“Improvement, while ubiquitous and saturating the outlook of each and every one of us, is surprisingly difficult to define, characterize, and pursue.  But it’s what we’re all trying to do.  And in what we call our professional work (business, entrepreneurship, investment, careers, etc.) we can be quite explicit about this, putting our calculations out in the open in ways that would be seen as taboo in other spheres of our lives.  Every move we make in business is about improving something or another, and doing so in a way that minimizes compromising this effort from other, competing influences and forces.  Our work lives are refreshing, in a way, because we can be so open and honest about the nature of the agreements we make toward these ends.  But I know it also happens everywhere else in our lives, that the agreements are simply more implicit, found a bit farther below the surface, and that it’s often socially unacceptable to look for and reveal them, which is why philosophers, clergy, therapists, comedians, and storytellers are helpful.”

“It is important, crucial in fact, to remember that we are each individual outgrowths of that original, sacred unity of being, and as such we each reflect it in our own way. We each harbor a restless and sacred spirit, connected to that longing for ultimate unity, and ceaselessly pursuing that feeling.

Where do we find this feeling? Our strengths. Our growth. Our visions. Our triumphs. These are all born of our gifts and our potential, the profile of which is entirely unique from, yet categorically similar to, that of all other people. When we speak of stepping into our strengths and pursuing our visions, we must connect with our individual potential which is, I believe, connected to that longing, and the source of, that ultimate unity.”

“In the beginning God was One, pure Unity of Being Itself. But it despised Itself for it chose to divide, and that has been the shape of existence ever since - divided, separate, and engaged in commerce within, between, and among Itself at every conceivable level. And every level comes with taboos. And there is liberation in seeing them clearly and realizing you’re not the only one who does.”

“And, as soon as you begin the work of Attraction, with its attendant processes of communication and persuasion, your vision changes.  It may be subtle, but it always does.  You must tailor your offering to the market, and this will, somewhat or substantially, violate the sense of pure Authenticity surrounding your vision.  And you know what?  That’s okay.  That’s how the process goes.  Always.  In all times and places.”

“So, all of these disciplines, then, pursue the same end. And I see this. I see how each of us approaches our work in pursuit of a collective IDEAL, a vision of wholeness that we see beyond the horizon. Therefore, just as it doesn’t matter whether an ant is a queen or a worker to know that they all strive in support of the colony, it doesn’t matter what profession you practice, because it is all in support of human flourishing.”

“Is it wrong to love it?  Is it wrong for this lawyer to love this work that demands a steady supply of broken marriages?

Is it wrong for a surgeon to love appendectomies, which is only possible in a world with a steady and endless supply of inflamed appendices?

Don’t we desire a world in which no marriage fails, and in which no appendix becomes inflamed?

The absurd truth is that, no we don’t.  Because divorce lawyers and surgeons need meaningful work and opportunities for growth, just as we all do.  And that requires endless problems to solve and traumas to heal.  In the words of Nicholas Christakis, a physician and sociologist, ‘Our professions are made of the emergencies of others.’”

“It is from this hallowed source that all the work I do flows, work that always shines light on how to communicate with and relate to the other people in your life, because it is through them that all success, satisfaction, and prosperity flows.  And to find the ultimate source of that we need to do metaphysical work and discover the ontological source of our deepest pain and longing as the ultimate self-aware agents of the known universe.”

“Do you see what happens?  Ask anyone what they want and it will quickly become a description of the way they wish to relate to all other humans.  In order to live in peace we need to satisfy our respective political jurisdictions.  To enjoy our families we need to give and receive love in a highly reciprocal way.  And to make the money we desire we must provide a worthwhile service to satisfied customers in cooperation with a harmonious team.  How can we say any of this is selfish?  The concept quickly loses coherence to me.”

“These quantum leaps require faith. We need to keep putting energy into our personal atoms. The current orbital of the electron is simply telling us we're not at the next level yet. But the pattern is reliable. Quantum mechanics is, after all, experimentally verifiable. Otherwise it would be pseudoscience, and not actual science.”

And that’s my secret job description, as promised: theologian.  Because I do believe in God.  Nothing about human life makes sense otherwise.  But I don’t know the “correct” or “most accurate” way to think about and approach whatever this means, or if it’s even possible to capture by thought or word within the metaphysical frame to which we perpetually unsatisfied humans are consigned.  This too makes me restless, at the very level of being itself. “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” Ontological restlessness.

“I believe that self-doubt is always born of what are highly benevolent sensibilities if we trace them to their psychic and metaphysical source within our spirits/souls/essences/etc.  And, as far as I can tell, self-doubt always reduces to just three of these benevolent impulses, all of which imply the fear of some kind of lack.  Here are the three things we fear that we lack…”

“Heroism is a struggle.  You will doubt.  Expect it.  Find your favorite stories and draw nourishment from them along the way.

As I said, self-doubt is a benevolent impulse, so don’t forget that.  It simply means that you care, specifically that you care about three very important metaphysical factors that perpetually define the human condition at its most fundamental level.  When we struggle with self-doubt, it comes down to some combination of those three.  What are these three factors?”

“That’s the power of negativity.  People are in pain.  We have all been, and continue to be, traumatized on so many levels, and mere positivity just doesn’t do the job we need.  Not entirely.  I’m not saying not to stay positive, because I consider myself to be a very positive person.  And my clients find the time they spend with me to be incredibly uplifting and inspiring - they all tell me that.  But you have to know, understand, and see people’s pain to heal it.  And when people dogmatically and inflexibly promote mere positivity it actually does more harm than good.  In fact, the very concept of positivity is only meaningful when we experience negativity for the contrast.”

“So a marriage can never be perfect.

And the fact is that we have gone through hard times.  We have both had to work on ourselves and each other.  And when we did, somehow, the right resources crossed our desks and showed up at our door.  And we’ve been intentionally building and honoring one another ever since, endlessly and perpetually.

And Arthur sees it, which is the most important thing and ultimately what shows us that we’re doing the right things.”

“History is not simply the study of the past, it’s an explanation of the present.”

“The next time you fear the result of an ACTION you are preparing to take, look at it and see if it doesn’t actually conform to one of those 6 A’s.  And remember that everyone else has the same fears, and we’re all helping each other through this existence that we share.  And when people seem difficult to work with, it comes down to one of those too.  So now you can see their motivations as well as yours, and your awareness grows further.  And with more awareness comes more power, freedom, control, foresight, and pretty much everything else that is socially constructive.”

“I think that’s awesome.  And you can really tell that this sensibility shapes his core values and approach to entrepreneurship at its source of origin.  He has an almost child-like sincerity about it, in the best way.

I responded that I, too, have a word like that.  A business jargon word that obscures the often simple and direct inner source of its being, and that word is…”

“Did you think you were past these feelings, this kind of challenge? You may never be, and that’s okay. Because you can’t foresee everything. And the human condition is imperfect. Sometimes it feels this way. Sometimes things don’t go right. Stuff gets complicated. People and situations are unpredictable. You don't catch certain things until it's a little too late. You can see this honestly and not be a victim. If you’re a leader you acknowledge and own these truths. You say “I know, that happens sometimes. I choose to lead anyway, even though these situations cause me to doubt myself.” That’s not the same as failure, and people still admire you, look up to you, look to you, value your feedback and perspective. You have to keep your head up and work with what you’ve been given. I still deserve to be successful, as long as I learn, grow, and show up better on the other side of this.”