I'm pretty handy at fixing a toilet. That doesn't really make me unique, but it's a skill that I've been proud to have in my toolbox over the years. And yes, it's also saved me hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on plumbers over the years. I can also paint a room well, rewire a light switch, and replace a ceiling fan. And there are a bunch of other random home repair jobs I can do. And I didn't learn them from YouTube. I learned them because I had to help my dad during what amounted to a totally unwanted apprenticeship as a kid. Because while other kids were playing on Saturday mornings, for me they were filled with helping … [Read more...]
How Learning from System Failures Will Make You a Better Person
There's a beautiful metaphor in Buddhist writing about Indra's Net. In the stories, it's a large (possibly infinite) net hung over Indra's palace that has a multifaceted jewel at each intersection. Each of these jewels reflects back every other jewel. It's a powerful illumination of the Buddhist approach to interconnection. That each of us has an impact on and is a reflection of the world around us. And this interconnection is on full display during a global pandemic. Not only in the spread of the virus but in our ability or inability to counter it. The Interconnected Global System Not only have we seen how interconnected we are, … [Read more...]
Learn How to Learn from Other Disciplines
I'm a big fan of personal and professional development. You kind of have to be when you're in this line of business. I'm much more likely to watch a TED talk or listen to an instructional podcast than watch the latest binge-worthy Netflix series. (I've purposefully never watched Game of Thrones because I know it will suck me in.) It may seem boring, but I have a trick that keeps things interesting. It also keeps me from being a boring person who can only talk about a few things. I reach far and wide for people and programs to learn from. For example, I don't listen solely to sales podcasts or watch videos on why I should wake up … [Read more...]
Give Yourself Room to Grow
Between the ages of 12 and 18, I delivered the Milwaukee Sentinel. Every week, from Monday through Saturday (the Milwaukee Journal did morning deliveries on Sunday), I woke up at 4:00 am. I'd grab the bundles of newspapers on my porch, insert the ads and the comic strip section, and then make the rounds. It would take me about 2 hours. Then I'd go back to sleep for an hour, get up, and go to school. It was an amazing opportunity, and I'm saddened that it's one that most cities don't have any more. Where else would a 13-year-old get that kind of opportunity? I was trusted to get up on my own every day, perform a valuable service (if … [Read more...]
If I Were 22 I Wouldn’t Try to Change the World
Me giving advice to a 22-year-old is a lesson in irony; because I know that the 22-year-old me wasn't good at listening to other people's advice. I'd like to think that I've gotten a little better over the years, but I'm a work in progress. Feel free to take or leave what I have to say. So I guess that's my first piece of advice: decide on your own who and what to listen to. But after that, I guess my second thought would be: Don't try to change the world - Try to change yourself The earth has been here for over 4 billion years and countless humans have walked its surface. It takes a lot of hubris to think that it needs you to save … [Read more...]