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There are moments when life feels like a treadmill: lots of motion, plenty of effort, and yet an unsettling sense that you’re not really going anywhere. The days blur together. Motivation flickers. Even success, when it comes, feels oddly hollow. What’s usually missing in those seasons isn’t intelligence, talent, or opportunity. It’s meaning. And meaning […]

Consider the meme I recently saw online which accompanies this article — imperfect, perhaps, but nonetheless illuminating. The meme depicts 4 relatively recent U.S. Presidents with an indication of two data-points: how many illegal alien deportations took place under each President along with how many protests/riots took place as a result of such deportations. President […]

History often compresses courage into a single moment. We remember the stone that struck Goliath’s forehead, but we forget the claws, the fangs, and the nights in the wilderness that came first. David did not discover bravery on the battlefield; he carried it there, forged earlier in encounters no one was watching. Let’s dig deeper […]

Building Your Power of Expression Palliative, adj., n. Pronunciation: ˈpalēˌādiv Meaning: Although this word doubles as both a noun and an adjective, I prefer the latter. Although in the field of medicine, the word refers to the relieving of symptoms without dealing with the root cause of the condition, I tend to employ this word […]

Networking has a reputation problem. For many people, the word conjures images of forced small talk, awkward handshakes, and a thinly veiled exchange of business cards. But intentional networking is something very different. It is not about collecting contacts; it is about cultivating relationships with purpose. When done well, networking becomes one of the most […]

The quotation marks in my title are deliberate. They mirror the precise wording of a question posed by Senator Josh Hawley, R-MO, to a medical witness during a recent Senate hearing—a question he repeated a dozen times and never received a direct answer to. (Watch the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJFuhgeNbSE). Whatever one thinks of Senator Hawley, his […]

One of the great limitations of the human mind is not ignorance. It is intuition. We tend to think of intuition as wisdom’s close cousin—something ancient, refined, even noble. “Trust your gut,” we are told. And often, that advice works just well enough to keep us believing it always will. But intuition has a darker […]

Building Your Power of Expression Pluck, n. Pronunciation: ˌplək Meaning: This nifty noun (and mind you, it can also be a verb, but that is for an entirely different context and meaning) is not used often, but when it is, it brings some lively imagery with it. Pluck refers to spirited and determined courage. Usage: […]

One of my students recently paused mid–Learning Journal entry and asked herself a question that deserves far more attention than it usually gets: “Am I setting goals, or am I merely setting vibes?” That question cuts straight to the heart of why so many intelligent, well-intentioned people feel perpetually busy, optimistic, and “motivated”—yet remain stuck […]

A 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was shot and killed in Minneapolis last week. She was part of a mob of protesters who were harassing and hampering the law enforcement work being done by Federal Agents from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement.) ICE has been rounding up illegal aliens that were let into our country by […]

In terms of my professional life, I’ve always seen myself as a “teacher” first and foremost. About 18 years into my career I found myself in a formal teaching role when a local community college hired me to join their adjunct faculty. Most of my “teaching” prior to that time had been in the corporate […]

Building Your Power of Expression Winsome, adj. Pronunciation: ˌˈwin(t)səm Meaning: This word brings to mind the notion of something that is attractive or appealing in appearance or character. At its heart, the word conveys a kind of gentle, disarming charm. It is not loud or flashy or manipulative. It is the sort of appeal that […]

Ambitious, annual or multi-year goals carry an inherent paradox: they inspire us with their promise, yet they challenge us with their distance. Anyone can get excited about the first week of a new initiative. The real differentiator is the consistency that follows after the excitement has faded, when the novelty has worn off and progress […]

I conclude my debate with a man I am calling Ferdinand Yocum as we debate whether President Donald Trump is justified in sending in the National Guard into Chicago to try to quell the violence. Ferdinand says no. I say yes. Again, my designation uses the initials AN. AN: You wrote: “As to this increase […]

