I look on 2015 as an open door. A door I have looked at for some time, holding back. And yet, somehow I know I will find the courage to walk through. I always do. I look back at every other door I have walked through, valuing the lessons and the experience. I think about […]
It’s Time To Blackmail Yourself
By December 29, 2014 5 Comments
Over the last three years, I’ve worked tirelessly to improve my city (Fargo, North Dakota), to shift its global image and create something special for my community of friends. We’ve had a tremendous amount of success, with glowing local and national attention, plenty of nights with the fondest of memories to fill a scrapbook, and […]
Will you please share the gift of kindness this Christmas?
By December 17, 2014 5 Comments
Almost two years ago I created a social movement called Suspended Coffees. A suspended coffee is the advance purchase of a cup of coffee, for someone who needs it, no matter why. The entire movement is based on kindness, generosity, compassion, and hope. During this time, I’ve devoted myself full time, to working on and […]
The Human Cost of Currency Collapse
By December 10, 2014 3 Comments
In my experience, very few people have even contemplated – let alone planned for – a scenario in which their currency slumps and the public lose confidence. Although such events are rare, they do happen; usually after a prolonged attempt to fix an already-failed financial system. If that sounds familiar, it should set off alarm […]
A Moment of Zen Could Be The Answer
By December 3, 2014 5 Comments
I’ve just had my first Zen moment in Japan. For a while now, I’ve been wrestling with what to do next with my life. Something we all face, at some stage. I’m staying on the sacred island of Shikoku – hot springs and 88 main temples, plus 20 minor temples, to make up the magical […]
What if it was easy?
By November 12, 2014 7 Comments
Last night as I trekked through the Denver International Airport with a stroller, two kiddos, enormous suitcases, car seats and a heavy, HEAVY backpack, my never-ending inquiry, “what if it was easy?” mocked me from my head. I would have traveled light. I just would have done it. I would have assessed our time away, […]
The Original Assumption
By November 5, 2014 32 Comments
Last week I was the most exhausted I have been for quite a time. I was so tired that I could not finish my blog post on The Kindness Virus. I have to confess that the second half (or better half) of the post was actually written by my wonderful wife, Valerie. This was the […]
The Kindness Virus
By October 29, 2014 11 Comments
Last week, I received a masterclass from one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever had the pleasure to spend time with. That man was John Sweeney,, the Founder of Suspended Coffees: a fast-growing worldwide movement that has positively impacted hundreds of thousands of lives with random acts of kindness. A suspended coffee […]
A Journey Into The Unknown
By October 22, 2014 6 Comments
On the 3rd of August 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail with 3 ships to discover a Western trade route to the East. Interestingly, his journey was the result of a miscalculation that the world was smaller than it actually was. If not for the existence of the New World, they would certainly have all perished. […]
The Elephant In The Room
By October 15, 2014 8 Comments
Where I live, in any given year 1 in 4 people suffer from a diagnosable mental health problem. 1 in 4! Most disturbing is the stigma attached to the problem, making it a taboo subject. And as a result of this societal silence, the problem is getting bigger. I like to flip this, to consider […]