"A man hasn't got a corner on virtue just because his shoes are shined." - Ann Petry All this talk of fashion reminds me of a wonderful tour I was given of the John Lobb workshop in Paris, prior to its move to the rue de Mogador. If you haven't heard the name before, John Lobb …
Category: Of Historical Note
Take comfort in rituals but don’t stop there!
My local Starbucks posted a sticker on the front door the other day that reads: "TAKE COMFORT IN RITUALS." The slogan got me thinking about the things in my life that border on ritualistic - my Matins and Vigils, Christmas decorations, tying yellow ribbons around old oak trees, and so on. What purpose do they …
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Levity, Leadership and Longevity
If your actions inspire others to believe in themselves, move beyond their limitations and maintain their integrity where others would sell out, you are a leader. Leaders inspire others to be more and do more, especially in times of unusual uncertainty. Some time ago I wrote about Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led a failed expedition …
Beware of unintended side-effects
The technology of our era is allowing ideas to spread around the globe at incredible speeds. Good ideas, bad ideas, truths and lies spread like viruses on steroids, capable of leaping oceans in milliseconds and infecting millions if not billions of people simultaneously. Take the 2006 FIFA World Cup, for instance. The 2006 tournament was …
Faster than a Speeding Bullet – The Key to Accomplishment
On October 14, 1927, just a month after the U.S. Air Force was created as a separate service, test pilot Chuck Yeager officially exceeded the speed of sound in level flight in a Bell X-1 aircraft. An incredible accomplishment! Previous attempts had been stymied by a buffeting and a loss of control as the aircraft …
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The Role of Empathy in the 21st Century
Whether or not you are religiously inclined, the statement purportedly spoken 2,000 years ago by a man whose worldview spawned a number of organized religions including Christianity - "Judge not that ye be not judged" - is worthy of deep consideration. Judgment, the arch-rival of empathy, is an insidious and pernicious human invention. The millennium-and-a-half …
Apathy, Anger and the American Way
I was disappointed yesterday to read in our local paper that only 28.3% of registered voters took the time to vote in yesterday's primary election. The article entitled "Apathy defeats anger in primary election" went on to note that only 14.82% of voters turned out for the 2008 Presidential primary election! The percentages border on embarrassing. …
A Personal Declaration of Excellence
The day before the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress 234 years ago must have been filled with incredible anticipation. Thomas Jefferson, a delegate to Congress at the time, submitted five hand-written copies that were modified, particularly in relation to slavery, before being approved. Only two original fair copies remain: one …
A Father’s Gift to Humanity
I read a lovely tribute in the New York Times yesterday to Ladis Kristof by his son, columnist Nicholas Kristof, in celebration of Father's Day (http://tinyurl.com/249f2qq). Nicholas recalled a profound statement his father, a Slavic immigrant and concentration camp survivor, had written that impacted him for years: War, want and concentration camps, exile from home …
A Tribute to John Wooden (1910-2010): A Century of Greatness
Coach John Wooden brought honor, dignity and humility to the profession of coaching in a way that will likely never be matched. His coaching achievements speak for themselves and when Coach Wooden spoke, everybody listened. I thought you would enjoy this link sent to me the other day of one of the hundreds of interviews given …
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Gregory Hake 