Wandering Into Wisdom

This blog chronicles the knowledge, insight and wisdom I encounter every day as a leadership consultant, executive coach, educator, father, friend and citizen. This site is dedicated to my father, Louis (Jack) Laughlin, who passed on to me an appreciation for wisdom. A special thanks to my friend Isaac Cheifetz, a businessman and journalist, who helped me understand the value of blogs and encouraged me to write one.

True Happiness

True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.
Seneca (Roman philosopher)





Aristotle's 10 Secrets to Happiness

Name your fears and face them.
Know your appetites and control them.
Be neither a cheapskate nor a spendthrift.
Give as generously as you can.
Focus more on the transcendent; disregard the trivial.
True strength is a controlled temper.
Never lie, especially to yourself.
Stop struggling for your fair share.



Theory and Practice: Gone Wrong

Theory is when you know how everything works.
Practice is when you make everything work.

When we combine theory and practice,
nothing works and we have no idea why.

A quote from one of my English students who works for an IT company.



Adaptation

 I lived in Mexico City for three years and when we moved back to the U.S. the first thing I did was go trekking in Nepal. I wanted to go while I was still acclimated to the altitude in Mexico City which is about 7,350 feet (2240 meters). People have an incredible ability to adapt to all kinds of environments. Our reliance on modern comforts sometimes leaves us unaware of just what we can withstand and even enjoy.  Here's a photo of a Nepali Sherpa hiking in crocs, and loving it!



Fighting for Principles

 It is always easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
Alfred Adler