I was running a half-marathon with my daughter Julia. I had set the intention to push myself, but to run at all times at a pace that felt good. And I did feel really good as I was steadily moving forward in the field of runners. And then I saw in the distance the mile...

Sometimes we are faced with a problem, and dealing with this problem merely involves thinking about the problem in a different way. We need a shift in perspective. This is the message of Berthold Gunster in his book flip thinking. One of the many examples that he...

My 6-year old granddaughter Sanne and I are big fans of the stories of Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. Frog and Toad are—perhaps unsurprisingly—a frog and a toad. They are dear friends and have many adventures, which are all benign and friendly. Inspired by their...

I love the story of the ugly duckling. There was a young duck. His brothers and sisters made fun of him all the time because he was unusually lanky and had a long neck. They teased him for being an ugly duckling. As he grew older, he saw a flight of swans flying over...

A while ago I was at a scientific conference. Research was presented on different topics, most of which were detailed and specialistic. Many presentations aimed at impressing the audience. Thousands of clever people were walking around clutching their conference bag...

I was on a flight of Southwest Airlines where a flight attendant made an announcement that Abbie—one of the passengers—was celebrating her birthday. They asked the 8-year old girl to come to the front of the cabin, and gave her a “birthday cake” made from a roll of...

Dear friends, Instead of bringing you my newsletter I bring you a heartfelt and moving message. This message that I encourage you to read is entitled A Parting Prescription for America. It is written by Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy who  is Vice Admiral in the US Navy...

I love the idea of the creative spark. Creative ideas come out of no-where, and that is why we liken these flashes of inspiration to a spark. That comparison is well chosen, a spark is a bright flash of light which symbolizes creative growth. But there is another...

On one of my trips this year I walked by the hydrant shown below. As a former firefighter, I was shocked and amused. This fire hydrant is in a busy neighborhood, it is great they had fire hydrants. What is not so great is that the pavement around the hydrant is built...

I have the privilege to play in a jazz ensemble with a group of students. We meet twice a week, play jazz classics and improvise. In the process we hone our playing skills, and we experience the joy of making music together. We recently played at the homecoming...