Category: Philosophy & Musings

Some may champion strategic thinking as “common sense” or “the way of the warrior” or a “life-hack” or some other romantic-sounding label, but I just think of it as a necessary practicality.  We only have so much time to live, and that time is continually devoured by our daily needs, along with random twists of…

I only have to look at people who are in desperate straits to realize that writing stories is a straight-up luxury.  I try to honor this opportunity by attending to my make-believe with utter seriousness.  When put in perspective, the supposed nobility of “being disciplined” and “working long hours” on my keyboard aren’t that impressive. …

As far as I can tell, the hero’s journey never gets old.  What seems to be always be valuable is the ability to reiterate that journey in the most resonant way possible, in a way that lifts the newest generations’ minds and hearts.   And that’s why a writer needs to employ the sword of brutal…

I’m not in love with being disciplined or delving into nuance; I just find those activities necessary to get things done.  Being disciplined or strategic doesn’t make me superior as a person, it simply allows me to be effective and execute sound strategy.

I like to keep on top of stuff so that it doesn’t pile up and overwhelm me through sheer weight of circumstance.  I figure this is a way of speaking through my actions: I will proactively manage myself, so that Life doesn’t feel inclined to micromanage ME.

As humans, we tend to entrench our minds in rules and tribalism.  And yet ambiguity/chaos rears up again and again, forcing us to make an age-old decision:  do we stay in the trenches, knowing we’ll be steadily beaten down by our own stubbornness?  Or do we attempt a charge, even though it entails the discomfort…

I believe that employing phenomena in a useful manner—whether it be trauma, good fortune, skills, weaknesses, money, time—is largely dependent on my ability to shift perspective and seriously entertain others’ points of view. With a flexible perspective, I can assess the merit of a given occurrence with a clear perception, one that isn’t clouded by…

Whether I’m at fault or not, I like to assume the blame (not the guilt) to position my imagination so I can consider all solutions I might have employed, exactly as if I WAS at fault.  I find this infinitely more effective—as I’m extending my consideration to every single action I might have taken to…

We’ve seen the same, classic, success-propagating principles iterated time and again throughout the centuries.  What seems to deny us positive results is the ability to perceive nuance—the willingness to recognize different contexts and different circumstances, and knowing which principle will effect a positive solution.   I don’t think we lack knowledge of the existence of principles;…