Category Archives: Life-Relationships

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Episode 017: Why We Need to be Kind to the Children in our Lives

Kid Laughing

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It may seem like a no-brainer that we need to be kind to children, but it amazes me how even the most seemingly enlightened of parents unload hurt, annoyance, and negativity on their children, and when the children are difficult, rebellious, critical, and hard to deal with, they are surprised, and scarcely know where the behavior came. We need look no further than our own mirror.

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Episode 016: How to get your critical ideas heard

Woman holding a light over her head

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Organizations have a bit of a cognitive dissonance or conflict when it comes to critical thinking and critical thinkers. Corporations and nonprofits alike want thinkers who have hardcore critical thinking skills, but in my observation, while they want people who are good at finding better ways, finding improvements, finding opportunities, finding more revenue, and finding cost savings, They often want the skill but don’t always ask employees to exercise it.

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Episode 015: How to find your purpose

Person looking out at the ocean

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“What is your purpose?” “What is the meaning of your life?” Have you ever thought about these questions for yourself? The concept of purpose is broad, transcendent, and certainly not something you bring up in casual conversation, but knowing our purpose is critical to our success in life. It gives us focus, meaning, and a prism to view our life through to determine whether we are focused on the right things or not. If you look around, the people with the deepest sense of purpose seem to do the best.

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Episode 014: How to manage the micromanager

Martial Arts Legend Bruce Lee does his classic pre-battle face down

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In a previous episode, “Confessions of a Micromanager” I talked about what’s really going on inside the head of a micromanager – using myself as the case study.

In that episode, I talked about “the problem”, how micromanagers operate primarily from a place of insecurity, fear, or a lack of control or trust. In some cases, their behavior comes from extraordinarily high standards. In this post, we explore “the solutions” on how to effectively manage the micromanager so that while that manager is getting on everyone else’s nerves, you will have some peace and sanity.

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Episode 012: Why I want a divorce…from perfection

Girl punching guy in the face

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Hello, my name is Mark, and welcome the Perfection Support Group. I am married to Perfection. I’ve been married to Perfection for over 30 years, but I’ve come to realize that I have a problem. Perfection has not been the spouse that I thought she would be.

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Episode 011: Why we really need a holiday from our screens

Girl on Mobile Device

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If you look around any waiting room nowadays, you notice people doing one of several things, but mainly one: they are using some kind of screen (phone, tablet, computer, TV) to pass the time. While our electronic devices have become necessary for work, communication, connection, and re-creation, at what cost does it come? I believe we sacrifice something of ourselves on the altar of “keeping busy”. Here is what I think we gain when we turn off the screens in our life…

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Episode 010: How I learned to let go

Man Cliff Diving

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Have you ever been in a situation where you had an unproductive thought or emotion and could not let go, no matter how hard you tried? Several years ago, I was working with a talented colleague that didn’t have a good sense of time management…

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Episode 009: The toughest thing I’ve ever done as a parent

Child Crying - Oftentimes we have to allow our children to suffer and fall so they can learn life's lessons too

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As a parent, one of the things I dread is seeing my children suffer in any way. Several years ago, I was out walking with my kids, my [then] 4-year-old daughter was running far ahead of us, and my [then] 2-year-old daughter lagged behind.

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Episode 008: Letting go of power, opinion, and control

Man opening accordion

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The self-actualized person is no longer worried about basic needs, but rather they are driven by their personal need to evolve and fulfill their life’s purpose or mission. Someone asked Abraham Maslow (The author of the “Hierarchy of Needs” theory / concept), “How do you if know if you are self-actualized?” Maslow responded with the following…

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Episode 006: How to know if you are present, right here, right now

Kid Jumping

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One of the most challenging things for someone like me is the ability to be in the present moment on a consistent basis. Often I focus on the mistakes of the past or terrorize ourselves over every future scenario. I blow through my to-do list at the expense of the things that matter most in my life – time and intentional engagement with my family, connecting with colleagues and teammates, and my own personal re-creation.

It is very challenging for me to “stop and smell the roses” because I derive such pleasure from getting things done. The problem with this is, at the end of my life, the thing I will regret most is not enjoying life more. So I stopped to think about those moments where I was actually present, and here are some of the common characteristics.