Category: personal
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I have been fortunate to have several people in my life who exemplify generosity and inspire me to follow in their footsteps. In the last year I have been challenged and encouraged by Glen Van Peski’s Take Less, Do More, a class on The Practice of Generosity at Bridgetown, and the book Giving is the…
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Unconditional love is the most powerful and important force in our world. Love is the heart of our connections and communities, possessing the remarkable power to mend fractured relationships and bridge gaps between people. Love not only opens our hearts to others but also serves as a potent catalyst for learning and personal growth. Love…
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I have been spending a bit of time thinking about what’s important to me, what’s shaped my life. I noticed that there seem to be themes which thread the books I love, the stories I tell, and the way I try to live. Today I was looking at the books that have most influenced me,…
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This morning I have been reflecting on, and being grateful for books, people, and events that has shaped my life. This has been brought about because I am catching up with some old friends, including one that I haven’t seen in 40 years. I am in Portland for most of October. It turns out I…
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The following is a list of the lessons I learned, beliefs that were strengthen, and/or topics which frequently came up in discussions with other while walking the Camino. Walking the Camino provided a wonderful opportunity to consider what makes a meaningful life. The book Walk in a Relaxed Manner by Joyce Rupp is far more…
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For the next 2-3 years we will be traveling. partially to explore the world, partially to determine where we will spend the next season of our lives. We decided not to sell our home in Mountain View, but to rent it out given the high rent and that it seems like a good investment to…
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I retired this pasted summer so I would have more time to pursue my interests. I decided to sign up for psychology class at Foothill college for several reasons: I am interested in psychology, and thought having introduction class would ensure I had a broad and systematic overview of the field. In my younger years…
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Retirement: A stage of life when you are able to invest time without being constrained by the need to earn a salary. It becomes easier to pursue things that you think are truly worthwhile without having to make compromises. It’s possible to be “retired” and be working a job that pays you a salary if…
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Nearly fifty years ago I was looking through a book of early Peanuts cartoons while I waited for my violin lesson. One of the comics showed the simple pleasure of a cool breeze on a hot day. Since that day whenever I feel a cool breeze I will pause for a few seconds and relish…
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TL;DR My three rethinking posts (part 1, part 2, and this one) were written at the end of December 2021, but I delayed posting until plans for my retirement had been settled. I think anyone reading this would realize I was transitioning and didn’t want to send that signal before my boss and company were…
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In part I shared several of the changes that had a high impact on my mid-life reset in 2011 after my wife passed. Ten years later I am even more confident that those were were worthwhile. In this post I am going to reflect on several decisions I made ten years ago. This is a…
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I am troubled by the increasingly polarized “discussions” I hear on many podcasts, in social media, and in person. I am not just talking about politics. I see the same sort of thing when people are discussing diets, system architectures, training programs, or child raising. Often I see people making bold, absolute claims. They will…
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I recently talked with a student I mentored years ago about some mid-life course corrections he was considering. This prompted me to think about my mid-life transition in 2011-2012 as I grappled with losing Libby to cancer. The follow is a remembrance of what changed then, and how I think about these issues ten years…
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TL;DR Treating others as valuable by taking the time to really listen and to be present in the moment is one of the most impactful practices anyone can engage in. Not thinking about what’s next. Not thinking about how to respond, but giving people our whole attention. A friend was telling me about how he had been learning to…
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Contents1 TL;DR2 There is a “moving” tax3 There is a “new” tax4 Need “Recovery Time” from “Work”5 Workspace matters6 The Challenge of Community7 AirBNB Expectations8 Renting our Place Out While Nomading9 What I am Using (Minimalism)10 Entertainment11 Fitness12 Kitchen, Food13 Sleep14 The Story Continued TL;DR I became intrigued by the digital nomad lifestyle in the…
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TL;DR Contempt is extremely corrosive and will destroy relationships and society if not countered. Rather than encouraging people to repair a breach, contempt encourage people to separate, widening the gap. The solution is to truly listen to people you disagree with, looking for how you share values “the why” even when you disagree about what’s…
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I recently came across a wonderful interview which featured Eugene Peterson and Bono talking about the Psalms. I was touched by both mens’ humility, their genuine friendship, and their love for the Psalms. There is also a nice follow-up series of mini interviews between David Taylor and Bono called Beyond the Psalms which are inline…
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Last month I heard a story on NPR’s marketplace show about how policies concerning bourbon illustrate the long standing urban-rural divide in our country. It was an interesting piece, but not one I expected would have any impact on my life. A month later some good friends were cleaning out their liquor cabinet and offered…
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A friend recently asked “If you could watch only one movie, what would it be?” This is an incredibly hard question. In the end, my answer was the documentary Weapons of the Spirit, a story of the town Le Chambon that sheltered around 5,000 jews during the Nazi occupation. The cinematography isn’t amazing but the…
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These are notes I made for myself when I was considering a career change many years ago. Last week several friends indicated an interest my notes so I am sharing them here. At some point I would like to flesh this list out with more references. NGOs and other mission driven organizations tend to focus…