Here’s the latest rinse of my worldview. These thoughts represent my deepest held beliefs and guide my behavior – even though I’m constantly tripping up and falling down. We are all a perpetual work in process. I share this work within, humbly and honestly, with family, friends, and clients in the spirit of transparency. My aim is not for you to believe what I do, but to spur your thinking toward authoring your worldview and aligning accordingly. Feel free to skip this rant as it’s really, really long.
I believe…
God exists, created everything, made us for Him, gave us free will, And, modeled the way, embraced pain and suffering, and embodied truth in LOVE. Thank you Jesus.
I am accountable to God.
Jesus is the begotten son of God and the light of the world.
There is a law of human nature just as there are laws of nature. The laws of nature tell us what something does in fact do, the law of human nature reminds us humans of what we ought do but do not. Virtue is built by resisting impulse. Does. Not. Happen. Naturally. Thanks, C.S. Lewis. Thanks, Robert Greene, for the helpful “and.”
Absolute truth exists. It’s just really rare and rarely found.
There are no enlightened ones, only ones still seeking light. Thank you, Jordan Peterson.
I am my own worst enemy.
Life is paradox. We are poison and wine. Embrace it.
We are made to glorify God by enjoying him. Thanks LA.
We are designed with the deep desire to belong and become. These desires are in conflict.
We are made for relationship with God and humankind. All human relationships are bittersweet.
Death is a door.
We are broken people trying to become whole.
My most rewarding moments make no cents but make perfect sense to me. Damn.
Wise leaders cheat toward the few. Most focus on those below the bar. Don’t be a DumbASS.
Most humans don’t need to be tougher, they simply must be truer.
True vulnerability is the super power of the strong.
We are a perpetual W.I.P….
All humans are born to lead, at a minimum we are on the hook to lead ourselves.
All humans are biased. The best are aware of their own and tolerant of others.
All humans have a justice thread (a sense of right/wrong) and are naturally “over-tuned” to our own.
All virtues are built by going against our “nature.” Second nature is the ONE I want. Most character development is controlling impulse. Thanks N.T. Wright.
Creation and Evolution are true. Thanks Francis Collins.
Faith without science is fools gold. Science without faith is science fiction. Funny, huh…
All humans are becoming BTL. The key question is who are your builders. I am choosing to build me with the help of a few.
Betrayal stings like death. And, none of us gets outa here without experiencing both.
Your words matter. Tone and body language matter more. We mostly remember “silent” messages. Speak less. Say more.
Leaders are believers. Leaders are connectors too. Leaders initiate.
Life is a paradox between purpose and pointlessness. Ecclesiastes teaches us to give 100% to everything we do. Full thrust without restraint. And, knowing it will all burn away and tomorrow we may die, we eat, drink, and make merry. We take life seriously; ourselves, not so much. We enjoy the journey.
Clarity comes when you stop looking out the window for people to blame and, instead, commit to looking in the mirror.
Beliefs and behaviors are always out of alignment. The deeper my beliefs the more clearly I see my blemishes; yours, not so much.
All humans have blind spots. Adjust your mirrors. Ask the few for help.
Leaders model the way, embrace pain and suffering, and try like hell to embody truth in LOVE. All fall short. The best keep getting up while giving others a hand.
The greatest leadership challenge is not out there, it’s in here…
Trust is the bedrock upon which every form of community is built. Most know this. Few possess the will to build it. The BTL Builder does. Trust me, I know.
The greatest leaders are reluctant ones. Be careful what you wish for…
Life is a test. What comes out under pressure only reveals what’s been inside all along.
Respect all people. Cower to none.
Porsches are meant to be driven hard. In fact, their engines only reach their potential if consistently pushed toward their redline. If you simply cruise around in a Porsche, the engine slowly loses its ability to fully combust. Humans are a lot like Porsches. You can do more than you think. Go on push it.
Nothing worth possessing has ever been given. God’s grace is the exception. Thanks, Mom.
Reps remove doubt. Thanks Lil’ Jeggie.
