On a sweltering day in July 1997, I went with my friend Joe to see the Mighty Mighty Bosstones play at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee. And on a sweltering night in August 2019, I took my wife to see the Mighty Mighty Bosstones play at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee. For those 22 years and more they've been my favorite band, but I'm not here to proselytize to you. (Although I think it's worth checking out their back catalog for sure). Instead, I want to share what stood out about their recent show in August: They kicked ass. Keep Doing It Because That's What You Do It's easy to romanticize the past because our memory can get … [Read more...]
Realizing New Experiences Aren’t Always That New
As an adult, you rarely try something that is completely new. After a certain point, you don't have a lot of chances to dive into new situations or experiences. We don't usually start a new job in a different field or a hobby that is completely unrelated to something we've done before. Even when we "try something new", it's usually tangential to something we've done before. Which means that we usually have some knowledge or background to draw upon in our new venture. For example, if I wanted to learn how to play the clarinet, I would have someplace to start. I've played the drums for almost 30 years, and have taken lessons in … [Read more...]
You Need to Sell Yourself to Push Past Your Own Inertia
I was talking to someone recently about how I would describe "sales". And to me, the essence of selling is helping someone change their status quo. They have a problem or challenge, and you have a solution that can help fix it. Selling Is Changing Inertia Because I'm sometimes super-nerdy, I described it in terms of inertia. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking inertia is about an object at rest. But actually, inertia just means that an object will keep moving in the same direction and speed unless an outside force acts on it. Newton said it better in his First Law of Thermodynamics: "Every object in a state of uniform motion … [Read more...]
How to Avoid Adding More Anxiety than Absolutely Necessary
Anxiety is a bitch. And it's amazing how much of it we create for, in, and by ourselves. I was thinking about this because as I'm about to become a new father I'm getting asked two questions a lot: Are you ready? Are you nervous? And the answer to both of those questions is "no". Stop Creating Stress Now, believe me, I'm trying like heck to get ready. I'm actually writing this in my home office/half-set-up-nursery. And yes, I definitely have moments where I dive down the rabbit-hole of what-ifs and hypotheticals. But I also hear from a lot of people that you can't really be ready for parenthood until you're thrust into … [Read more...]
The Life Lessons Hidden in Road Construction
There's an old running joke about Chicago weather: "There are two seasons in Chicago, winter and construction." I thought about that as I drove up to see my family in Milwaukee. I went through four road construction zones during the trip that covered almost a half of the 80 mile drive. Road Construction Parallels Yes, it is super-annoying to go through that much construction. But it's work that has to be done (usually). It made me look at some similarities between road work and our professional and personal lives. 1. Maintenance is a part of the game. Entropy and wear is a real thing. Potholes spring up and concrete loses its … [Read more...]
The Answer to Life, the Universe, & Everything
In Douglas Adam's 5-book trilogy, The Hitchhiker's Guide the Galaxy, there's a running gag about the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. The characters find out that the Answer is 42. But Adams also posits that the Answer and the Question are mutually exclusive. If you know one, you can't know the other. So nobody can figure out what the actual question is. It amuses me because now that I'm 42, it would be nice if I had a few answers myself. I've been thinking about this as I get ready for a new addition to our family. If my son was asking me for some answers, what would I share? While I most certainly do not have the … [Read more...]
I Meditate Because I Suck at It
Somewhere down the line I’ve developed the reputation among some people as that Zen guy. That's sometimes said while they extend their hands with their finger and thumb touching. They might even add an ohhmmm sound for effect. It’s seems to describe for people someone who meditates and tries to be, as the comedian Eddie Izzard would say, relaxed and groovy. And that's hilarious because my mind rarely feels very Zen-like. My Monkey Mind is Hyper-Active In Buddhist circles, they often talk about the monkey mind. It describes the fact that your mind jumps frenetically from topic to topic like a monkey in a tree. A lot of days, I … [Read more...]
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