The Rules for Being Human

The following list is by Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott. When I first received this list I was 18 years-old and attending an Outward Bound course in Maine. It had been photocopied so many times that the letters looked a little over-bled and rounded out. I rarely re-post other people’s content, but this is one that keeps […]

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The difference that makes a difference

One of the most useful concepts — for anyone, really, but especially for change agents because we so often find ourselves spinning our wheels — comes from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This is the distinction between our circle of influence vs our circle of concern. My circle of concern might […]

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Coming Back to Life

The biggest and most unnoticed obstacle change agents face is unprocessed grief.   When you think about it, one of the most powerful leverage points we have in terms of the kind of impact we want to have is our mood. When our spirits are high we face obstacles with creativity, tenacity, and persistence. And […]

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Another False Dichotomy: Selfish vs Selfless

Being selfish versus being selfless is a good hamster-wheel-of-the-mind for spinning off confusion and guilt. If you’re selfish, all you care about is your own needs. If you’re selfless, your needs don’t enter the picture; you’re only here for others. What if serving others meets your needs? What if being only selfish ultimately results in […]

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The hardest part

When you have a tough problem, the hardest part is figuring out how to figure it out. After that it’s easier, because it’s just about figuring it out. When you don’t even know how to figure it out — that’s hard. […]

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