Why the middle matters

One has to go beyond the pairs of opposites to find the real source of anything.” Joseph Campbell    We’re living in a polar world, a world which, in many ways, is defined by polar opposites. Our notion of opposites tends to default to politics: Republicans...

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What does joy mean to you?

  In my last Viewsletter, I referred to the Book of Joy, published in 2016, which condenses a week’s worth of discussions between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama into a compendium of wisdom. In today’s complicated world, I believe it’s worth looking at joy,...

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Are you stayin’ alive?

The other day, a classic rock station happened to play the Bee Gee’s famous 1977 song, Stayin’ Alive. The lyrics tell the story of someone who is struggling with life, but won’t give up. He has ups and downs, but has hope and won’t abandon...

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Why can’t we all just get along?

Diversity and pluralism have informed America’s identity for generations. In these two principles, we celebrate the fullness of our humanity: the similarities as well as the differences that make us the individuals we are. Yet today we are short-changing that humanity by confusing social labels...

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(What) do you believe? v.6

It is said that opposites attract. That popular notion is being sorely tested these days, as we appear to be living in a time when polarities rule, where being opposite, indeed, in opposition, is informing our opinions in significant ways. We see this phenomenon politically,...

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What’s on your business card?

How do you present yourself to the world? Do you -- can you -- present your true self or do you present the traditional, expected "data?" -- What you do, who you work for? Here's another approach for fashioning a personal business card that asserts your...

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The peace in Bill Marriott’s eyes

This time of year it's hard not to think about peace. We're in the season of "peace on earth, good will toward men." We sing about it, ponder it, imagine it, pray for it. But we don't have it. I believe that before we can have...

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