In keeping with my annual practice of identifying a Word of the Year, this is my yearly reflection and review on how my last year’s word showed up, and what this next year’s word brings to the table.
Why We Compare and What To Do About It
Why comparison robs us of joy, rids us of presence, and takes away from our true identity.
And... what we can do about it.
Hard Truths About Growth and The Fallacy of Modern Progress
If we want to develop a healthier relationship with growth, we need to see as clearly as possible what growth is and what it isn't. We need our instinctive assumptions to shift, and we need some illustrations to help us understand why in a more relatable way.
Making The Turn
In what's becoming somewhat of an annual tradition of mine, I recently wrote a blog out of my post-birthday reflections, marking another signpost on this continuous journey of living with intention in the tension.
Read more of my thoughts on golf and life, as I make the turn and head toward the back nine.
Be Your Own Coach: The Art of Relating to Yourself
How we speak to ourselves is a big deal. Recently, I found myself working on my self-talk, and I thought it could be a helpful topic to dive into.
In how we show up for ourselves, we can either bring a version of support or a version of challenge. Give it a read to learn which side I fall on, and where you might land too.
Show Up and Pay Attention: A Mantra For Our Modern Day
It really doesn't take a lot to show up, but it has the potential to give more than you could fathom.
Because by showing up, fully engaged with what today has to bring, we also begin to do a better job of paying attention. And in paying attention, we become better neighbors to those we brush shoulders with during the mundanity of our lives.
My Word Of The Year: An Honest Reflection
In rereading last year’s post on courage, I was shocked by how well I articulated it, with how unclear I lived it.
While initially “words of the year” can be thought of as a resolution-replacement, it seems more honest to think about them as a reinforcing reminder, as a place to find power, strength, solace, and comfort in the moments of need throughout the year ahead.
Ikigai: Purpose, Meaning, and a Reason For Being
What is purpose? What is meaning? What makes life meaningful?
We need a reason for being, or at the very least a distraction to keep us going. Distractions are easier to come by and usually feel better in the moment. Yet, the world doesn’t let us forget the overarching questions: What are you doing with your life? And, why?
35 Lessons From 30 Years Of Life
This past month I turned 30, and with crossing over into a new decade I wanted to capture some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I took some time over the month that followed to reflect on what I’ve found to be true and resonant from my experiences, and I thought I would share them with you.
So, here are 35 lessons from the first 30 years of my life.
The Tyranny Of Productivity
Have you ever listened to the way you speak, your self-talk? What are those words you keep saying that fly under your radar? If you truly heard yourself, would you change some of the language? Does what you say directly impact what you do or how you behave?
I want to consider these questions with you as we unpack an experience I find all too common.
When There Is No Margin
The 2020's brought far more than we bargained for. What started with the anticipation of a new decade, that excitement turned to worry and dread as COVID entered center-stage, suddenly flipping our collective world upside down.
Yet, here we are, seemingly on the other side of the global pandemic, and what has truly changed?
5 Lessons From The Tradition Unlike Any Other
What an incredible weekend.
The Masters, a tradition unlike any other, returned to full glory this past week with the crowds roaring, the azaleas blooming, and the stars shining. There's something about Augusta, the spring, and the world's best golfers vying for the most coveted prize that brings out inspiration, motivation, and appreciation.
On Courage:
Courage is complex. It's captivating. It’s far more than bravery, much more complex than taking risks. It entails facing fears, but it also includes the heart behind those actions and the greater why that motivates the decision. And it's especially needed, now and always.
Why am I writing on courage? Because it's the word I need for 2022.
Solitude, Silence, and Stillness: The Disciplines of Internal Quiet
The way we can attain the spiritual discipline of internal quiet in our lives is through elimination: removing people, noise, and movement – periodically – in order to gain peace, presence, and perspective. This is a life-long journey that serves as a much needed life-line for our souls.
Will you have the courage to try?
A Person Of Depth, And Why They've Gone Missing
In a world where we’ve substituted lived experiences for seen experiences, exchanging real-life interactions for online-consumerism.
Our prerogative is to turn the tide and redirect the energy towards cultivating, fostering, and developing more individuals of depth, more people who are like the iceberg and less like the socially curated feed.
Engage: Understanding Entrenchment, Embeddedness, And How We Grow
Engaging means we loosen our grip on our current embeddedness (or entrenchment), in order to make space for the other perspective at the table. It means we are able to open our minds to truly listen, not focusing on what parts of our own position we need to defend. It means we make every effort to try and see the world through the eyes of the other, and see the deeper reality beneath what words the other is saying.
Look Before You Leap: Lessons On Calculated Risks
Leaps challenge us, stretch us, grow us, mold us. They inspire us, frighten us, cause us to become something beyond our current self. The leap you're eyeing, the challenge you're considering, it will be worth taking if infused with intentionality along the way.
What awaits on the other side? Only you can know that answer, and it's always waiting to be discovered.
The Most Important Shot: A Maxim For Golf And Life
After a mediocre front nine, I needed something to turn this day around, and #10 promised just that. More than anything, I wanted to perform at the level I was capable of. After calculating the yardage and other factors, I stepped up to the ball with a six-iron in hand.
The expectation was a shot that left me 15-20 ft. for eagle. The stage was set.
Golf: Life's Classroom (And Then Some)
What is it about golf and leadership and life? Why are they all so intertwined? It's a game of focus more than fortitude … pace more than exertion. A game with wave-like emotions rising and falling like the ebb and flow of the tide. A game where each part of your mind, body, and soul are stretched in their own way.
It's a game of endless learning … and so too is life.
Self-Awareness: A Powerful Toolkit
Can you imagine trying to build a house without tools? Similarly, developing self-awareness without a toolkit is an intimidating feat. Having a trusted toolkit we can go to in times of need or assistance is a vital part of the journey in growing self-awareness.
And now that we have learned a bit of the process, it's time we learn about the tools to help us on our way.