Mindset Matters

Nearly 400 years ago, the Pilgrims landed in what would become Massachusetts after 66 days of perilous sailing across the Atlantic. Arriving 500 miles off course and later in the year than expected because of severe storms, they found themselves already deep into the winter of 1620, making planting any crops impossible and foraging for food only slightly more feasible. Their already meager supplies dwindled quickly and, at one point, daily rations were cut down to just five kernels of corn per person. Nearly half of the 102 Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock perished during that first winter, most due to starvation or complications resulting from malnutrition. Yet, because of the grace of God and benevolent natives who were willing to share with the settlers and teach them how to farm in the New World, those who survived would later enjoy a bountiful harvest, leading to what we have come to know as the first Thanksgiving. While you probably have never experienced the de...

While there are certainly nations like Saudi Arabia and UAE that have considerable wealth stemming from oil, there are also nations that seem to be quite impoverished despite significant natural resources. In South America, several countries have huge reservoirs of oil, but many of their people remain destitute. Several African nations like Sierra Leone, Liberia and Angola have large deposits of diamonds, yet remain poor. Other impoverished African nations such as Mali and Zimbabwe have some of the “richest” gold mines. Some of the countries that were formerly part of the USSR have significant natural gas reserves but have yet to escape poverty. While there are many economic variables at play, a couple reasons for this apparent dichotomy is the lack of technology and logistical capabilities to harvest those resources along with relative isolation and shortcomings in connectivity with other economies with which to trade those resources. In short, these countries lack the abi...

One of my sisters is a piano teacher and hosted a recital for her students this past weekend. She invited my seven-year-old daughter, Brooklynn, to observe the performances in hopes Brook would start up lessons again. Although Brooklynn very much enjoyed the recital, she still has reservations about performing in one herself. The idea of getting up in front of a crowd of strangers to play is quite frightening to her. For a young child, even performing in front of a small crowd must feel like playing for the whole world. The “whole world” would be listening and watching, observing every mistake and missed note. She would be completely exposed. Who wouldn’t be terrified of that?!? As adults, we rarely put ourselves in a position where our mistakes and failures are in full view of the world around us. We make our kids do recitals, spelling bees and plays – where they must practice and perform a new skill or face an unknown challenge with the world watching – yet rarely are we ...

It’s a weird mix of emotions I am feeling this morning. For whatever reason, the pain of lost friends and loved ones seems especially intense today. The distance in other relationships is also troubling, especially with my dad. I really miss how things used to be, the closeness in our friendship we used to have. I am hurting for close friends going through various trials. But I am also feeling tremendous appreciation for the countless wonderful things in my life. There is so much good to be thankful for! But there’s also some trepidation for unknowns in the future, like “What in the world are we going to do with six kids?!? Are we going to become van people?” And lastly, I am also feeling a deep sense of responsibility and purpose. With one week to go before the final Thanksgiving of the decade, I think the dominant emotion I am experiencing is gratitude. My heart is overwhelmed with appreciation for my wonderful wife and mother of my five and a half kids (Number 6 is due i...

I know Christmas must be right around the corner, because we are starting to see the UPS guys a lot, delivering packages containing gifts for friends and family. As we sort through the boxes and try to remember who we had in mind when we purchased each gift, I noticed the packaging enclosing each item. Right there on each box is a picture of what it is supposed to contain along with a brief description of the product, including its features and benefits. But the packaging may also describe what it can’t do or how it should not be used. There’s lots of helpful information we can find on the box like “Do not use curling iron in bathtub” or “Do not light firecrackers in mouth” and “Enclosed Superman underwear does provide wearer with superpowers. Please don’t attempt to outrun a speeding bullet.” But seriously, the packaging usually gives us a good idea of the finite utility of the product as well as its limitations. Many of us arrived in this world in much the same way: deliv...

I was at the gym on Saturday morning, and there was a guy working in the squat rack next to me with a shirt that said something about sacrifice and success. There may have been something about sweat in there too, I don’t remember. But I do remember thinking about the fact that I know moms who are literally half this guy’s size who squat more than he was, so I wasn’t too enamored with the “tough guy” motivational quote on his shirt. But as I continued through my workout, I was distracted by the stench of cigarettes emanating off the same guy. I thought back to the “sacrifice” message on his shirt and wondered, what exactly is it he thinks he’s sacrificing? His lungs? His health? His future? The irony of it all got me thinking, what am I sacrificing? You see, everything is a sacrifice. If I eat an entire cheesecake, I am making a sacrifice. I am sacrificing my poor pancreas, GI comfort and possibly the respect of the of the other guests at the dinner party (unless, of course, I...

This past weekend I spent some time reviewing some very interesting research in the field of behavioral economics (I’m sorry, does that sound nerdy to you? I can feel your judgment, but I don’t care. Some people have friends, I have books.) These various studies all explored the tendency humans have to indulge in unethical behavior or compromise once a certain threshold of “giving in” had been reached. For example, participants in one study were far more likely to make a large diet blunder – like eating a piece of cake or an entire donut – if they had already splurged on a small piece of candy. Similarly, researchers found people were more likely to falsify their level of completion of a new task if they had already embellished their resume or previous achievements in some way. In another study, participants were more likely to cheat on an exam if they had already made a relatively small “adjustment of the truth” prior to beginning the exam. Furthermore, the researchers noticed th...