To understand and appreciate the peaks, we must also go through and feel the pain of the valley. None of us are exempt from the pain we feel when we encounter a valley in life. Even optimists like me struggle at times to see the benefit of going through a struggle. And while I am…
Why do we think in terms of a zero-sum game? Someone wins (+1), someone loses (-1). I think this zero-sum mindset of a +1 means somewhere else there has to be a -1 limits our ability to be an accelerator. The mindset becomes focused on grabbing that +1 when the true accelerator spirit is not…
This week my kids, wife, and in-laws set out on an adventure to Disney World. There’s a good reason why they call this the most magical place on Earth. It was so fulfilling to watch my kids enjoy every facet of Disney World – the rides, experiences of meeting their favorite characters and princesses, and…
Did you know golfers are more successful putting for par than they are putting for a birdie? The risk of not making par leads to a greater concentration on making the putt than the gain from the birdie. Loss aversion can have a powerful psychological impact. It’s why we’re sitting at the casino and losing…
If you were sitting in an interview and the question came up, how have you changed and evolved over the past 5-7 years, how would you respond? Many of us would go right to the monumental changes we’ve encountered – maybe it was growing your family, losing a loved one, job promotion, joining a community…
Why is it when I go to the grocery store and see a sale price marked next to the original price I get so much more intrigued to buy the item than if the store just simply had the lower price marked? Or when I’m on Amazon shopping for something I’m brand agnostic on, the…
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy Picture yourself standing directly in front of a huge boulder with a football field worth of green grass ahead of you. As you grip your feet into the soft grass and extend your arms to the boulder, you then tense all muscles ready…
As the beautiful September weather in Iowa began, I along with a couple of buddies and our kids went to experience the outdoors for my kids’ first camping adventure. With the kids running around crazy enjoying the best of what nature had to experience, the parents noticed a bit of an argument start to brew…
Can you smell the optimism in the air? Football season is upon us and for many, the year for dominance is here and now. The team is healthy. Key additions were made in the offseason. Preseason has shown nothing but growth from last season. Yet as we’ve seen time and time again, the reality of…
A couple of weeks ago my family took a trip to New York City as our last getaway before school started. While visiting SoHo as a part of our NYC experience, my wife’s attention was caught by a unique street vendor selling journals. My daughter, the artistic one of the family, became infatuated with the…