Empowering people to make strengthening choices
I’ve written about Martin Seligman, the father of “positive psychology” in the past. He didn’t begin his career writing about how to be positive and happy but rather studied depression and became known for his studies on “learned helplessness,” a term he coined. Seligman found that when people perceive they don’t have control over a […]
The following excerpt from my book, The Hero’s Choice, tells the story of when Hal (main character) started thinking about his guiding principles. Donald, Hal’s coach and mentor had taken him up a mountain trail and left him with a task of pondering his life in an old, forgotten cemetery.
Moments after Air Florida’s Flight 90 left the runway at Washington’s National Airport, it was clear that the Boeing 737 was not going to fly. As it shuddered and stalled, the co-pilot said, “We’re going down,” and the pilot answered grimly, “I know it.” With a deafening crash it slammed into the Fourteenth Street Bridge […]
I recently watched the 1982 movie “Gandhi.” What an incredible story about the power of integrity, living from ones deepest beliefs, even in the face of severe opposition and danger. Standing for Something In one poignant scene, early in the movie as he is just beginning to rally his fellow Indians against the tyranny of […]
In my last newsletter/blog, I talked about the importance of the “why” aspect of your personal vision. Your “why” is your personal purpose. It is the reason you exist and a crucial key to finding meaning and joy in your life. Your Purpose and Meaning You may be familiar with the name Victor Frankl, author […]
Three Levels of Vision There are three levels of a personal vision or rules to define your purpose, all equally important—why, how and what. “Why” do you exist? What is your personal mission or your purpose? As you step back from your day-to-day routine, how do you define what your life is about? Answering this […]
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high and hope and work remembering that something noble once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone, will be a living thing, reasserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Daniel H. Burnham […]
Vision vs Goals I want to distinguish between vision and goals. Your vision is abstract (I want to travel; I want to lose weight; I want to be a good father.) Goals are tangible (I’m planning a trip to Europe next year; I will weigh 180 lbs by Jan 1; I’ll be home by 6:00 […]
