It's important to take stock of the many things that bring us gratitude. Family, friends, good health - and scores of others quickly come to mind. Yet there are other things that we might overlook, and not simply because we take them for granted. But because we might put them in a different category. Things that might cause us to withdraw or play it small.  I’ll admit it – my ego has a high metabolism. It needs to be fed regularly. With some exceptions, whether I am at a conf

I’m writing this on Deer Hunting Eve in Minnesota. On the day before firearm season opens, roughly 400,000 optimists make their final preparations for opening day. Only an optimist would sit in a tree all day in freezing temperatures, believing deep down that a deer will appear. For most hunters, the season represents many things — camaraderie, the outdoors, quiet reflection — but perhaps most of all, it’s a beacon of tradition. To quote Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof : “Beca

A few years ago, I was enjoying sometime in the panhandle of Idaho on an archery elk hunt with good friends. We were miles away from civilization — over an hour’s drive down a mountain road to reach a single bar of cell reception. Bliss. One evening, after we’d inhaled dinner, one of us wondered aloud how much chaos awaited us once we descended the mountain and our phones started buzzing, chiming, and exploding with messages. The thought of it introduced an uneasy feeling int

I talk a lot.  It’s how I make a living – providing skill-building workshops, delivering keynotes and so forth.  And when I’m not in the classroom or auditorium with a PowerPoint clicker in my hand, I am probably on the phone or in a virtual meeting with a client talking about the talking that I will be doing for them shortly.    Not only do I do a lot of talking, a fair amount of the work I do is centered around helping others attend to how they talk to people, or what they

I used to run, yet I don’t think it would be fair to say that I used to be a runner.  Runners are people who (I think) enjoy running.  I...