Geographist

I heard a story about some kid who came across a man catching crabs along the beach.  He stored all of the crabs in a bucket, but there was no lid on top.   "Hey mister, you're going to lose all of your crabs!"  The kid was convinced the crabs could easily climb out.  "No, son," the man replied, "because if one tries to get out, the others will always pull him back in." Spend enough time trying to improve yourself and eventually you'll come across someone who doesn't like it, just like those crabs that don't want the other one to escape.  There are various reasons why some people might not want you to do your very best - it might be that they disagree with your priorities, or they think that you'll make them look lazy if you succeed where they haven't.  But many times it's simply because they have the mistaken impression that more for you means less for them.  To really maximize your potential it's critical to develop an abu...

My youngest kid and I are learning martial arts.  At first, my wife and I just thought it would be a good activity for kiddo to get some exercise, discipline, and socialization outside of school.  It's turned into a really positive, exciting journey for both of us!  We're both considered "intermediate" students, which means we've been consistent for a period of 9-18 months, but during sparring season we fight based on height, not skill level.  As such, we've both had to fight much more advanced students, and we've both taken turns getting kicked in the head by our opponents.  That's a problem because those are worth more points, and I don't even have the flexibility to reach my leg that high yet!  But stretching is uncomfortable and it takes time to see any results.  What am I going to do?  Well, in martial arts as in life, I can either remain in my comfort zone or I can push into the growth zone .  People like to be comfortable.  Have y...

Why did the bicycle fall over?  It was two-tired! Let's talk about bikes.  As a dad with three kids myself, I've taken a few turns teaching my girls how to ride without training wheels.  The funny thing to me is that, while each of them learned in different ways or needed me to try different techniques with them, they all had one thing in common: none of them ever wanted to go fast enough.  I guess that's a natural feeling, because the more speed you have the harder you are likely to crash.  But as anyone who has tried to keep a bike standing up on two wheels while not moving will tell you, that's just not going to work.  Movement helps you stay up!  Let's look at the secret behind keeping these leg-powered vehicles upright - balance - and maybe it'll help us learn something about success along the way. The spokes on a bicycle wheel are a good place to start the conversation.  Obviously they all extend from the hub in the center of the wheel to t...

As an adult, there is nobody to stop me from buying a cake every single day and eating it all.  It sounds good but would quickly make me very fat and exceptionally unhealthy!  There's no law saying I have to do basic chores to keep my house clean.  I don't have someone checking up on me to make sure I get enough sleep, wear sunscreen on trips to the beach, or look both ways before crossing the street.  So what is it that makes me do these things?  The easy answer is that I don't want to get sick or hurt.  But perhaps the better answer is that I've learned that it's important to know what you want MOST should take priority over what you want NOW.  With three daughters growing up in our house, my wife and I spend a lot of time telling children what they can do, what they can't do, and what they should do.  Their ages are a little spread out so the rules for one girl aren't necessarily the same for the others - as they get older we try to grant them...