Congratulations on your graduation! Hopefully, I had the chance to congratulate you in person at the commencement ceremony. As many commencement speakers have pointed out, the word commencement refers to a beginning. Graduation marks the end of one phase of your life; commencement marks the beginning of another. As you start this next phase, I offer some unsolicited advice on how to navigate your life. Be kind. The world is a rough place. Make it a little less rough by being kind. The return … [Read more...] about Dear Graduate
van slyke
Making Resolute Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions don’t work for me, or for most people. The long-term success rate for resolutions is low; a recent study conducted at the University of Scranton found that only eight percent of those studied achieved their resolutions. Given the low success rate, maybe it’s time for a different view of annual self-improvement. My advice for improving yourself is twofold – shift your mindsets, and remember Aristotle. (I know, “remember Aristotle” is puzzling. Stay with me.) My first bit … [Read more...] about Making Resolute Resolutions
Fred the Stoic
Fred was an epic cat. Really. While most pets are special to their owners, Fred really was special; if nothing else, he lived to be almost 22 years old, which you have to admit, is special. As nearly as I can tell, the oldest cat currently alive is around 27. Fred came close, which is pretty special. But what was most special about Fred was his attitude towards life. As any cat owner can tell you, saying a cat has attitude is redundant, but as he grew older, Fred’s attitude morphed from typical … [Read more...] about Fred the Stoic
The Point of Your Life
Flying home from visiting my 92-year-old mother in Orlando recently, I reflected on the length and the shortness of life. It struck me that my mother has lived almost exactly twice as long as my first wife (Debbie), who lived to be 46. By most standards, Mom has lived a long life (with more to go), while Debbie’s life was tragically brief. Despite the vast differences in the length of their lives, both lived well. As I flew across the country, I re-read portions of Marcus Aurelius’ … [Read more...] about The Point of Your Life
