Coffee With Dad

CWD-35 Be Unreasonable

Today’s topic gets a lot of bad press but it needs to be embraced in a positive way because this is what keeps us alive and going strong as we get older. As human beings we are built with a desire to “want” things. Not just in a material sense, but in a sense of wanting to grow, succeed and achieve something we were not able to previously achieve. When we’re young our elders ask us “What to you WANT to be when you grow up?” Often those desires are tamped down by those around us who can force us to be reasonable when it comes to our desire to “want” to achieve our ambitions. How do we deal with those forces that hold us back? Grab some coffee and let’s talk about that today.

CWD-34 Judgment Seen from Both Sides

When other do things, say things or even post things on social media it’s almost second nature for us to make judgments about them. If we like that person, it’s usually a good opinion. If we don’t, often the exact same action can leave us forming poor opinions. But we must remember that it works both ways in the things we say and so… and post. That’s what we get into in today’s Coffee with Dad.

CWD-33 Be Amazing Anonymously

Today I have a challenge for you that may or may not inspire you. It’s something that if you can do, you are truly on your way to being a much more fulfilled person who is not constantly chasing after worthless affirmations and faint praise. In fact, if you can do this it will change your perspective on your actions and the result of your actions in a hugely positive way.

CWD-32 Do Not Complain

Well… this can be a big problem in our society today. In this episode we define what complaining is and why we should never, ever do it.  Complaining is nothing but negative thoughts and causes us to dwell on things that give birth to a negative mindset. What can we do about it? It’s pretty simple… let’s talk.

CWD-31 Don't Fear Failure

There’s one thing I can assure you, during your lifetime you will fail at something, and several times. But failure is not something that you should spend your time and energy trying to avoid. Instead it is simply a by product of of our positive active pursuits. In fact, in this episode we look at changing our perspective when it comes to failure. Instead of allowing it to destroy us, we can actually embrace it. Say what!????

CWD-30 Mortality

Thoughts from today’s episode on mortality were inspired by Dr. Atul Gawande’s book “Being Mortal.” One of the primary takeaways that I’d like to explore today, from the book, is how flawed our medical society is because we overly emphasize curing things and prolonging life as much as possible and this determines our success. We fail to realize that there are other factors that should be taken into account as well. Let’s talk about that today.

CWD-29 Stress is Necessary for Change

Injury…stress…problems…things that are unexpected. Sometimes things happen that just knock us down and leave us feeling frustrated and ready to quit. In today’s episode I’d like to talk with you about how to look at the unexpected events that happen to us in a different way - to make them actually work for you.

CWD-28 How to Avoid Despair

Today is a topic that we don’t like to talk about but it’s important - suffering. In this episode we define what suffering is and how it is different than despair. We’ll learn the story of Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl and how he overcame suffering while in a Nazi concentration camp without having it devolve into despair. It is a very important strategy that it would be essential for you know. And… there’s homework with this episode.

CWD-27 Grit

I got today’s theme from a book of the same title by Angela Duckworth. The idea I want to talk about today, inspired by the book, is that you succeed in life not because you’re enthusiastic but because you have endurance - or grit. Think of it like falling in love (the easy part) and staying in love (the harder but necessary part). I will outline three important points to help you “Get Grit” in today’s podcast. 

CWD-26 Get Started!

Today we begin with a well-known Steven Covey quote - “you are not a product of your circumstances, you are a product of your decisions.” How many people do you know who say I could have done this, but I was in circumstances that prevented it. This is the stance of a victim. Those who choose to own up to their decisions are on the way to success. And the best decision you can begin with is the one I want to talk about today.