“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy 2015 was a huge year. Probably my biggest, most eventful, and memorable one yet. It was the year of weddings – my wife’s and mine, two of my best friends and their brides, plus […]
My Unlikely Benefactor
This week marks 10 years since my first day working in Chicago. I moved to the city in November 2006 with $2,000 to my name and no job. Impractical to say the least, and the exact opposite of the advice I’d give to, say, my little brother. I spent the first few weeks sleeping on a mattress in the living […]
Reconciling Privilege, and Finding Purpose Through Vulnerability
“Life is happening for us, not to us.” – Tony Robbins January 7, 2010. I rushed home from work a few minutes early, wrapping up an otherwise quiet Thursday. The sun had disappeared by 5:30pm but the snowfall was beautiful, and something about the moisture left the temperature feeling just a bit warmer than the dry, frozen tundra to […]
George Bailey and my Christmas GOAT
My closest friends and family know I couldn’t let the holidays pass without posting about one of my favorite movies and favorite movie characters of all time. It’s a Wonderful Life is easily my Christmas movie GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), and George Bailey is in my pantheon of fictional characters right next to Phil Dunphy of Modern Family, Atticus Finch (although his […]
On Millennials, and the Lasting Legacy of My Favorite Educator
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry Adams My Millennial generation is often characterized as a group of spoiled, entitled babies, gladly accepting our participation trophies and going about our business. And who knows? Maybe there’s some truth behind the stereotypes. Maybe we were told too often as kids how great we are, […]
The Responsibility of Hope
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy 12 years ago I was home from college for the summer, and took in the 2004 Democratic National Convention with my parents. I wasn’t particularly interested in politics (I was 21 and hadn’t yet had an opportunity to vote in a presidential election) […]
Scum Sucking Fish: Life Lessons from my High School Hoops Coach
The refrigerator boxcar. Geese or Buffalo? Don’t be a fire hydrant.* My senior year high school basketball coach was full of quirky stories, anecdotes, and reflections, one of which we would have to learn each and every practice, or else deal with the pain of “the 11-liner” (11 lengths of the court in 1:10). Prior to that season, […]
Inspiration From the McConaugh-ssance
“No cheatin’ the man in the glass.” I’m sorry, but does it get much better than Matthew McConaughey? For years I’ve admired so much the gracious spirit, grounded confidence, and positive energy with which this guy lives his life. Has he made questionable career decisions and stumbled at times? Sure. But he’s always struck me as someone who appreciates and learns […]
Presidential
I can’t give a big enough endorsement for the podcast, “Presidential.” Put on by The Washington Post, the series deep dives into the life, leadership style, historical context, and legacy of each American President, devoting one episode to each and releasing them in chronological order. Check it out here. I just finished the Teddy Roosevelt episode, and these are my […]
Marriage, Sunrise, and “People of the First Light”
“I believe as I believe the sun has risen, not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” – Tim Keller All too often, Nat and I find ourselves “out over our skis” when it comes to cramming things into a day. If an event-free Saturday presents itself, we look to get as much in […]
Nick Saban: Master Designer?
“He is different because of systems and organization. With him everything is a system. I saw it from the beginning. The first time I went in to meet him, he was staring at a map of the country, a recruiting map. I went in to shake his hand and meet him (around 8 AM) and he was staring at that […]
Discipline Practices of a Navy SEAL Commander
“The best way to mitigate risk on the battlefield is to be aggressive. Do not be reactive.” Another great Tim Ferriss Show with veteran Navy Seal, Jocko Willink. A remarkable man for so many reasons – legendary SEAL Commander, author, Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert to name a few – what has stood out to me from each of his appearances on this […]
Tom Herman: Anatomy of a College Football Upset
“Houston’s why is love, and players are encouraged to work hard and play for one another more than for themselves. All week Herman pounds home the message: ‘We genuinely love the guy next to us. When you line up against Oklahoma, you know your ‘why’ is better, your purpose is greater.’” I loved this article going behind the scenes […]
12 rounds with my Spiritual CEO
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Churchill Becoming a CEO By the end of my 20’s, I had drifted away from any sort of consistent spiritual practice or reflection in my life. Living in the heart of Chicago as a 20-something young professional offers so much in […]
Early Mornings With My Old Man: 7 Favorite Lessons
When my Dad would make a quick, mid-week trip to visit me in college, he’d always plan to get on the road early the next morning, around 5am. Then on occasion he’d wake me up at 2am to say, “Jus, I’m gonna take off,” in an effort to beat traffic on the two-hour trip back to KC on I-70. Most days […]