May flowers. And other things.
Continue readingTag Archives: Perspective
Together
Mid-Life Stories: The Watch
An idea I’m playing with. Some stories from the past. And a lesson or two for what’s ahead. Perhaps a podcast?
Continue readingAll Eight Billion

It’s missing.
Like, completely gone.
As in, used to be there for 47 years and 3 days, and now isn’t.
Continue readingYou Know

When things are shaking, we naturally look for something to hold onto.
Not because it’s a quick fix, and not because doing other things isn’t important, but because uncertainty is scary. And we want to know we’re going to be ok. Even if it’s eventually.
Lessons From October’s Final Day
The Eleventh Morning
I originally wrote these words in 2020.
Maybe it’s not good blog etiquette (“bletiquette”?) to repeat a post. Not sure. But when it’s something that you’ll never forget…
Why is today so significant?
Nearly 3,000 reasons come to mind.
And a couple others.
3di: Intentionally. Better.

A short excerpt from the Introduction of 3di: Intentionally. Better. – a new book I’m writing with a launch date of January 9, 2024.
Better.
We all want it, right?
To feel better. To be better. To live better.
But desires that aren’t specific enough never become anything more.
Static thinking. Unrealized hopes. They’re neighbors. In a really crowded neighborhood.
So, how about some refinement? What does better actually look like?
It’s a pointless question unless we make the question itself, um, better.
In the most important areas of life, what does better look like?
Ok. That’s a bit better. But refine it more.
What does improved health look like?
What does an active mind look like?
What does an engaged spirit look like?
Improved. Active. Engaged. The important stuff. Sounds like a better life.
3di is a plan that invests in and improves the most important parts of life. It involves a daily investment, determined by you, in each of these three areas: Body, Mind, and Spirit.
A daily investment that helps your body.
A daily investment that stirs your mind.
A daily investment that lifts your spirit.
Here’s the bottom line:
Better takes a target. And a plan. And intention.
Oh, and work. Consistent work. But better is possible.
Better is the what.
3di is the how.
Now is the when.
Let’s go.
Seven Years In
The Eight Friends We Need

It might take a lifetime, but may we meet them. And know them. And be them.
The veteran
Someone you’ve known a long time. You’ve shared a few foxholes and trenches. Ups and downs, battle scars, disappointments, and celebrations, they’ve been there. And still are.
The reader
Someone who reads. Books. The kind with pages made of paper. They know the joy of stimulating their mind and expanding their imagination and skills and vocabulary. Their recommendations carry weight. Because their intellectual pursuit backs them up.
The encourager
Someone who believes in you. And tells you so. Frequently. When you’re struggling, they speak life. Not happy-talk. Confident realism. They recognize things like nuance, the mundane, and the extraordinary, and provide balance with a side of up.
The older
Someone who’s older than you. Maybe by quite a bit. Someone whose life experiences and perspective provide credibility your age hasn’t yet realized. When they talk, you listen. Because your future is speaking.
The accountant
Someone who can shoot straight with you. They know your strengths and celebrate them. And know your weaknesses and discuss them, candidly and kindly. They strengthen what you’re good at and identify your blind spots because the light they shine is bright, compassionate, and thorough.
The lifer
Someone who’s committed to being your friend until they die or you die. Clear enough? You know their commitment because of both their words and actions. And more of the latter. They’re in it for the long haul because they’ve been in it for the long haul. Consistent. Steady. There. Forever.
The different
Someone who’s not like you. Hopefully, at all. Different views. Different background. Different thoughts. They don’t sing in your choir. And yet you recognize their humanity and worth. And that’s enough to relate. Deeply.
The windshield
Someone who focuses on forward. Especially when you’ve made a mess. Not because they minimize the mistakes, or ignore the consequences, but because they know onward is a choice and what’s behind you can’t be changed. They know when hope can help. And hand it to you.