Today's Personal Growth Pulse
NYT launches ‘Ask the Therapist’ column to bring mental‑health advice to the masses
The New York Times introduced a weekly column called “Ask the Therapist,” written by psychotherapist and best‑selling author Lori Gottlieb. The feature invites readers to submit personal dilemmas, which Gottlieb answers with clinical insight and narrative flair. The newspaper aims to make professional mental‑health guidance accessible to a broad audience.
Discovering What’s Alive for You Right Now
Rich Fernandez argues that purpose is not a fixed destination but a dynamic state that shifts with what feels most alive in the moment. He illustrates this by sharing his own North Star—integrating mindfulness across every life domain—and explains how values, meaning, and intention co‑create purpose. The article offers a guided meditation to help readers identify current sources of vitality and the support needed to nurture them. Fernandez’s background in corporate mindfulness programs underscores the practical relevance of this approach for individuals and organizations alike.
Worth Reading – When Asking for Help Feels Unsafe
The article highlights how asking for help can feel unsafe in high‑stakes professions such as sports, technology, and law. Perceived weakness can jeopardize contracts, promotions, or billable‑hour targets, creating a culture where assistance is avoided. This fear exists regardless of...
Executive Decision-Making Demands a Different Kind of Discipline. Here’s What That Looks Like in Practice.
Senior executives are increasingly removed from day‑to‑day operations, forcing them to make high‑impact decisions with limited visibility. The article argues that decision‑making must be treated as a disciplined practice built on transparent systems, rhythm‑based reviews, and protected cognitive bandwidth. It...
Build Trusting Teams to Unlock Natural Best Performance
How do we create an environment in which our people can work at their natural best? Building a trusting team is the second of the five practices outlined in The Infinite Game. If you’re looking to bring this practice—and the...
Build a $50M Company Outside Silicon Valley
You do not need Silicon Valley to build a $50M company. One founder (@MediaKing) did it from a city of 250,000 people. No venture capital. No hype. No tech scene. What helped? 1. Fewer distractions. No shiny object syndrome 2. Long-term focus. No pressure...
May 2026: Books in Brief
May 2026’s Lion’s Roar roundup spotlights a wave of new Buddhist titles, from Margaret Cullen’s *Quiet Strength* that re‑centers equanimity, to Bodhipaksa’s 28‑day habit builder *Sit*. It also features Reb Anderson’s Zen parable collection, the Hases’ partnership guide, Roy Remer’s caregiver...
People Buy Outcomes, Not Products: Drive Human Flourishing
Customers never buy your offering for your offering. They buy it to: • reduce stress • feel in control • grow • become who they want to become The question isn’t “What industry are we in?” It’s: Which part of human flourishing do we help move forward? #Outthinker...
The Wisdom of Animals
The Lion’s Roar article weaves Buddhist practice with observations of five animal species—bears, snakes, owls, salmon and eagles—to illustrate mindfulness principles. Each creature’s natural behavior is presented as a concrete reflection on rest, letting go, deep listening, perseverance and resilience....
What to Do When Panic Attacks
The article outlines practical, Buddhist‑inspired techniques for managing panic attacks, emphasizing mindfulness, breath control, narrative reframing, multisensory grounding, and TIPP skills. It explains how simple practices like box breathing and sensory cues can interrupt the physiological surge of cortisol and...
Finding My Higher Power in the Ten Thousand Things
The author recounts a decade‑long sobriety journey that merged Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with Zen Buddhism, highlighting how the AA Big Book eventually recognized Buddhist members. He explains that the Buddhist Eightfold Path mirrors AA’s Twelve Steps, allowing both frameworks to...
How to Find Your Middle Way
The article explains the Buddhist concept of the "middle way," tracing its origins from the Buddha’s rejection of both self‑indulgence and extreme asceticism to the Mahayana Madhyamaka school’s philosophical emphasis on emptiness. It illustrates how the Buddha’s first turning of...
What Sea Slugs Can Teach Us About Learning Strategies
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center used the sea slug Aplysia to investigate how timing between learning events affects memory formation. By applying a neurotransmitter to neurons twice, they found that a 24‑hour interval between exposures triggered...
Reclaim Mornings by Shifting Claude Usage Off‑Peak
Folks struggling with Claude Code usage shifts: I just soft-blocked usage during peak hours, using a "Is this important enough to do during peak hours?" gate in my terminal, and hard blocked with a kill script on my Claude desktop...
