Dave Brodkey teaches shop class to sixth to eighth graders at New Brighton Middle School near Santa Cruz, CA. Eleven and twelve year olds are typically not known for their…
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Are You Still Using Training Wheels on the Bicycle of Life?
Last weekend, here in Paris, I went with my sister, Carolyn, and her three kids, Emeraude, Henry and Ferdinand, to the Bois de Vincennes to do some bike-riding. For the last…
Are You Tolerating Too Much?
Wait, Renita, what are you talking about? Don’t you always say we have to get comfortable being uncomfortable? Well, let’s make a distinction between two kinds of uncomfortable: there’s the…
9 Subtle Ways You’re Already Mentally Tough
As you know, I think a lot about “mental toughness” and how we can train ourselves to have more of it. But I also think we can get so caught up…
How I’m Breaking My Emotional Addiction
Standing at the crowded coffee bar, I waited patiently to catch the attention of the server frantically busy filling orders. A tall German woman strode up next to me and,…
Are You Working Hard Enough?
Hard work: it’s the secret to success, we’re told from an early age — by our parents, society and pretty much every person who achieves notable success. But what exactly is “working hard” and how do…
Want to Be Better under Pressure?
“Who here thinks they do better under pressure?” When I ask this question to the Navy SEAL candidates I mentor, most of them raise their hand. And most of us would…
The Iceberg Illusion of Success: Don’t Be Fooled Because You Can’t See The Failures
During one of my piano lessons at The Juilliard School, my teacher told me I “played like a mouse” and asked me if I had considered going to law school….
How To Feel Less Defensive
“Have you ever been incarcerated?” When I was mentoring at Defy Ventures, an organization that trains formerly incarcerated individuals for employment and entrepreneurship, I learned that that was the question…
The Pain of Feeling Left Out
I’m living in Paris for the next few months and psyched to have found a Crossfit-style bootcamp so I can keep up with my training. The group is all French,…