Archive for April 2024

Every now and then, my school’s cafeteria serves “Nachos Grande.” When I announce this meal option to my students, I add that “Nachos Grande” might be an excellent nickname for me that they might want to consider. None do. Most groan. I can’t imagine why. While I continue to try to convince my students to…

The National Bureau of Economic Research has made a shocking discovery. Polling data routinely indicates that about 22 percent of Americans report attending religious services on a weekly basis. However, by analyzing geodata from the smartphones of more than two million people in 2019, researchers found that just five percent of Americans attended religious services…

I was teaching a storytelling workshop last month when one of the participants lamented that his parents had “only given $250 in pocket money” per month while he was attending college. And this was in 2005 when $250 could be stretched considerably further than today. My instant reaction was to recoil. I have not received…

The weather has finally turned. I stand on the precipice of the golf season at last. A time of unknown, unimaginable possibilities. Golf can often be frustrating, disappointing, and even ridiculous. But there are also unforgettable moments of glory that make every duffed ball, shanked drive, and missed putt worth the pain that golf can…

While performing in Schenectady, New York, a couple of weekends ago, I drove by this restaurant, which, as far as I can tell, could be: “First Prize Mike’s Frankfurts along with First Prize Hots with our Sauce” or… “First Prize Franfurts” and also “Mike’s First Prize Hots with Our Sauce” Or maybe just “First Prize…

“Sweet Child O’ Mine,” the iconic song from Guns N’ Roses’ 1987 album Appetite for Destruction, has a fascinating creative story. The opening guitar riff—possibly one of rock and roll’s most famous guitar rights—was not planned or even written. The band’s guitarist, Slash, used that opening riff to tune and warm up. One day, the…

A friend sent me a photo of this post-it, written by his daughter. __________________________ Dear Future Self, Have a good lunch. Hope you did well on your science test 2-day. Sincerely, 7:30 AM Alana __________________________ His daughter has heard me speak about the importance of “taking care of your future self.” I’m a big believer…

I visited my friend’s high school English class this week. I talked about storytelling, writing, and creative productivity. I also answered questions about my life. But as I often do, I also shared life lessons — organically, of course. Someone asks me a question, or something is said, and in response, I fire off a…

Years ago, my friend Shep told me to watch the movie “Hot Fuzz.” I had never heard of the film or its director, Edgar Wright, but knowing Shep, I decided to give it a shot. Elysha and I sat down and watched the movie and loved every minute of it. I’ve rewatched it several times…

Here’s a good rule of thumb for your business or organization: If you need to allow the people in your organization to remain anonymous while completing an employee satisfaction survey, a professional development evaluation, or any other kind of workplace appraisal in order to receive honest feedback, your organization lacks psychological safety. The need for…