There are many things I am enjoying about my new assignment and among them is the opportunity to live life outside the SCIF. I have spent almost all of my 25 years of naval service working in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). For the unfamiliar, a SCIF is a […]
Category: Inspiration
Missing Career Milestones
Last month, the Information Warfare Community, to which I have been a proud member for 25 years and counting, convened a board to screen officers for their next career milestone. As is true with the posting of the results after each board, there were people who were excited to read […]
Shaping Memories
It’s that time again. Time for the family to pack up our bags, bid farewell to local friends and teammates, and embrace the nomadic life we live. I am not complaining one bit. Moving every 2-3 years continues to provide us with opportunities to meet even more amazing people, accumulate […]
Culture Book
Peter Drucker is known to have said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Those who know me understand how committed I am to living that statement. That is not to say I don’t see value in strategy, it’s just that I understand the best strategy won’t deliver the desired outcomes if […]
Jumping to Solutions
I am confident that this is not the first time you have read this quote from Albert Einstein: “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.” At the same time, I am all but certain […]
Changing Lanes
At the end of my son’s most recent swim practice, he approached the car with a big grin, which is not his typical post-practice body language. Before I even had a chance to ask him how practice went, he proudly announced, “Dad, that practice was so fun because it was so […]
Good for Your Career?
Don’t get me wrong, I am “all in” on simultaneously writing the current chapter of my life, as well as contribute to the current chapter of the Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command story. And as the storyline begins to set the stage for the next amazing adventure for both, foreshadowing […]
Informed Opinions
I just returned from an amazing trip to San Francisco. Though the purpose of the trip was to spend time with future teammates, contribute to the conversation regarding public-private partnership in non-traditional sectors, and begin preparing for our move west, I had the pleasure of seeing long-time friends, celebrating my Dad’s […]
Disneyland Mindset
Do you remember the first time you went to Disneyland, Disneyworld, or any amusement park for that matter? Given that I was six the first time I went, I don’t think I have any accurate memories of that experience. But I do remember going to amusement parks many times as […]
Just a Job
Note: Those who read this blog regularly know how much I believe passion for our work is a requirement and that if we aren’t fulfilled by our job, we are being unfair to ourselves and our teammates. This is an attempt to explore why those who believe a job is […]
Stop Pretending
There’s lots of talk about goals this time of year, and I know I have been contemplating the same. It’s natural, healthy, and helpful. It happens at the beginning and end of journeys, around birthdays, and the turn of the new year. As I talk about goals with others, it’s easy […]
Reflection: Because, With, & Despite
Reflection is a powerful thing and something I make time for each and every day. Reflection is an activity that ensures we take the time to acknowledge our progress, think deeply about what we continue to learn though life, and posture ourselves for the next steps in this wonderful adventure […]
Doing What We Want
Want: have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for. Should: used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness. What do you want to do? What should you do? When the answers to those questions are not aligned, which trumps which? As we enter the new year, many of us are […]
Effects: Placebos and Tinkerbell
I don’t know if it makes me weak-minded or strong-minded, but I believe in the power of placebos. Whether it was my Mom kissing my boo boo, the coach telling me to rub some dirt on it, the magic pill that my wife gave me, or the self-diagnosis from a […]
Is It Worth It?
Life is full of questions and, clearly, there are far more questions than answers. Some people spend their lives in search of answers and others craft questions as a means of guiding their adventure. One of my favorite questions is, “Is it worth it?” It’s one of my favorites because […]
Shelf Life
Open your refrigerator or go into your pantry and take an inventory of all the products with an expiration date on them. Now check out any produce you have on the counter and assess how much longer they might be edible. In the pantry, you will likely find that some […]
Sliding Doors
I thoroughly enjoy making decisions. That might sound egotistical and give the appearance that I am someone consumed with power. To be clear, it’s not so much the act of decision making that excites me, it is the progress enabled by those decisions. And it’s not so much that I […]
What’s Next?
What’s Next? It’s a question that I ask myself dozens of times throughout any given day. You see, I have an addiction. An addiction to progress. In my mind everything on my To Do List (or To Become List) that is not yet complete is that way for one of […]
Unmistakable
I make more mistakes than I care to admit, though I am not afraid to admit them. In fact, last weekend I made a huge mistake when I rear-ended the car in front of me on the freeway. The seatbelts worked well and the airbags deployed as advertised…no one was […]
Vacations: Being, Frequency, and Brothers
Vacations don’t come often in our house. Sure I take time off from work and, yes, we take trips away from our home, but rarely do we go on vacation in the truest form: an extended period of recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling. This last […]