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Leadership

To Find Your Ikigai, Start With an Open Mind

Ikigai

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you have ever found yourself at a crossroads - questioning your direction, searching for meaning, or simply wondering what’s next - you’re not alone. One of the most powerful tools I have encountered in navigating these questions is the Japanese concept of ikigai (pronounced ick-ee-guy). While often translated as “a reason for being,” it’s more than a career tool or a life hack - it’s about alignment.…

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Everyone Is an Artist: Reclaiming the Canvas of Your Life

Everyone-Artist

“You are the artist of your own life. Don’t hand the paintbrush to anyone else.” - Don Miguel Ruiz

I have been thinking a lot about creativity lately. Maybe you have, too. For me, it came in waves during the pandemic. With the world on pause, something dormant inside me began to stir. I started drawing and painting again, writing more freely, and exploring - not because I had to, but because something inside me needed to create. And I remembered something I had long tucked away: I was a creative …

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Outwit, Outplay, Outlead: Leadership Lessons from 40+ Seasons of Survivor

Survivor-TV

“We’re all players in a game we didn’t design, navigating alliances, uncertainty, and the wild terrain of human behavior.”

I have been watching Survivor since the very first season. What began as a guilty pleasure quickly became something far more unexpected: a raw, unfiltered masterclass in human behavior, strategy, and the invisible dynamics that shape social dynamics.

Underneath the torches, blindside votes, and muddy challenges lies something profound. Survivor compresses life into a high-stak…

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What Is Your Relationship with Fear?

Fear

“Fear does not prevent death. It prevents life.” – Naguib Mahfouz

We all have a relationship with fear. The only question is: What kind of relationship is it?

Some people are paralyzed by fear, avoiding risk, overthinking every decision, and numbing their desire. Others are motivated by it, using fear as a trigger for action or a compass toward growth. But here’s the thing: fear itself isn’t the problem. It’s our response to it that defines what comes next. Fear is part of our biological design. I…

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Inspiring Vision: The Palace of Fine Arts

Palace-of-Fine-Arts

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” – Frank Gehry

There’s something timeless and humbling about the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, it was never meant to last. And yet, more than a century later, it still stands - an enduring testament to what happens when human imagination is allowed to stretch beyond function into beauty. This structure isn’t just a monument; it’s a metaphor. In leadership, we often b…

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Space Is the Final Frontier: Why Creating Room to Think Matters More Than Time

Space-Final-Frontier

"The future belongs to those who make space for it."

We often tell ourselves that time is the limiting factor in our lives - there’s never enough of it! But what if time isn’t the real constraint? What if the real scarcity is space? Not just physical space but mental, emotional, and strategic space - the kind that allows us to think deeply, imagine freely, and make decisions with clarity.

In an era where busyness is worn like a badge of honor, we’re conditioned to believe that productivity is meas…

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Thinking About Boxes (Not the Cardboard Kind)

thinking-cube

“The minute you label me, you negate me.” - Søren Kierkegaard

Recently, I found myself thinking about boxes. Not cardboard ones, although let’s be honest, they do pile up fast with online shopping. I’m talking about the conceptual boxes - the ones we put ourselves in and the ones we put other people in. And here’s the thing: it’s not because we’re judgmental - it’s because we’re human.

Our brains are wired to categorize. It’s a survival mechanism. A shortcut. He's a hunter. She's a healer. They're…

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Buildings and Legacy: Designing a Life That Lasts

photo-1548013146-72479768bada

“Architecture should speak of its time and place but yearn for timelessness.” - Frank Gehry

I'm a passionate world explorer. While others plan their journeys around food, beaches, or famous museums, one thing always leads my itinerary: architecture. To me, buildings are more than structures - they are statements of purpose. They hold the spirit of a culture, the story of a time, and the intentions of those who dared to create something that would outlive them.

Buildings Are Not Just Brick and Ston…

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Inspiring Vision: Atomium

Atomium

"Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." – Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi

The Atomium, one of Brussels’ most striking landmarks, is more than just an architectural marvel - it’s a testament to the power of visionary thinking. Designed for the 1958 World Expo, this structure represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, embodying the belief that scientific progress and human ingenuity can shape a better future. At first glance, it might seem like a f…

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Breaking Through Expertise Blindness: Expanding Your Vision Beyond Mastery

Horse-Blinders

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin

Imagine a world-class chef who has mastered the art of fine dining yet struggles to make a simple grilled cheese sandwich. Used to complex recipes and intricate techniques, they overcomplicate what should be a basic task. This is expertise blindness in action - a cognitive trap where deep specialization in one area makes us blind to other perspectives, skills, or opportunities. The more proficie…

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