I’ve shared similar thoughts in the past on the limitations of excessive growth but this article in the Sunday Times Review section is especially poignant! Written by a Chinese American journalist living in Beijing, it illustrates the massive environment damage the Chinese economy has done to its ecosystem – to the point where people die years prematurely and infant mortality rates have skyrocketed. Superstorm Sandy is just the beginning. We must take environmental issues more seriously. As the number two producer of greenhouse gas emissions, the United States can do a lot better. As with any issue or problem, more focus and determination lead to faster more positive change. Denial, an all too human capacity to overlook the truth, must end! read more

I was working out at my buddy’s gym on the ground floor of his high end South Beach condo in march when Alex Rodriguez sauntered in to do a workout, rehabbing from hip surgery. I went from machine to machine trying to maximize my efforts in a relatively brief period of time. Meanwhile A-Rod looked like he was in super chill mode working out like a seventy year-old. I told everyone that I talked to that day that I thought he might be done. This article in the Sunday New York Times suggests that a small time dispute between a client/business partner of Biogenesis owner Anthony Bosch might assist in his demise. The owner of the clinic, a “classic con man,” wouldn’t pay a measly  $4000 loan back and got ratted out as a result. Big name players like Ryan Braun were also ensnared as a result of their dealings with Bosch. People cheat in life and in sports  because it often pays off in the short run, like A-Rod’s fabulous 2009 year. The real question is how do we create a culture where cheating is less rewarded? Wouldn’t it be great if we had courses in Integrity in school? I often say that we need more teaching in communication, self-expression, empathy, and love! Integrity is fundamental to true and lasting success in life and business so I am adding that as part of a future curriculum in school! read more

As I read this article in the Wall Street Journal Weekend edition, I noticed one particular sentence that inspired me to write these thoughts: the . Underneath every addiction are emotions like anger, fear, loneliness, boredom, and anxiety that are being avoided or temporarily covered up by compulsive behaviors. I have worked with hundreds and hundreds of “addicts” in my lifetime and not one didn’t have some underlying pain that he or she was trying to avoid or hide. To be successful in life and overcome addictions in particular, we must face our emotions and not avoid them. With awareness, which means identifying the cues that trigger deleterious behavior, we can learn to substitute more positive behaviors for lousy ones like gambling, porn, alcohol, drugs, good, sex and so on! read more

This article in the Sunday Business section of The New York Times is interesting because it highlights some facts about gold as an investment that many of us are not totally familiar with. For instance, owning gold over the long run as an only returns roughly one percent on your money, similar to short-term Treasuries. However, gold is much more volatile as we have seen this year and yet gold does not consistently track the stock and bond market. For this reason, it is a good diversification tool, one of the main arguments for owning some good in your portfolio! read more

Some people have asked me recently about how a guy like Weiner can keep running for mayor under such bizarre circumstances? My answer is a generalization about politicians and a fair amount of people in power since I don’t know him personally. Many ultra-driven people tend to have opportunistic personalities and are less emphatic and remorseful than many of us. Thus, they are less likely to see a problem with their disconcerting behavior and more likely to push on in the face of humiliation that would stop the ordinary citizen. read more

“The only power that has any real meaning is the power to better the world.” This is one of my favorite quotes from Gregory David Roberts’ inspiring story about love, adventure, survival, and humanity. It’s well worth reading!

A super-interesting article in the Sunday Review section of the The New York Times highlighting the value of siblings and especially girls in a household who bring out more generous and empathic behavior for men. For example, one study showed that male CEO’s were more generous with their employees if they had a daughter instead of a son.

Hewlett-Packard has pioneered the ancient Silk Road from China to Western Europe by rail this time instead of caravan. It saves the company weeks of extra shipping time by sea which is thousands of miles longer. Extra security is often necessary through countries like Kazakhstan that aren’t safe from bandits. This article highlights the positive side of capitalism, innovation, and international trade! read more

Sean Foley, “as much a mental coach as a swing coach,” has guided Tiger, Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan, and Justin Rose in recent years. Notice how all the top golfers in the world have outside coaching and guidance and not just on the physical level but mentally as well. I work with executives and business owners who utilize my services in part because of my focus on improving their mental game in life and business not just sports. And with several, we hit balls as well!—  New York Times Sports Sunday section read more

 When I read this article in The New York Times Magazine I had a dizzying array of thoughts – first, I love the game and believe it’s great that the international community is embracing it more and more. However, eight-year-olds pushed by their parents to train as if it were their full time job is a little frightening. I coached an architecture student at Pratt University in Brooklyn last year who was under enormous pressure to keep up with foreign (especially Chinese) students who regularly pulled all-nighters studying for exams. Sometimes, growth and competition can be a bad thing. Where is the emphasis on Being?, the essence of happiness, not just more and more Doing one might ask. read more