Discontentment: A Great Leadership Challenge
Discontentment is evident, and it is more than just an election cycle. In the United States, our election is highlighting the discontentment. With the recent Brexit vote, discontentment is present within the United Kingdom, too. Add in Venezuela, the Middle East, and several other places, and discontentment seems to be present in more places than…
The Necessity of a Quarter-Life and Mid-Life Crisis
A quarter-life crisis happens. A mid-life crisis unfolds. I have thought both are frauds or distractions. Just do your work, and all will be fine, I thought. But not all will be fine. A crisis may be an overstatement. Terminology throws us. Is struggling with where you are with your career a crisis? Is feeling…
Forget Life Plans. Pull Life Strings.
Forget life plans. Many life plans lay unused. The time has come to pull life strings and weave a life story of purpose and positive impact.
5 Signs That Your Calling is Calling
I’m a firm believer that we all have a very specific contribution that we are meant to make to the world – something that only we are qualified to deliver. Some call it a gift, or perhaps our purpose, while others refer to it as our calling. Either way, it’s something that fills up our soul…
The Power of Example
Father’s Day is over. My first year without buying a card or calling my Dad. At some point, we pass this mile marker in which a father or mother dies. Worse, some never experience a father or mother being present in their lives. In their physical or emotional absence, we search for other examples. We…
Career Chapters: The Next One
My career life has chapters. I didn’t initially realize this until I made a career shift over twenty years ago. After this change, I began thinking about what would be next, especially as I got closer to the other end of the age spectrum. Thinking about your career life in terms of chapters helps living…
Shift Winning Well to Creating Well
What does it mean to win well? In business and leadership, I have learned a few things. On winning well, I have learned: Winning without integrity is losing big. Winning without a true collaborative spirit is losing possibility. Winning through self-centered dominance wastes talent and opportunity. Winning by always being right is wrong. Winning through…
The Mindful Middle of Past and Future
People do amazing things. We are capable to do amazing things. If people are doing things and have the potential to do more, why do many of us feel like we are stuck? Not everyone may feel this way right now, but my guess is most have felt this way at one or more times…
Community Creates the Music of Our Life
Our sense of community has faded into the busyness of our lives. Finding the right tempo and notes will happen when create community and find common ground.
Always, Always Entangle Purpose with Life Work
Have you ever picked up a book because of a few quick social clips you see? I have, and the latest one resonated within the prairies of my mind. When Breath Becomes Air is the story of a neurosurgeon who often thought about what career would deliver the most meaning with his life. Although he…
On Talent and Responsibility
January was a difficult month for lovers of the Arts. David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey… these are only a few of the individuals we have lost since the calendar switched over to January 2016. Yes, they are celebrities, and we didn’t know them personally, but their immense talent and skill at their given craft…
Are You Serious About Chasing Your Dream?
We often use words like passion and purpose around here on Thin Difference. With good reason, many of us realize our career prospects are rocky, even (especially?) with those fresh degrees – so why not try to make a real go of following our dreams? We make the decision to move forward – and quickly, we realize…