Earlier this year, I attended a meeting with nearly 100 people to discuss the future direction of a religious institution where I am a member. It was expected that attendees would have varying, and possibly contentious, opinions. The meeting’s facilitator began by spelling out some valuable ground rules for everyone…
If you haven’t seen the HBO documentary, Becoming Warren Buffett, I highly recommend it. The “Oracle of Omaha,” legendary for his investing prowess, is an amazing person from whom, and from whose example, much learning is available. A couple of my favorite takeaways from the film: If you were given…
This is a guest post by Sara Jacobs Growing up, the kinds of respect I was initially taught were not helpful to me later in my life. For example, I was supposed to respect teachers who would hit me, which made it seem like respect was born out of fear.…
I’m not a big drinker. I never have a drink at lunch (I would be too tired at work if I did that) and I have one drink at most when I go out to dinner (almost always wine or beer). I'm a "lightweight" drinker and when I have more…
When I say "Be a Leader" (the third of the Six Simple Rules for a Better Life), the leadership I am talking about is not being a CEO of a company, or being the president of a country. What I am talking about is volunteering at home, at work, and…
Empathy is an important skill for all of us. The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes helps you to understand their situation. And if you understand, you will be able to treat them with compassion. I recently heard an example of someone putting himself in the shoes of…
Many people dismayed by Hillary Clinton's loss are looking for any positive takeaway from her run. They point to her winning the popular vote by almost three million votes as evidence we will have our first female president sooner than later. Having a female at the top of a major…
I recently read Asking for It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture—and What We Can Do About It, by Kate Harding. Harding pulls no punches in her assault on rape culture. She gives examples that will surely disgust any thinking person. “If we all abhor rape,” she says, “how did…
Seeking first to understand is a habit I try to follow. It's one I first learned while reading Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I often talk about seeking first to understand when I speak about "Be Nice", the second of my Six Simple Rules for a Better…
I read a nice piece in the New York Times on what you can do about climate change. I tend to not be very political in general, and my mostly non-controversial position on this issue is as follows: Whether or not you believe in man-made climate change, it can't hurt…
I recently watched All the Way, an HBO movie about the story of Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you have access to HBO, you should be able to watch it on demand. In addition to learning about the history and events surrounding that critical legislation (which…
The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe rarely generates the level of empathy it would have if it was closer to home. This American Life, the wonderful radio show / podcast, recently sent staffers to Greece to learn the stories of refugees. The stories were then shared over the course of…