Soccer speaks my language. The ball doesn’t care about gender, height, race, or social justice. The ball is neutral. The World Cup Champion is truly champion of the world. The game is a lot like life. Golf is my favorite sport. It’s not designed to be fair. There are no refs calling stupid fouls. There is no flopping. You play the course. You can’t beat the game, only play it. Cycling is another favorite. Cycling is a sufferfestivus. Almost everyone can ride a bike. Racing it requires a team willing to sacrifice everything for one leader. The lungs and legs burn but the mind is the real governor. Pushing through the pain while laughing with family and friends as we climb the French Alps is one of my favorite kairos moments. I believe sports have been one of my best coaches. Sports…
We come into the world self centered and other controlling. Excellence flips the equation to CORE centered and self controlling. It is not all about me. Dang it..
The present moment is God’s greatest gift, that’s why it’s called “The present.” Thank you, Joe Friend.
Time is undefeated.
Chronic pain dulls and deadens our senses. Chronic pain is slow death in the making. Chronic pain is epidemic today. Embracing acute pain is the recipe for eliminating chronic pain. Pain is inevitable, misery is a choice.
Hearing happens very rarely when we’re hurting. And, most humans are hurting most of the time.
“Play back what you heard,” is a freakin’ magic habit of master connectors.
Human brains default setting is “energy save mode.” Translation. We are naturally lazy. Excellence requires we fight our nature. Damn.
Life is hard. You can do what is easy now and life will eventually get harder. Do what is hard now. Life will get easier. Life is hard. Truth.
Peace is found on the other side of acute pain. (See the evolution since 3.27.21)
My bride, our family and friends are the greatest source of joy I’ve known here. And, home is where the hurt is too. Thanks, Miss, for holding my hand through all of it.
Aedán James has my ❤️ in his wee, Irish hands. I am a happy, humbled, and joy filled grandpa. Thank you, Andrew and Ek. Grandparents are a gift. Grandparenting? One of the greatest gifts. So, so blessed.
Being a grandpa softens even the hardest ASS. I am Papa, my most prolific identity on this planet. God, help me be a worthy example.
Passion is jet fuel for living your best life. Fear sucks the life out of you. Love fills you the hellup. Choose wisely your passion fuel.
All humans are filled with fear. Fear is the real “F” word.
Truth in LOVE conquers all.
Humans are the only animal who wear masks more and more as we grow older. Be who you are.
Human consciousness is a blessing and a curse. Dogs are dogs. Lions are lions. So lucky and limiting, right. All animals simply follow instinct and are who God created them to be. We have the blessing and curse of consciousness. Cultivating the core brings clarity to consciousness. Do the hard work within. Discover who you are. Live your life accordingly. Keep aligning. Die singing your song. Good…
Measure progress looking back. Gain inspiration looking forward, at the unattainable/aspirational, overarching vision of your OPUS.
You cannot take another further than you have gone yourself.
Clear, concise, and direct (always with respect) is the language of connectors.
7 good minutes may be the most profound tool in the BTL arsenal. You cannot master it, only continue to play with it.
You can be too concise. You can be too direct. You canNOT be too clear. Clarity is the obsession of BTL leaders.
Brevity in speech exponentially increases believability. Truth takes few words.
When you possess great treasures within and tell others of them, seldom are you believed. Damn. Thanks, Paulo Coelho.
All humans are creative. Only a few find their canvas.
High performance is not complicated. Skill. Passion. Effort. These were the big three when Galton wrote the first white paper on performance way back in the day. Today’s scientific approach agrees. The recent clarity? Effort counts the most. Buckthehellup. Master the fundamentals. Find a thousand nuances and then a thousand more. Find someone who will make you do more than you think.
You can’t remember everything and get the gist of anything. Think. Be selective.
Masters are domain specific. You?
Challenge and contentment go together. Just this side of chaos is where high performance resides.
Feedback is the breakfast of champions and it’s overrated.
Sabotage is a part of every human system. Thanks Friedman.
The non anxious presence of a leader is real power. Thanks, again, Friedman.
Emotions are contagious. Few are worth catching. Focus on the few. Focus on the positives.
Alcohol is America’s biggest addiction. No other addictive substance is marketed so freely. Fact.
