ghost Ranch. We live in a noisy world. We created technology to give us freedom and it has enslaved us. We are more productive than we’ve ever been, but we are no happier. For all our Internet connections, we are isolated. For all our social interaction, we have lost touch. For all our discontent with the world, we feel powerless to change it. Caught in the tightening net of materialism, we struggle to remember our...
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“A soldier went to a sage and asked, ‘Is there really a paradise to live for and a hell to avoid? I sincerely request you to favour me with a clear answer.” “Who are you?” asked the sage. “I am a veteran soldier who has been honoured several times, but I am not satisfied. I am not fulfilled.” “You, a soldier!” exclaimed the sage, “Who would give you the honours? You look more like a disappointed beggar.” The solider was...
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In just two days Americans will vote for the 45th president of the United States. But the people of our 50 states are anything but united. Workplaces are divided. Families are split. We are polarized. Most Americans I know just can’t wait for this election to be over. But as we get closer, more of us fear the outcome. November 8th is less an end than a beginning. What must we do to make it a good one? Trump v Clinton It’s easy to blame the candidates: “Donald Trump and...
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Many years ago, I had a dream; and today it seems worthy of sharing. I dreamt I was running on a city street (probably Chicago as that was where I lived at the time). Someone was chasing me. I was scared. I ran and ran, ducking behind dumpsters, weaving through alleys, trying to lose this threatening aggressor who seemed intent on doing me harm. I ran to exhaustion and was just about to give up when instead I turned, faced him and drew a handgun I didn’t know I had. I...
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One of my greatest influences among business leaders was Stephen Covey. Author of the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey recognized that your effectiveness in the world begins with you. You are ultimately responsible for the quality of your life, and this begins with your habitat. Years ago I participated in one of Covey’s workshops, called “First Things First.” Weekly planning was framed in the context of the legacy you want to leave in the world when...
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