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April 2021-Reading

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  The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff Overview Ordinarily, this book wouldn’t even be on my radar, much less my reading list. But a close friend suggested I read it, so I did. I don’t even know how to classify the book. It’s kind of like self-help, but also like an essay on Taoism with some short story vibes thrown in there also. The author uses the characters from Winnie the Pooh as metaphors and examples of the different concepts of Taoism. A unique and thoughtful read. What we can Learn While I don’t follow the religion or even know much about it, I found many of the lessons timely and relevant. One example, in particular, shows the need to slow down. Piglet is running to Pooh’s birthday party with a special balloon as a present. But Piglet is in such a hurry because he doesn’t want to be late and wants to give Pooh this special present. But in his hurry, he slips and pops the balloon. Now all his hurry is for nothing, he has no gift. Many of the concepts one slowing down...
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March 2021-Reading

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  The Flexible Body by Roger Frampton Overview I learned about Roger Frampton from his TED X talk. I loved the idea of movement based fitness. This book is more of a flexibility plan that a book about fitness. What we can Learn How to be healthy people with a decent range of motion. Rating I enjoyed the book and found the perspective refreshing. However, without actually committing to the process, it was tough to find any benefit. I just borrowed the book and would need to buy it to gin the benefits, but it wasn’t that good. Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull Overview Part self-help and part leadership, this book is a winner. There are tons of lessons on fostering culture, organization and leadership. What we can Learn Hearing other’s win and losses is always helpful. To hear that even despite the success, others feel like failures makes my imposter syndrome less scary. I enjoyed the leadership lessons and story of the rise of Pixar.   Rating I’d read i...
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February 2021-Reading

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  Every Deadly Kiss by Seven James Overview This book is in a prequel series to Steven James’ fantastic Bowers file series. This might be my favorite of his spin offs from his main series. This series felt complete on its own, while still adding depth to his other work. The book explores Agent Patrick Bower's growth as an agent as he develops ideas on criminal intent and hunts down a bioweapon.  What We Can Learn I love how Steven James plays with big topics throughout his stories. Keep your eyes open, it’s fun. Rating Read it.   Every Wicked Man by Steven James Overview Another book in Steven James’ prequel series. This one is a little more mystery than a thriller. Because of James’ writing style, the reader is able to try to figure things out along with the agents. I really enjoyed learning more about the main character’s (Agent Patrick Bowers) story. What We Can Learn Steven James is really good at getting inside of my head. One of the characters wonders if he’s going ...
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January 2021-Reading

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  One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick Overview This book tells the story of Nathaniel Fick, a Marine officer. Fick was on tour in the middle east when 9/11 happened. Because his platoon was the nearest and already active, they were one of the first people to set foot in Afghanistan once the war started. This is a gripping, first hand, account of the war and Fick’s view on leadership, the military and peace. I’m not generally a fan of military books. But I enjoyed this one! It zeroed in and gave me texture and story instead of just stats and overwhelming ideas that make me numb. What We Can Learn I loved the honesty of this book. Never before have I read an account of someone so frustrated with the military leadership. Fick broke down all the frustrations of being a man on the ground while others behind the lines make calls that didn’t make sense. It made me think about how I lead and the importance of sharing the reason behind my choices.  Rating I likely won’t rea...
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Year of Reading: Series Introduction

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 At the beginning of 2021, I set an audacious goal. I wanted to read one book a week for the entire year. Several factors played into this goal. a.        I’d heard that the average CEO reads 50 books a year. Some faulty logic told me that by reading 50 books in a year I’d be just like a CEO. It’s like saying “all pro tennis players own a tennis racket, so if I own a tennis racket, I’ll be a pro”. Now let’s be clear, I didn’t actually think reading 50 books would make me a CEO, but I was attracted by the habits of CEOS. b.        I noticed that I was reading at a pace of about one book per week, so continuing seemed doable. c.        I noticed that there were a few books I repeatedly borrowed from the library because I enjoyed them so much and wanted to come back to the information they provided. But I’m so cheap that I never buy books. So I made myself a deal: if I read a book a week,...
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Exciting things!

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New posts coming in the New Year! I've got several posts planned with interesting information, glimpses into what's been keeping me active these last months and my customary take on intentionally being your best.  ~Duncan
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Health Benefits of Barefeet

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  I think everyone’s goal in life is to be as healthy as they can be. We try to eat the right foods in the right amounts. We try to exercise. We try to feed our minds and better our perspective. People will do all sorts of crazy things in the name of health, from drinking apple cider vinegar or taking cold showers to having a special squatty stool when to help make stool and buying extravagantly priced copper pads from Gwyneth Paltrow. Yet one of the simplest ways to get improve health is often overlooked. It’s simply taking off one’s shoes. Going barefoot helps reduce strain on specific muscles and begins to work under active muscles. Going barefoot can also improve our healthy through pressure points and the pores on the feet. But the benefits don’t stop with the physical, bare feet can also help our mental state and mood. Instead of paying for products, bare footers actually save on shoes and works health benefits naturally into life. People often fear ankle injuries without...
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