I can only do what I have learned to do, and I have much to learn about just about everything.
Not yet…
A lone is one “L” of a difference from All ONE. Thanks Gurue.
One, distinct and deeply connected is the hallmark of deep relationship. The problem lies in your distinction, however. The more distinct one becomes, the more likely the disconnects. It is a fine line between the two. Distinct and deeply connected is the ONE you want. Distinct and disconnected is a thin line away. Humility helps us stay connected. God, help me…
Worry is too much future and not enough present. Thanks Ekhart Tolle.
I get energy from pushing myself and others physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Big dreams give us energy. Thanks Goethe.
I learn the most from those unlike me. Those that dislike me teach me even more!
Mental toughness is ones ability to control the human stress response. Thanks, Doc Potterat.
Fatigue is more emotional than physiological. Thanks, Tim Noakes.
Willpower is a scarce resource. When deplete, the quality of decisions dissipates quickly. Disciplines disappear. Willpower deepens in proportion to the depth of love for the activity or the aim. Live hard. Love harder. Will is power. Make sense?
Pride is not one of my problems, it is my biggest problem. Pride tells me to look around, mostly down, and compare. Humility drops me to my knees, demands I look up, and adjusts my aim accordingly. I am here to humbly serve and I need God’s help to gain His perspective. God, help me…
A balanced life is not my aim. Integrating around my CORE, OPUS, and PoP is my roadmap to mastering the art of living. Thanks Chateaubriand and L.P. Jacks.
All humans have faith in someone or something.
Reading, praying, singing, and reflecting on the Psalms is CORE centering for me.
Saying “I’m sorry” is weak sauce. “Will you forgive me,” is much stronger and humbling.
All humans have a God shaped vacuum that only He can fill. Thanks Pascal, I think.
If I’m still breathing, I’m good. Thanks, SEAL’s.
My capacity is grown through the relentless pursuit of my God given potential. Never stop pushing.
I am a builder and friend. I’m a better builder than friend. I am paid to speak hard truth and am now wired to give it freely. Sucks to lead anything, huh my friend.
Someday the truth will set you free, in the meantime it just may make you miserable. Thanks, Richard Rohr.
Excellence is a hero’s journey unique to each of us, fraught with struggle, laced with fails, taken with another, and toward something bigger than ourselves.
Excellence is found when I finish stronger than I started. Thank you, Peloton. Thank you, French Alps.
Excellence begins when we learn to do hard things kinda shitty and don’t quit. As we continue to learn how to do hard things less shitty, we begin to believe we will learn to do them well. Excellence is learning to do the right, hard things well. Masters do hard things well while making it look easy. Excellence is never easy.
I am not in control. I cannot control circumstances, other people or life in general. I want control. I am slowly becoming more comfortable being uncomfortable and out of control. I have close to 100% control of my choices, and I am learning to “go with the flow.”
Human minds crave certainty. Life is more mystery.
Mastering the art of living takes faith greater than fear.
I am slowly becoming awake and oriented times four. Still sleep walking more than not. WTFU (wake the fuck up) Chet.
Desire is not my problem, being far too easily pleased is. Thanks C.S. Lewis.
The more I deeply change, the more authentic I become. And, deep change hurts deeply. Damn.
Movies and music are meant to move us.
Maturity is the process of becoming the original we already are, we’ve just been too afraid to reveal.
Putting first things first does not make second things less, it makes them more. Thanks C.S. Lewis, my favorite author.
Quitting is more about one’s search for clarity than a character flaw. Damn.
All humans have integrity gaps (we’re hypocrites). I am working to notice yours less and close more of mine.
The most powerful force in the universe is a soul on fire.
A strong CORE and authentic OPUS are a compass and map for living your best life. Do not navigate without them. Do not leave them in your pocket. Look at them. Use them. Constantly rinse for clarity. You cannot be too clear within or with your aim. Damn.
Real power resides in rest, restraint, repair and deep resolve, not so much in revenge!