Calm Presence Outsmarts Chaos, Even a Cobra Listens
😲😳🤷🏽♀️ Why?! Well, he didn’t chase control. He created calm. A cobra, one of nature’s most feared predators… completely still, almost mesmerised, as if time itself paused. Not force. Not fear. Presence. There’s a lesson here most people will miss: The loudest energy doesn’t dominate...
Apple Launches Built‑In Mental‑Health Tracking in iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10
Apple has embedded mental‑health tracking into iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10, letting users log emotions, stress and sleep directly in the Health app. The rollout includes a new Journal app and clinical‑grade assessments, marking the tech giant’s biggest push into consumer...
AI Frees Time for Family, Work Smarter, Live Better
My grandkids don’t care about my AI strategy. They care that Pop shows up. AI gave me the margin to be there for recitals, dinners, and Saturday mornings. Not because I’m working less. Because I’m working smarter. The AI Business Lab® Mastermind...
Navigating Identity After Leaving a Big Title
Giving up a large title, role and team can cause an identity crisis, especially as a man. Here’s how to manage it.
Carrie Bradshaw Sets Guinness Record for Fastest Marathon with Bilateral Hip Replacements
Houston native Carrie Bradshaw completed the January Houston Marathon in 3 hours 42 minutes 31 seconds, earning the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon by a female with bilateral hip replacements. The achievement underscores advances in orthopedic surgery and elite endurance training.
Consistent Excellence Beats Occasional Greatness
Anyone can be great occasionally. When everything comes together and you're in the zone, performance is easy. What's really hard is being pretty darn good, day after day. Raise the floor. Not just the ceiling.
Relying on AI Tweaks Erodes Genuine Design Skill
I can't not post this meme, but there's a real question behind it: When does it become truly detrimental to hand taste decisions to a model? If you've already built up scar tissue and design sense through lots of previous work, giving...
Why Leaders Need to Embrace Five Intelligences
Des Dearlove highlights the 5Qs Framework, a leadership model that blends five distinct intelligences—cognitive, emotional, political, resilience, and moral—to address today’s volatile business environment. Developed by Dr. Ali Qassim Jawad and the late Professor Andrew Kakabadse, the framework draws on...
Two Weeks Can Make You Better Than Most
You can learn anything in 2 weeks. You can't master it, obviously, but if you obsess over it, you can become better at it than most people ever will. You'd be surprised how fast your life can change when you understand...
Momentum Grows One Decision at a Time
Momentum is built one decision at a time. Stop overthinking and just take the next step.
Rory McIlroy Reveals His Mental Toughness Secrets for Conquering the Masters
Rory McIlroy’s new Prime Video documentary reveals how he turned a 14‑year mental burden from his 2011 Masters collapse into a disciplined, reflective practice. The film shows McIlroy leaning into missed shots, questioning his approach, and eventually learning to release...
Use Your Calendar to Signal Work‑Day End
I discuss how to trick your brain with @lewishowes by using the power of your calendar. Our brain takes some things quite seriously, like our calendars. Here’s how to use that to detach from work at the end of the...
Design Daily Routines to Automate Healthy Habits
As you start your week, plan your days to create predictability. Build systems to avoid willpower use. > finish eating 4hr before bed > mentally prepare, turn screens off 30 min before bed > read a book 10 min before sleep...
A Leadership Reset for INFJ Personalities
The article highlights that while 92% of INFJ leaders recognize mental‑health days boost performance, only 22% actually receive enough time off and nearly half end up working remotely on those days. It identifies three self‑sabotage patterns: deferring rest, internalizing stress,...
Judgment Is Inevitable; Examine It With Empathy
Hot Take: It isn’t possible to be “non-judgmental.” We make judgments and assign meaning to everything we see or experience in order to inform our choices. But...it IS possible to bring self-awareness and empathy to our judgments. Instead of pretending we don’t...
Screen Overload Erodes Reflection, Embrace Boredom for Meaning
Our devices are changing how we use our brains. @arthurbrooks makes a compelling point that constant device use fills every open moment with stimulation, and that may come at the expense of reflection, meaning, and self-understanding. Boredom feels uncomfortable, but it also...
Success Without Friction Feels Empty
The post argues that effortless wins feel hollow, while obstacles give success its weight. It observes that people and achievements requiring effort are valued more deeply. The author frames friction and adversity as essential ingredients that make accomplishments feel authentic....
Launch Rough OKRs Now, Learn Through Action
Ever spent so long overthinking your goals, the quarter started without them? I see it every single day. Diligent people get stuck because we’re afraid of getting it wrong. But only in retrospect do we have a chance of knowing whether our...
