June 28th 2008

I am sitting here at a Café for dinner. On the way over here I was listening to opera on my CD player. I have never listened to opera on purpose before this week, and I really haven’t given any thought to opera. My friend, Penny, has been giving me piano lessons. Recently, she gave […]

March 19th 2008

I cannot take credit for the following post. A version of this article was sent to me long ago. I’ve revised it slightly and do not recall the original source ~ Chuck
Appreciate Your Life
Learning it is difficult because our society teaches us about good and bad, right and wrong. We are programmed to believe in […]

March 10th 2008

I came across the following five questions a couple of years ago while working on an event in which we were considering the poet David Whyte as a possible speaker. These questions were offered by David as focal points for our conversations at the event. These questions, especially the first one, are worth visiting.

(The private […]

December 18th 2007

It is important to celebrate our heritage, be it cultural, ethnic or spiritual. It is also important to respect those of others. However, only acknowledging what makes us different from others, while ignoring the common source of life that connects us all, leads to divisiveness rather than harmony. Our true identity is to be found […]

December 15th 2007

“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”
~ Vincent van Gogh
Most of us will greet the New Year with at least some degree of uncertainty. Predicting where we will be in 5-10 years is increasingly difficult. […]

October 20th 2007

A few years ago, I was having lunch with a few participants in a training program I was attending in Seattle. One woman at the table began to share about her work. She was working as a secretary for an insurance company. She expressed a desire to change careers, stating, “I want to do something […]

October 13th 2007

It has been some time since I last posted to this blog. Life gets busy and it’s easy to neglect. There is another reason, perhaps more accurate. I have considered many times of writing every week. Yet, tendencies to be a perfectionist or concerns about what to write stop me. These are average person concerns.
My […]

April 2nd 2007

We are challenged to live contributive lives—to make progress in the face of the challenges before us.
Essential to success and fulfillment in life is appreciation and gratitude. The qualities of appreciation and gratitude are often dismissed. “I want results not appreciation,” the business owner told me.
For several years I’ve conducted informal and formal interviews with […]

March 6th 2007

Our environment reflects our inner state of life. Everyone exists in relationship. Our relationships serve as a mirror for our life, and an opportunity for transformation and healing. Through developing fulfilling and enduring relationships our well-being, health, and happiness will be greatly improved.
The Chinese character for “person” (ren) shows two people leaning on each other. […]

January 25th 2007

A five-year-old boy
suitcase in hand
departing.
While the family
stood with their camera
to capture the event.
All my life I listened to my friends
They said, “You were running away
something must have happened.”
And I believed all those stories
But I was not running away
No!
I was not running away!
This young boy was departing
The beginning of the quest
Traveling, exploring, discovering.
Eighteen years old
and a […]

November 13th 2006

Remember the joy and love in our life as we take risks and continue to grow.
-Vern Ho
Vern Ho was a longtime friend, teacher and colleague. Vern was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1995. I interviewed Vern on October 28, 1995 regarding how his illness was affecting his personal life and work.
Vern passed away […]

February 13th 2006

We know in our heart what is important. We recognize the necessity of leading from an ethical base, having vision and dealing with reality. Today it is imperative to put into practice what you already know. To move forward calls all of us to courage. How do you find courage in yourself and others?
Effective […]

December 27th 2005

When I left Eugene for a two week vacation on the coast of Maine last August I took with me a Bike Friday. I saw it as a way to enjoy a bit of solitude while visiting my new in-laws (I was married in April). While visiting the coast of Maine I used my bike […]

September 24th 2005

Forest Path off McKenzie Hwy. Oregon
Not long ago I accepted an invitation to go rock-climbing with a friend, an experienced climber. This would be my first climb and something I had wanted to do for years. The experience turned out to be much more challenging than I had imagined.
My objective was simply to reach the […]

September 2nd 2005

Millennium Clothesline Exhibit, Eugene Oregon

We share a common desire to live meaningful lives and for our communities to prosper. Yet, the task can seem so daunting that many people resign to concerns only for their own or their family’s well-being.
Over time, we discover that such an intent focus on our […]