In everyday conversation, sociopath and psychopath are often used interchangeably—usually to describe someone who behaves badly, selfishly, or cruelly. In psychology, however, these terms refer to distinct patterns of personality and behavior. Understanding the difference matters, not only for accuracy, but to avoid carelessly mislabeling difficult or unconventional people. Both sociopathy and psychopathy fall under […]

Building Your Power of Expression Prestidigitation, n. Pronunciation: ˌprestəˌdijəˈtāSHən Meaning: In its original and pure usage, the word Prestidigitation refers to the art or skill of performing magic tricks, sleight of hand, or clever manual deception—especially the kind associated with stage magicians and illusionists. The word comes from the French prestidigitateur, meaning “fast fingers,” and […]

There is a curious phenomenon you may have witnessed in your own kitchen sink. Place a flask beneath the faucet and turn the water on to the mildest of streams — just above a trickle. The water rises slowly in the wide lower chamber… almost lazily. But when it reaches the very bottom of the […]

I continue with a recap from my debate with a man I am calling Ferdinand Yocum as we debate whether President Donald Trump is justified in sending in the National Guard into Chicago to try to quell the violence. Ferdinand says no. I say yes. Again, I will designate Ferdinand Yocum with the initials FY […]

In life, we must always deal with the various energies around us, and some of those energies are not peaceful. Some people don’t have gratitude, so they attack what brings joy, healing, and wellness. Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is good; it’s about remembering that something is. It’s about noticing the things that are easy […]

Building Your Power of Expression Bucolic, adj. Pronunciation: byo͞oˈkälik Meaning: This word conveys the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life. Usage: “The church is lovely for its bucolic setting.” “Her childhood memories were steeped in bucolic scenes of orchards dirt roads, and the gentle rhythm of rural life.” “The poet’s language was so […]

We tend to think of productivity as a mental game—about focus, strategy, or time management. But here’s the truth: your brain is a biological organ, and your body is the system that powers it. When your physical health suffers, so does your ability to think clearly, create effectively, and perform consistently. The link between health […]

Not long ago I was involved in a serious dialogue with a man of the Left. Some would actually call it a debate. So be it. In the interest of full disclosure, the man, (let’s call him, . . Ferdinand Yocum,) would vehemently deny my characterization of him in this column. He would protest that he […]

One of the most entertaining movies I remember from an earlier era was Raiders of the Lost Ark which hit the theaters in 1981. It was a fun movie with actor Harrison Ford as “Indiana Jones” (AKA Professor Henry Walton Jones, Jr.) If you recall the film, perhaps you can recall that in spite of […]

Building Your Power of Expression Optics, n., pl. Pronunciation: ˈäptiks Meaning: Although this is a plural noun, it is usually treated, in practice, as a singular noun (similar to economics, politics, etc.) While the word originally pertained to the scientific study of sight and the behavior of light, I tend to use the word in […]

When we talk about “team productivity,” most people imagine a group of bright-eyed professionals firing on all cylinders, effortlessly crossing off tasks while humming the company jingle. Reality check: real teams have messy schedules, competing priorities, and at least one person who thinks “urgent” is just a suggestion. But fear not—team productivity is not a […]

Let’s talk about presidential power. It can cut both ways, and as a loyal American, you should be thinking about this because it directly affects your well-being. In his first term, Donald Trump played the usual White House game until he lost reelection. Then all hell broke loose. But during the four years he occupied […]

“And now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, . . . […]

Building Your Power of Expression Surgical, adj. Pronunciation: ˈsərjək(ə)l Meaning: Outside the practice of medicine, I often use this word to convey the idea of doing something with precision. Many others, especially in military circles, use the term to describe a type of attack on a military target that is done swiftly and with high […]

Conflict is as old as humanity itself. Whether between nations or within marriages, within teams or within oneself, conflict signals a clash of needs, values, desires, or fears. But conflict also offers a doorway: if handled with humility, imagination, and courage, it can lead not to defeat, but to deeper understanding, stronger relationship, and renewed […]

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” William Butler Yeats wrote those words about Europe after the Great War, but they ring with terrible clarity this week as we bury Charlie Kirk, murdered at 31 for the crime of arguing in public. The young man who built an empire […]