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Busy day, so just a few quick thoughts based on what I’ve been reading about literary owls this week. But first, a story from my own childhood. When I was little, I remember spending the night at my aunt and uncle’s house and hearing an owl hoot for the first time. The night was still …
Continue reading "Lessons from the Owl: Between Fear and Understanding"
Next up in my study of owls is another harken back to childhood — A. A. Milne’s Owl of the Hundred Acre Wood. As a child, I always assumed Owl was the smart one of the group. He always had...
Despite having a degree in English Literature, I’ll admit — I’m far more familiar with the Disney version of The Sword in the Stone than the actual literary one. It’s been a while since I last watched it, but what I remember most about Archimedes the Owl is that he was a bit of a …
Continue reading "Lessons from the Owl: Archimedes, the Curmudgeon with a Cause"
Last week I published a series of posts featuring a Barred Owl along with a theme on Live Golden, highlighting the challenge of incorporating the Golden Rule into our daily lives. You may be wondering why I chose that specific imagery. The answer is two-fold. 1️⃣ I recently took a leadership training course through Scouting …
If you’ve been following along this week, you know the theme has been Kindness.1️⃣ Lead with love.2️⃣ Expect nothing. Do good anyway.3️⃣ Practice kindness. Every day.4️⃣ Practicing kindness isn’t weakness—it’s strength under control. But that brings us to the real question: to whom should I be kind? The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37, paraphrased) Jesus tells …
This isn’t just a vague or feel-good idea. It’s something we do—especially when it’s hard. Picture yourself in these situations: You’ve been sitting in traffic for twenty minutes. It’s finally your turn to pass through the choke point when someone cuts in. Do you inch up to block them—or let them in? You’re at work …
Continue reading "Live Golden: What Does It Mean to Practice Kindness?"
Some things I hear every day:“Don’t touch me!”“STOP!”“Mom, he’s doing…”“But it’s not mine!”“That’s mine!”"MINE!!!"“Who’s mine is it anyway?” What I try to remember—and remind them of—is simple: Practice Kindness. Practice, because kindness doesn’t come naturally. What comes naturally is looking out for mine. Wanting my version of fairness. Demanding that others follow the rules. But …
Yesterday I got a phone call about my last post—from a friend who shall remain nameless. He was confused, convinced that my “Call to Kindness” was some kind of manipulation tactic to get someone to do something for me. He then launched into a tangent about bike paths, eminent domain, and people stealing TVs. For …
Continue reading "Live Golden: Embracing Unconditional Kindness"
This weekend, I was reminded of something simple but powerful: whenever you have to choose between being right and being kind — choose kindness.We spend so much time arguing these days, trying to prove a point or win a debate. But you can be right and still be oh so terribly wrong in how you …
Another year complete, another set of books scratched off the "To Read" list. And another batch even longer added on! My total number of books dropped this year from 15 in 2020 to 9 in 2021. Still, a higher number than 8 in 2019! This is partly due to taking on some massively long biographies …
Ramblings from That Guy 