There is power in your pen. Writing crystallizes ideas. Writing cements learning. Writing externalizes ideas so they don’t get lost in your head. Writing brings clarity when it’s real and raw. Writing stops the ruminating mind. Frees it up. Writing is freakin’ magic for becoming the biggest (best) influence for you. Write for you. Good.
We don’t see things the way they are. We see things the way we are. Thanks Anais Nin.
Humans are story tellers and meaning makers. Most of us tell too many negative stories to ourselves (Thanks, Seligman), project too much bullshit on social media and in social settings, are too easily distracted (Thanks, Pascal), and take too little time in our search for meaning (Thanks, Frankl). God, help me.
We lose energy when we can’t see the shore. Excellence requires we act into ambiguity. Thanks Seabird.
Masters in the art of living choose vision over visibility. Thanks Bono.
Excellence requires we get comfortable in confusion. Thanks Alive.
Men have bigger muscles. Women are stronger and tougher too.
Being a leader is a lot like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are one, you aren’t. Thanks, Margaret Thatcher.
Listen up. STFU. Be. The. Way.
Peace and power are mostly found when one goes, quietly, to their room alone. Thanks, Pascal.
Food is our first medicine. Thanks, Miss, for bringing so much clarity here.
Laughter is soul food. I am as silly as serious, just ask Miss or any of my few.
Small talk does little good. Meaningful conversation is medicine. TALK. Mostly listen. You will feel better.
Heavy metal toxicity is true. No doctors are God. We barely know anything about our health or happiness.
Real experts ask the best questions and rarely deal in absolute answers.
Bright boundaries are required when you play with fire. OPUS is 🔥
Love and obsession are close relatives. You cannot have too much love. You can have unhealthy obsessions.
Never compare your insides to someone else’s outsides. Thanks, Rob Lowe.
Freedom is NOT free. Free will isn’t either. Choices have consequences. Choose wisely. Damn.
Humans seek hacks. God works slowly. The best way forward is often the longest way ‘round.
All humans leave a legacy. We all transmit something to the next generation. I am trying to transmit love and I’m struggling.
Survival wiring has me naturally thinking of things as “either or.” I am slowly learning the power of “anding.”
Mindset matters. A growth mindset loves learning more than it loathes losing. I believe in growth and am learning not to care so much about winning. Thanks Carol Dweck.
A champions mindset is not driven by ego but inspired by mastery. The focus is not on win or lose, it’s win/lose and learn. Always learn.
I am a house divided. And, slowly and painstakingly becoming ONE.
I am a Noticer. Thanks, Andy and Lil Jeggie.
Evil exists. The enemy uses distraction, today, like there’s no tomorrow.
Excellence requires we marry the mundane. Someday we will learn to love what we once loathed. Keep working.
Someday, God will return and put all things right. We know deep within, if we dare go there, that nothing makes sense this side of that day.
Hope makes no sense in utter darkness. God is light. Run away and toward.
We are all worshipers. The question is around who/what you worship.
We are all imitators. The question is around who you imitate.
Never stop attacking. Don’t protect anything. Thanks, Kyle Snyder.
Unchosen suffering points us up even as it takes us down. Thanks, my life saving friend, Grappy.
The quantity (Thanks, Jordan) and quality (Thanks, Annie Duke) of decisions, plus luck, determines the quality of your life. The more high quality bets you make, the luckier you get.
A strong CORE cannot bullshit and is always on the move from truth in anger toward truth in love. None of us arrives as whole. The best keep moving. More love, please.
The longing for justice, search for spirituality, hunger for relationship, and desire for beauty are stirrings in our souls. Thank you N.T. Wright.
Humans heal when we talk and touch in a way that transmits God’s love.
Most teammates value false harmony without knowing it. When they finally muster up the courage to fight, it’s a fight to prove a point. Most often it is fueled with anger. Transformational teammates fight to improve performance. Oneness is built in the crucible, in the heated moments. Most oneness is felt on the other side of a good fight. Oneness is fleeting and must be fought for. Most often the fight is within, not with another. Truth.
It’s always the few who change the masses. Focus on your few, leader. Simple, not easy.
Every team has a few quiet ones who are freakin’ magic when they open their mouth. Leaders figure out how to get them to openthehellup.
