One thing you can guess about anyone searching for the Meaning of Life is that s/he isn’t feeling it. Isn’t satisfied. Wants something more, something worth living for.

I’ve thought about it a lot over the years, seeking a sort of Holy Grail, some universal solution that makes life worth living.

On one hand, I’ve conclusively figured out that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s not money or vacation or affection or service or…any number of “solutions.” Not alone. Not always.

On the other hand, there is a forumula, or a rule, or a finite set of rules, to ensure a meaningful experience. Continue Reading »

When was the last time you thought about how wonderful all the modern conveniences are that we so easily take for granted?

You turn a knob and clean water flows into your sink. You press a few buttons and your frozen meal is cooked. Hold a tiny device up to your ear and talk to someone on the other side of the world. Type your question in to Google and instantly find out anything you want to know. Sit down in your car and cross the entire country in less than two days. Sit in an airplane and cross the globe in one.

It’s hard to remember how easy we have it with so much convenience! Lately I’ve been noticing them a bit, but it seems impossible to fully appreciate them. Continue Reading »

Driving back from Southern Utah, on I-15 around mile marker 123, I think, just after Beaver, we saw a ghost standing on the shoulder of the road.

It looked like a zombie that had crawled out of a car crash, with her head cocked unnaturally to one side. We only had a moment to see her while the headlights illuminated her figure.

I’m “sure” it was a practical joke – either someone standing there or a dummy set up and left there by local teens perhaps, but it was very effective and creepy. I thought it was a fantastic way to keep late-night drivers awake with a creepiness-induced adrenaline rush.

Anyway, I’m blogging about this because I want to know if anyone else saw it or knows something about it. If you do, please post a comment below! Continue Reading »

A few days ago I was invited to canyoneer Zion NP’s Mystery Canyon. It’s a 5- or 6-mile affair with a lot of slot canyon, 9 rappels adding up to 440′, a few pools and waterfalls, which finishes with a 120′ rappel into the Virgin River in the Narrows not far beyond where the pavement ends. Continue Reading »

Here are some interesting findings from the Gallup Management Journal about traits of strong teams they’ve studied.

Similar studies by this organization created the basis for the very useful and often-counterintuitive books First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths, which revealed the surprising fact that you (or an organization) will get further by building on strengths than shoring up weaknesses.

1. Conflict doesn’t destroy strong teams because strong teams focus on results. Continue Reading »

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust, French novelist, 1871-1922.

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. Talmud

Continue Reading »

I always wanted a world full of adventure, open-mindedness, exploration and discovery. I wanted to be surrounded by enthusiasm, intensity, willingness to work for a good cause, and teamwork. It didn’t seem too much to ask people to be understanding, forgiving and tolerant of one another.

Many people have those traits. In fact, I work with dozens of them on a regular basis. My neighbors are fantastic people, for example, and happily serve others continually. After a big snow storm, chances are someone will walk their snowblower down the sidewalk for blocks, and others will shovel the walks of the single women and other neighbors. Adults and teenagers pitch in without even being asked. Such neighborly service is a given, and no thanks or recognition is expected. Continue Reading »