Tag: Resiliency
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Laughing at the Abyss
Sometimes you need to look at the dark things in life and figure out how to giggle at them. He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. – Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and…
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I’m a Damsel! I’m in Distress!
Inspiring words from an unexpected source. I know I’m late to the party on this one, but I had to share an amazing inspirational quote by the character Megara, from Disney’s 1997 animated film, Hercules. Ever the hero, the titular Hercules stumbles upon Megara fighting with Nessus, the centaur, and steps in to rescue her. Much to his surprise,…
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Redefining Failure
Failure is critical to learning. Why do so many of us get this one wrong? I have failed. I cannot even begin to count all of the times I have failed. Some of them haunt me while others give me a chuckle. I can see each of these failures as one of two ways: I…
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A Mere Formality
Informal feedback is vital, but it must be employed consistently to be fair. On 3 June 2020, U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General, Lt Gen Jeffrey Rockwell, released a memo detailing an investigation into racial disparity concerns inside our military justice system. He concluded that the Air Force had a significant disparity in the rates at which…
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How to Build Your Ship
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the immensity of the sea.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Emotion is an undervalued element of good leadership, but it’s necessary to inspire those you hope to lead. Without…
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Malice or Ignorance?
Some easy tools to avoid common cognitive traps that can negatively impact your mental health. This concept is from the U.S. Air Force’s “Comprehensive Airmen Fitness” resiliency program. My examples and uses are my own. “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance.” This is one of my favorite aphorisms. Various forms…
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Observations: Sea Stories
Admiral William McRaven (Ret) shares some insightful lessons learned from his wild life. Admiral William McRaven (Ret) is one of the most fascinating modern-day military leaders. A career Navy SEAL officer, he commanded numerous elite units and performed key roles in critical missions all around the world. Most notoriously, he oversaw the daring Operation NEPTUNE…
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Look for the Helpers
An important lesson on life and resiliency from Fred Rogers. Thanks to Mister Rogers, every time I watch the news, I get a sense of hope for humanity. No matter how awful the tragedy or how terrible the losses, I have pride for our species and take comfort in our future. This is not an…
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The Board of Directors
Spirituality and resilience isn’t always about your church. This concept is from the U.S. Air Force’s “Comprehensive Airmen Fitness” resiliency program. My examples and uses are my own. When we come to hard decisions in life, everyone has a variety of techniques to deal with them. One of the most common is to talk to…
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COVID-19 and Threat Modeling
Stop trying to eliminate or ignore risk; take necessary risks smartly. 2020 has been a wild ride so far! An entire continent caught on fire, every two weeks we dodge another world war, the market crashed, and of course… a global pandemic. It’s easy to choose between one of two options: Shut down completely and disinfect…
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Observations: Dare to Lead
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt Lessons Learned is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.…
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Teleworking is Hard
Whoever thought working from home was easy never listened to that stay-at-home parent. How do we prevent teleworking burnout? Let’s face it: teleworking sounds amazing. Roll out of bed late, leisurely enjoy your breakfast and coffee, get in some exercise, and get to work. Finish up early and still have plenty of time to catch…