The Significance Sandbox

-- by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Return to Heresy as a Virtue

The Assignment: Describe what I want my life to be like 10 years from now -- knowing that I can take a bullet train right through the heart of the saboteur to the reality where I'd like to get off. But if I don’t say where I want to go, the train leaves without me. If I state it too vaguely, I may end up someplace I really don’t want to be. And it departs 45 minutes from now! Where my bullet train will take me … • I am happy, joyful and loving. • I embrace new experiences and celebrate ordinary pleasures. • I live passionately, unabashedly with openness and vulnerability. • I enjoy and appreciate good health – with strength and energy to last me 50 more years. • I’m (still) in love – with my wife: our relationship and emotional intimacy is growing. • I am a resource and role model to my adult children. • I am at peace with who I am and with my place in the world. • I operate fully out of love – not out of fear. • I live in abundance. There is plenty of whatever I need to do the thi...

“Why don’t you retire?” That’s the question I asked myself recently. I’d asked it of others – usually far older than I. But it is an interesting question for anyone – no matter the age. And what did I answer? I had a few pretty good responses to my own question. They were compelling enough to prevent me from throwing in the towel to a generally successful twenty-three year career. But still, the process of asking the question – and several related to it – was an amazingly freeing experience. How would you answer the question? “Why don’t you retire?” If you have the time, go ahead right now and jot down a few answers to the question. If you’re already retired, then ask yourself “Why didn’t you retire earlier?” Please don’t assume that I believe that anyone or everyone should retire. In fact, I can make a pretty good argument for never fully retiring. I actually prefer the term re-engagement. But for now, answer the question at hand. “Why don’t you retire?” or “Why didn’t you retire soon...

Ever feel like things aren’t just right? They aren’t horrible. In fact, they are good – just not great. It’s like an out of tune instrument. Try as one might to play the right notes and keep time with the beat, it can’t overcome the instrument being out of tune. I go through phases when everything is going smoothly or even spectacularly. It’s wonderful. Relationships are great. Business is great. I’m sticking to healthy habits. But over time, I get off course somehow. Not too bad at first, but over time it adds up. It can happen in my business or personal life – sometimes both. Then life becomes a struggle. No matter how much I battle, I get further off course. I imagine a symphony orchestra -- great musicians, beautiful instruments and a skilled conductor all performing a revered masterpiece. Does it just happen that they make great music? Certainly not. They’ve practiced for years – alone and as a group. But there is something else they do before each performance. They tune and re-t...

I spend most of my days in conversations with people about things that matter deeply to them. Commonly, we will develop and work from their “balance sheet”. However, most of us initially think only in terms of a financial balance sheet – the one with financial assets on one side and liabilities on the other. It’s an important and helpful tool to be sure. But I work from a different balance sheet – I call it “The Holistic Balance Sheet”. If I asked you to develop your own balance sheet, you’d start by thinking of the things you own. Your home, 401K balance, business interests and automobiles come to mind pretty quickly. You may or may not readily know the value of each of these. But you can fairly easily identify the key items. They are the ones that have the biggest price tags – the most zeroes after the dollar sign, right? Or are they? Once you’ve racked your brain trying to identify all the assets in your possession, I’d ask, “Have you truly identified the most important th...

I want abundant joy. Not the kind of joy that people only recognize at holidays and birthdays. I want to wake up each morning glad that I am alive and on a journey. I expect to see my share of sorrow. But in those moments I want to be able to see that it is because of past joy, that I feel the sorrow. And I want to know that because of my willingness to embrace the sorrow that joy will reemerge. And I will be stronger – more joyful – again. I want love. I want it from my wife. I want it from my children. I want it from other family and friends. And I would love to find it from a far wider local or world community. But as much as I want that love to be expressed by others. I don’t need it for me to feel loved. I can love myself. I can recognize that I am part of the beautiful Universe – part of the creation itself. I am worthy of love -- with no effort, no grand achievements required. I want to find and express my purpose on this earth. I may be here for a long time. On the other h...