Our dog Minka has her priorities straight. A puppy who recently turned one, she understands the order of things. Her toy dragon is typically at the top of the list.
Month: March 2018
Let’s hear it for the “sbug”
You have probably heard of “BHAGs”: Big Hairy Audacious Goals. They are game-changing objectives, monster-size ideas that are large in scope and carry tremendous opportunity for change.
Please permit me to introduce the notion of the sbug: the small bald unassuming goal.
Worth Ethic
Many years ago, I wrote a novel on personal value. The title, “Worth Ethic”, was a nifty word play, an obvious replacement of the word work with worth. Because I haven’t looked at the book since I finished it, I can’t recall very much about the plot or the characters. It doesn’t matter though. There is a reason first novels are meant to be hidden.
Exercising humility
I recently told someone that life has been offering plenty of opportunities to exercise my humility muscle. It seemed like a nice turn of phrase – until I realized that talking that way was contrary to the essence of modesty. It sounded as if I was proud of my progress becoming humble.
Staying Alive
A friend who has been facing some health challenges recently shared with me two pre-surgery goals. The first goal was simple: stay alive.
Homo heliotropus
I got caught in a lop-sided game of freeze tag a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, I was disadvantaged by a combination of Irish heritage and too many formative years of unprotected sun exposure. Because my opponent was a dermatologist with a spray can of liquid nitrogen, I didn’t stand a chance. The final score was 12 to zero.
The Richness of Routines
I’m relearning how to brush my teeth. It’s not that I have bad technique; the brush is electric and, if I move it around to the right sections of my mouth, it does a pretty good job. What I’m working on is something more important than technique – attitude. Perspective. Put simply, my mental mindset for tooth brushing is poor. I find the twice daily ritual boring. It has become a chore.
