Re-post: Increase Your Effectiveness by Knowing Who You Are

Act from your identity not into it

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates In my original post on this topic, I explained Robert Ardrey’s idea that our psychological and emotional needs center on Identity, Stimulation, and Security. In my previous post on Identity we discussed that identity emanates from essence, from existence. It is rooted primarily in the unchangeable […]

Classic Post: How to Write a Great Thank You Note

Put those grateful thoughts on paper - and mail them

“Thank you, the phrase, ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread,’ for making me seriously wonder who’s in charge of deciding what the greatest thing is.” – Jimmy Fallon I’m sure you received a lot of nice gifts for Christmas this year.  If you want to stand out as a man — to be the best version of yourself possible — take the time […]

Classic Post: The Unsung Hero of Christmas

The noble character of Joseph

Merry Christmas! While we celebrate the incarnation of Christ Jesus, I want to ask you to consider the example of a man who was indispensable to the Christmas story — Joseph the carpenter.   Meet Joseph When we first meet Joseph in the Bible, he is defined in terms of his relationships — as the […]

Update: The Wisdom of King Solomon

Learn from the wisest king in history

Men:  We have to talk about sex. If there’s one area where this generation is stuck, this is it. The Water Was Dirty Before You Got In Now, before you conclude that I’m pointing my finger at you, please realize that the Boomer cohort gave us the sexual revolution and rampant divorce, and the Gen X cohort […]

Re-post: Two Kinds of People

Are you engine or cargo?

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.  – Colossians 3:17 (The Message) It’s time for another visit to the poetry corner.  The following was in regular use in my old Boy Scout troop.   It was there I […]

Re-Post: Little Brother is Watching You

Why you and I are not our own

“Therefore I urge you to imitate me.”  – 1 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV) –Saint Paul Time for another visit to the poetry corner. Note: I found this years ago in a poetry anthology belonging to my grandfather. I noticed it because when he read something that stuck with him, he’d sign his name on the page. […]

Stimulation Is Good But Beware the Fakes

Get to know genuine accomplishment and real satisfaction

“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” – Psalm 119:37 We have spent the last several weeks considering the importance of the psychological and emotional needs Identity, Stimulation, and Security. In this post, I’d like to discuss the consequences of the misplaced or unmoderated need for stimulation. […]

Re-post: Why It Pays to Pay What You Owe

Default shouldn't be your default

“A good name is more desirable than great riches;     to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” -Proverbs 22:1 (NIV) A couple of years ago, the New York Times published an op-ed piece by Lee Siegel titled “Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans” in which the author explained — duh! — why he […]

Why You Need Your Question Answered

Seeking stimulation by creating drama

 “Crazy is like glitter. It sticks to everything, gets everywhere, and you never get rid of it.”  – Anonymous (or perhaps I said it first) Over the past several posts we have been dealing with the primary emotional needs of Identity, Stimulation, and Security. Playwright-turned-anthropologist Robert Ardrey deserves the credit for identifying these three — […]

Increase Your Effectiveness by Knowing Who You Are

Act from your identity not into it

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates In my original post on this topic, I explained Robert Ardrey’s idea that our psychological and emotional needs center on Identity, Stimulation, and Security. In my previous post on Identity we discussed that identity emanates from essence, from existence. It is rooted primarily in the unchangeable […]