Mass attracts mass.
Sun. Nature. Walk. Read. Write. Reflect. Talk. Eat and drink clean. Pray. Rinse and repeat. Unipolar depression cannot thrive under these conditions for long.
Problems are not fine wine. Problems are stinky cheese. They do not age well. Leaders create problem solvers. Normal dudes fix problems. Don’t be normal.
I labor in love with those I love. Love the work. Love the team. Together we transform. Always together. Opus.
Nice is love in appearance. Kind is love in action. Be kind.
Great lives follow a pattern – Feel and think. After you feel love, you’ve got to think through how you’re going to stay connected when you don’t feel so much love. Feel and think.
Most learning is remembering.
The melody line I am choosing to hold in my mind is simple and powerful beyond words. God, help me.
I believe mantras matter. My current mantra came to me from the life of my best, four legged friend. Teeks life modeled these four words and I’m hoping mine does as well – Live hard. Love ❤️ harder.
Another mantra of mine when pushing physically is found in four words too – Find it. Keep it.
March 27, 2021 was a MOT for me. I saw deaths door and it didn’t scare me. Thank you brother Mick and Grappy. Thank you St. Anns docs, nurses, and technicians. Thank you to the Cath lab crazies. I believe God gave me a peace I still don’t understand. I believe a weak, incomplete faith in God is a mighty fortress in the crucible.
The time to build a strong CORE is now, not in the crucible. Most humans delay this hard work. This is predictably irrational.
Humans are more rationalizing than rational. Predictable, huh.
Every leader gets the team they deserve. Want a better team? Become a better leader.
False harmony is epidemic in our newfound, cancel culture world. False harmony comes from playing scared. It comes from playing nice. Don’t be nice. Be kind. Simple, not easy.
Pain narrows perspective. Peace widens it. Since the acute pain of March 27, 2021, my being is more peace filled. I’ve experienced peace on the other side of acute pain. My belief has deepened. Does this make it true?
The more I learn the less I know.
If you want to be out front, act as if you’re behind. Thanks, Lao Tzu
I am an artist, an entrepreneur, and an athlete. I am not easily corralled. I fight authority. Swim upstream. Productively rebel (at least in my mind). I cheat toward the unappreciated and overlooked but only if they work their ASS off. Don’t mess with me unless you’re ready to be pushed and pressured. Pressure is a privilege. Get out of the kitchen if you can’t freakin’ handle it. I’m more athlete than anything. Damn.
Our chief want in life is someone who shall make us do what we can. Thanks, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Believe you are badASS. Act as if you’re behind. We > Me. This is a championship mindset.
Wisdom is mostly built in “downtime.” Put down the iPhone. Pick up good books. Study. Learn. Apply. Freakin’ magic.
The best way to stop runaway worry, anxiety, and panic? Use logic. Think in bets. Figure out the odds. Poker.
There is zero power in intention. Do more, especially when no one sees.
All humans are selling something. People buy from people they like.
Great athletes & entrepreneurs develop a feel for the game. When you see them doing their thing it’s obviously not mechanical. They appear to make moves without thinking and feel what’s about to happen before it actually does. Flow. This is freakin’ magic. What you don’t see is the deep, deliberate practice that built it. I have a feel for BTL and can only keep it with harder practices. When I stop feeling it, it’s time to stop.
Everyday I am eligible to die. Live and love like it.
Life is an energy management problem. It’s yours and mine to solve.
The greatest gifts are not physical things – they are belief and perspective. Give away more of the first. Accumulate more of the second. Damn.
BTL cannot be taught, only caught.
I believe masters in the art of living keep working, keep playing, keep laughing, keep failing, keep lending, keep leaning, keep learning, keep giving, keep serving, keep creating, keep resisting, keep integrating, keep wandering, keep challenging, keep caring, keep repairing, keep believing, keep building, and keep going through whatever the world puts in their path. Above all else, masters keep loving. Good.
Do you know what you believe and why it matters? Maybe it’s time for a hard rinse within, friend.
Live hard. Love harder. Thanks, 77 year old Ron, for the reminder…
BUILT TO LEAD 