Being a calming influence when things go south is a seriously attractive quality — “I’ve arrived!” the young Hungarian announced to an audience of none. The year was 1921. The place was San Francisco. He’d been traveling for days, but instead of looking for a place to rest, the man had one last thing to do. “Excuse me ma’am!” he politely said to an…

Good stuff happens when we stop — “Can we eat a peach?” My son was close to turning four. We were walking back from the Tuesday morning market in our town. It was summertime. I still had to work. He didn’t. “Can’t it wait till we get home? I’ve got things to do.” “I’m hungry. It’s just…

“You only have to get things right a few times” — Warren Buffett — When reading, “The Warren Buffett Way,” I came across a line that has been running around in my head ever since — “You only have to get things right a few times. 12 investment decisions in my career have made all the difference.” Having recently turned 40 years old, it…

Start by choosing ‘enlargement’ over happiness — “Knowing what you know now, if you were starting your career today, what advice would you give yourself?” This past winter I began teaching leadership and communication skills to MBA students and I was asked a variation of the question above numerous times. In addition to prioritizing hobbies that strengthened…

Good things come from consistency and patience — On Monday, March 25th, 2019, I sat down at my computer, took a deep breath, and finally hit publish on an article I thought had the potential to fly. I’d spent close to two weeks writing it. I must have asked a dozen people for feedback. When I went to…

Sometimes the best lessons come from unlikely places — “As an American without legal working papers, you’re never going to get hired!” The career counselor at a school I attended to get certified to teach English wasn’t very inspiring. Each time we met, she made it known I was wasting my time trying to get a job. But then…

A story about a man and a train — “We gotta get moving!” I woke up to find my dad standing over me. My bedroom was dark. 6 AM. My groggy eyes could only make out his silhouette. But it was clear he was ready to go. His backpack leaning against the door. “Give me five minutes,” I grumbled…

A reminder the best moments in life involve being with humans — 27 people from 21 different countries were frozen to their seats. Syrians. Costa Ricans. Russians. The only sign of life was the tears flowing down their cheeks. When they finally unthawed and could breathe again, the first thing they did was run to the woman standing in front of them. …

You may find moments of happiness. But you won’t find lasting fulfillment. — “If your priority in life is happiness, don’t have kids. If you want to be fulfilled though, you should absolutely have kids.” I’ve heard this thought a few times. As someone who has lived 36 years without kids, as well as seven years as a parent, I agree. Sure, there…