Hang with Me, Unlock Your Hidden Potential
If you hang out with me too long I'll likely brainwash you into believing in yourself and that you're capable of more than you're doing today... fair warning.
The Cost of Letting Time Pass Without Noticing
The post argues that unnoticed time silently erodes personal and professional productivity, even when days feel routine. It explains how failing to track daily activities leads to missed progress and vague outcomes. The author recommends active time‑tracking, habit formation, and...
50 Lessons From a Billion‑Dollar Exit and Marriage
It’s my 50th birthday. Here are 50 lessons from 50 years of life, a beautiful marriage, and a $1B exit.
Weekly Feedback Loops Outpace Annual Reviews
Most people ask for feedback once a year. Top performers build feedback loops weekly. After every major task, ask: • What’s one thing I should do differently next time? • What would make this 10% better? Small corrections compound faster than big ambitions. Don’t wait for...
Top 10 Books Shaping The Knowledge Project
10 Most Mentioned Books on The Knowledge Project podcast by @shaneparrish: 1. "Poor Charlie's Almanack" by Charlie Munger 2. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear 3. "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel 4. "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert 5. "Rich Dad Poor Dad "by Robert...
Time, Energy, Attention: Stop Wasting Them Forever
You have three finite resources: time, energy, and attention. And 99% of people waste them. • Doomscrolling • Watching the news • Checking notifications • Comparing themselves to others And every time you waste them, they're gone forever.
Slow Down, Appreciate What You Already Have
Maybe you don't need 'more' to live a better life. You just need to slow down enough to notice the good you already have.
Featured Among Top 50 Manufacturing Leadership Speakers 2026
Just published: 50 Best Leadership Speakers for Manufacturing (2026) by Jonno White at Clarity Group Global. Honored to be included alongside world-class voices in lean, culture, AI, and ops excellence. Full list: https://t.co/J7pVqaolJO #Manufacturing #Leadership #Outthinker #Kaihan
Years of Notes Become a True Second Brain
Just imported ~7 years of notes and highlights into my Claudesidian set up and used QMD search to find connections to an article I just read and...WOW Truly feels like a Second Brain now.
Recognizing the Zero‑Sum Fallacy in Everyday Thinking
Hm, this really does seem to explain something about a common way of thinking that I've observed. It's the "zero-sum" fallacy.
Bezos Says Key Decisions Rely on Intuition, Gut, Experience
Jeff Bezos: most important decisions are based on the heart, intuition, guts, experience and taste https://t.co/nKfJe9FEb9
Creative Work as Self‑Forgiveness and Hope, Says Nick Cave
Nick Cave on creative work as an instrument of self-forgiveness and the courage of hope in cynical times https://t.co/BHK62EaxE5
AI Boosts US Workers' Weekly Hours by 6%
The average American worker using AI reports time savings of 6%, or 2.5 hours in a work week. Those are similar to the UK & Netherlands, and slightly more than other EU countries. There some early, non-causal, signs that this is...
Insight Bridges Data, Decision Gap Hinders Leadership
Insight Is Evidence, Not an Answer - CX Journey™ https://t.co/kxDgTWbDdF The real gap isn’t between #data and #insight. It’s between insight and decision. #leadership #decisionmaking https://t.co/7xcbM3Uqwe
Notifications Cost Seven Seconds of Focus—Learn to Block Them
Notifications steal seven seconds of your focus according to a new study, but there are ways to avoid this. https://t.co/NLQ3hTz4Q9
Confront Unwanted Truths; Good Things Resolve Themselves
Most people fight seeing what’s true when it’s not what they want it to be. That’s bad, because it is more important to understand and deal with the bad stuff since the good stuff will take care of itself. #principleoftheday...
Avoiding Parallelism: One Task at a Time Improves Focus
I'm capped at 1. The moment I start juggling, I drop my concentration. An agent is a DIRECT execution tool for me, not a delegate-among-many. Might be a me issue, or a tooling issue. But right now, I'm staying away from...
Handwritten To‑Do Lists Boost My Productivity, Digital Fails
I’m a very big proponent of the hand written “to do” list. My wife uses the Notes app on her phone. Just cannot bring myself to do it. Zero effectiveness for me. Has to be physically written down and marked off.
Do the Dreaded Task Today, End Lingering Dread
You know that decision / conversation / action that your dreading, but you already know that once it’s done, you’ll think "what a relief that at least its over?" Do it today. You’ll incur the pain regardless. So why drag out the...