I’ve been exploring small Twitter accounts lately. And when I say “small,” I generally mean accounts that have less than 50 followers. You’d be surprised how much gold can be found hidden away in these accounts: they tend to be raw, honest, and unconcerned with saying the “right” thing. In this podcast, I discuss how I started doing this, what I’ve learned, and how I go about it.
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This podcast is a reading of H.G. Wells’s story The Sea-Raiders. It describes the assault of a unknown species of carnivorous squid on the quiet English coastline near Devon.
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A reader emails me and asks for advice and guidance on how to navigate the passage from youth to middle age. But there are no magic answers, no magic wands. You have to keep moving forward, keep working on yourself, keep focusing on mind, body, and responsibilities. But I also detect some other things in his email, things that are unsaid. We discuss.
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A reader reaches out to ask a question that’s been troubling him. He was recently re-contacted by an ex-girlfriend from several years ago. She appears to want to start over again with him, but he has his doubts and hesitations. Should he re-open this closed chapter of his life, or should he keep his distance? We discuss.
The distinguishing feature of our “leaders” today is their near total disregard for putting the mission ahead of themselves. They are unwilling to risk their careers to make the hard calls that would truly benefit society. And because of their moral cowardice, all of us suffer. We see this played out over and over. In this podcast we examine an anecdote from the experience of one POW in the Second World War, and discuss its lessons. When leaders betray their oaths and their offices, the betrayal extends beyond their immediate radius of control: they betray future generations as well, the young people who were looking to them for protection and guidance.
I had a fantastic conversation with SolBrah on his podcast show last night. He writes about fitness, health, and society in a very perceptive and up-to-date way. You can find his Twitter account here, and his podcast show here.
Sometimes you have to accept the flaws and issues that people have, in order to accomplish the greater good. If you are in a leadership position, the priority is mission accomplishment. All else is secondary. Your people will not be flawless: some of them will have issues. If someone is a top performer, sometimes you have to learn to work around those flaws, as long as his abilities merit consideration. In special situations, you have to make allowances for people, and work around problems. Circumstances will be the judge of this principle–and it should not be abused.
Last week I had a great interview with Patrick Butler, whose fantastic “Knowledge Without College” series has the following mission statement:
There are many people who manifest a lack of thankfulness in their daily lives. This comes across not only in how they treat others, but in how they treat themselves. Lack of gratitude comes down to a failure of will: a failure to appreciate the real potential that lies within, and a failure to understand how short life can be. Stop looking for free handouts, and start being someone who offers value.
If you are out there pursuing your goals, overcoming obstacles, and blasting through barriers, there will be times when you take on more than you can handle. You will misjudge situations and, as the saying goes, will “bite off more than you can chew.” This is part of the growth process. This applies both professionally and personally. Don’t let the opinions of others diminish your focus. Deal with the situation as best you can, and chalk it up to life.
