I just finished reading the final Harry Potter book to my kids. We are now champing at the bit, excited to watch the final two movies.As we were reading through the series, I suspected that things would turn out well for Harry in the end. Even though I was fairly certain of a happy ending, I still wanted to read the last book. Because I wanted to find out the how. I wanted to experience the surprises, see the impossible problems get solved and the loose ends get tied up.I wish I could always keep this perspective in mind in my own life.Last year, during a retreat, I read though a bunch of old …
Dawn Is Coming
It is always dawn somewhere in the world. That fascinates me. When someone is in the middle of the blackest night, someone half a world away is experiencing the joy of a new day. That’s how life is: seasons of light, seasons of dark.I can hardly believe that just a little over a year ago, my family was on Lanikai Beach, watching the sun rise over these two small islands called Na Mokulua, aka the Mokes. I was booked to speak in Honolulu and this trip seems like an even greater blessing considering how this year has unfolded.Some days Kim got up to watch the sunrise while I stayed back as the …
Goodbye Ahma Chris
My friend Chris was one of those rare people who sees something in you that you don’t see in yourself. Their insight seems preposterous at first, like a compliment that spiraled out of control. But they are so insistent and convincing, you actually start believing them. Eventually, you discover they were right, and can’t help but wonder if that seed of potential was there all along or if they somehow willed it into existence. If you’ve ever known someone like that, you know how rare and special they are. They are the kind of people who change lives. Chris Clarke-Epstein was one of …
A Free, Foolproof Antidote to Anxiety
Have you ever had one of those days when you’re angry at everything and nothing in particular? I had one recently. I went for a walk in an attempt to burn off my anxiety. Two laps around a spacious field of wildflowers near my home released some endorphins, but didn’t make a dent in my foul mood.I pulled out my earbuds and fired up a playlist on my phone populated with praise music. My soul began to lift.Then I came upon an older man driving a golf cart along the path, with a woman of a similar age as his passenger. She appeared to have some cognitive challenges as she seemed pretty …
How to Be An All-Star Without Any Talent Whatsoever
When I was twelve years old, I had a fastball you wouldn’t believe.That is, you wouldn’t believe anyone would call it a "fastball" if you saw how slowly it traveled.I had great control, rarely walking anybody, but I had no curveball, no slider, no screwball…just a not-so-fast fastball and a change-up that defied the laws of physics by being even slower. I swear I saw batters salivating while they were on deck.I did make the All-Star team that year, but not for my pitching acumen. My team never won a game while I was on the mound. One time, I got hit in the leg by a line drive that was hit so …
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Finding Harmony in a Messy World
An Easter lily reminds me of a trumpet, jubilantly announcing the good news of Easter morning. It can’t be timid, or it would never be heard over the din of our noisy world: Traffic and sirens and ads and 24-hour news cycles that trumpet the latest tragedy or occasion for outrage. What’s easy to forget is that we are part of that noise. It’s important to consider what we are putting out into the world. Are we spreading good news and positive vibes, or are we sharing bad news and negative energy? I am not suggesting we bury our heads in the sand and go all Pollyanna. It’s just that bad news has …
Finding Shelter in the Storms of Life
The first house I ever lived in was across the street from a fire station.Living in a small town meant it was quiet most nights, but you only need to hear those loud sirens wail one time when you’re three years old to experience real terror. And that is why, every single night, my bedtime routine included this statement: “Dad, I’m afraid of the thunder and lightning and the fire trucks.”Clearly, loud noise was my weak spot. (Had we lived next to a college football stadium, I suspect marching bands and touchdown celebrations may have made this list.)And every single night, my father would …
Blessings in Brokenness
"All the King's horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again." iPhone screens. Windows. Windshields. Bones. Baseball bats. Helmets. Even Humpty Dumpty.When something is cracked, we often think of it as ruined, useless, irredeemably broken.But when a bird’s egg cracks while in the confines of its nest, it is a sign of new life, a fresh beginning. Only moments before the first crack, the egg is pure, smooth, unbroken. Then the crack happens, disrupting the calm surface of the egg. But what emerges next is something new and beautiful. Our business had its best …
How to Turn the Tables on Adultitis
This past week was when my family would have spent a day at the Wisconsin State Fair, one of our favorite annual traditions.No cream puffs this year. 😔 Yet another loss in a long line of losses thanks to the jerkhead that is COVID-19.Kim has been busy on the phones talking to clients who are booking our virtual experience for their organizations and teams. One emotion that has been consistent with the people she’s been talking with is grief. Parents have lamented the losses their children have experienced, whether it’s a senior year, a graduation, the first year of kindergarten, or the first …
Whimsy is Underrated
I saw this car in my neighborhood the other day. It’s a real head-turner, with all of its whimsical flourishes and flair. They don’t make cars like this anymore.And that’s a shame.In the 1950s, cars featured all sorts of angles, fins, and bright colors. They were sleek, fun, and bursting with personality. The Jetsons gave us the wrong impression. Not only do we NOT have flying cars yet, we actually seem to have devolved our automotive design, settling for something that resembles a safe deposit box with the sharp edges sanded down and all the personality of white bread.Car designs these days …