Malcolm X mentioned Patrick Henry in the Ballot or the Bullet speech. So, that leads me here. Henry had a way with words. He showed initiative. He was aggressive. He sounds like a guy that James Mattis would like to have in his foxhole. I have to admit. Henry doesn’t really inspire me. However, ifContinue reading “Patrick Henry Didn’t Respect Authority”
Author Archives: Tom Blaney
Gen. James Mattis (Ret.) on Leadership Lessons
Trust, respect, and affection. The first two words are expected. The last one is surprising. The “we are brothers” mentality is well known. But hearing this certified bad ass talking about affection is surprising. We shall overcome because this is no worse than anything that hasn’t been overcome in the past is another gem. InitiativeContinue reading “Gen. James Mattis (Ret.) on Leadership Lessons”
The Beatles Philosophy
I like the song, but I’m reluctant to hear the message. I guess that’s why the message is so powerful.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa is one of the people that Michael Gervais mentions as being someone that is dominant in the area of mental skills training. So it is time for us to take a closer look at her. And wouldn’t you know it? As soon as I do, it appears that taking too close a lookContinue reading “Mother Teresa”
Bill Walsh West Coast Philosophy
A football video about philosophical wars in the NFL? Yes, please, and thank you. These throwback clips are the best. This one gives us a valuable philosophical lesson that we can apply to our own lives. Play to your strengths. Then form your philosophy. Next, defeat your enemies. Find yourself with a serious injury? Don’tContinue reading “Bill Walsh West Coast Philosophy”
Juliana and Mark – Vision Board Philosophy
We all know I’m a words guy. Its all about the beauty of a well formed sentence that gets my blood flowing. I keep saying that a written philosophy is my holy grail. And then the Yoga power couple comes in and says they did a vision board instead of writing a statement. That’s dumb!Continue reading “Juliana and Mark – Vision Board Philosophy”
Kobe Bryant
Kobe was doing a lot of interviews about his upcoming Second Act in his life. He laid out his approach to new tasks. Black Mamba mentality comes out of everything he says. This is a short clip of this interview. The long version is well worth it if you have time to watch or listen.
Jocko Willink
What is your emotional reaction to this video? Why did you have that emotion? Is it strange that you had an emotional reaction to this man describing how he seems to have a word that replaces his emotions that might be “negative”. This calls for an double order of blog posts on the Stoics. StayContinue reading “Jocko Willink”
Epicurus on Ethics
Skip to the 45 minute mark to get to the four truths (or claims) of Epicurian Ethics. The gods are nothing to fear. Death is nothing to fear. What’s good isn’t that hard to get. What’s bad isn’t that hard to endure. This is an enlightened and egoistic hedonism. Or is it an early versionContinue reading “Epicurus on Ethics”
Personal Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi
What was Ghandi prepared to do? He gives his answer. He was always prepared to return to jail. He was prepared to use civil disobedience to achieve his goal. He was an optimist. He was soft spoken in this video. He demonstrated supreme confidence. He knew the importance of being authentic.