A Texan Abroad

(1) What are the major differences between life as an expat and life in the States? (2) What are the biggest benefits of being back home/living in the US? (3) What are the biggest drawbacks of being back home/living in the US? (4) Do you think your time spent living abroad has helped you in your transition back to the States, and if so, how? (5) Would you ever consider living abroad again, and if...

(1) A writer (2) A feeler (3) A thinker (4) A conversationalist (5) A problem solver (6) An American (7) A Texan (8) A teacher (9) A coach (10) An optimist

A moniker should mean something. This is what mine means to me.

It is a human urge to classify, group and distinguish, but there are far more thing that we share, namely the experiences and emotions that fill each our days, and it’s high time we looked at our neighbors as more similar than different.

We all, each and every person out there, has it in us to control the person that we are and the life that we lead. The first step in that arduously amazing process is to stop pointing the finger at other’s and start looking in the mirror to understand where that control lies.

Solutions to life’s ailments are rarely found on the extremities of viewpoints, but more commonly in that magically reasonable Goldilocks zone. Yet somehow we continue to accept the irrational ranting of the polar opposites as the norm, and this must change.

The hardest thing you’ll ever do is admitting when you’re wrong, but only slightly less difficult is taking the first step, and that is stepping out of your echo chamber, abandoning your confirmation bias and opening your mind to the possibility that you’ve made a mistake. As painful as it may be, it’s what we owe to ourselves and to humanity in order to move forward.

We all need to stop finding offense in opinions that differ, summon that inner elephant-like exterior and get busy with the most important of responsibilities that we have to one another, and to humanity, solving problems through uncomfortable yet cordial discourse.

Stop thinking so much just about yourself, what you need/want, and remember you are part of something bigger, grander and more complex. Go through life appreciating and acknowledging the beauty and horror of what it means to be human, and act with thoughtful compassion.

Starting a new series of 10 podcasts on the flaws in people (myself included) & society that make my blood boil! Don’t worry, Bob and the gang will be back in January to calm me down, but until then…buckle up!

(1) My Apologies (2) Where I’ve Been (3) Building My Snowflake (4) Words of Wisdom from a Hoops Coach (5) Attribution Error (6) No Guarantees (7) Do What You Love (8) 60 in 90 Days (9) Tattoos & Andy Dufresne (10) Finding the Courage

(1) What made you decide to move abroad in the first place? (2) Where all have you lived (and traveled)? (3) What are the biggest pros for living abroad? (4) What are the biggst cons for living abroad? (5) How has living abroad affected how you think about life? (6) How has living abroad affterd how you think about work? (7) Would you recommend living abroad to others who have never done it? (8) W...

A great catch up on recent happenings in the world, finance, work & science.

(1) What was your reaction to Trump being banned on social media? (2) If you were in charge of a plaltform, how would you have handled Trump? (3) Does a private platform have the right to silence whoever they want? (4) Who should determine what does/doesn’t go on a social media? (5) Are social media platforms public utilities? (6) Is there a difference between freedom of speech and freedom from co...

(1) What will be the fall out from the madness in D.C. this week? (2) What will come from the first calendar year of a Democratic government? (3) Will there be more or less polarization in the USA and across the world? (4) How well will vaccine roll outs go? (5) What else will happen with COVID? (6) What will travel look like in 2021? (7) What will work look like in 2021? (8) Will economies recove...

(1) Where do we stand? (2) What do we think will happen? (3) Why were the predictions so off? (4) What has gone right/wrong? (5) What lessons should we take from the election so far?

(1) Why is voting so important? (2) Should voting be easier? (3) Who should be allowed to vote? (4) What other changes to voting should be made? (5) Who do you think will win the US Presidential election?

(1) Do you think of yourself as patriotic? (2) What does being patriotic mean? (3) Why do you believe in the US? (4) What problems is the US facing? (5) How can the US move forward?

(1) Should the US continue to reduce it’s international role? (2) What are the pros/cons of a more isolationist policy? (3) What are the pros/cons for a more active role abroad? (4) Do other countries want an active US role? (5) What should the US role abroad look like?

(1) Does the US spend too much on the military? (2) Does the US need such a military presence around the world? (3) Should the US military use drones, immoral interrogation techniques & assassinations? (4) How much oversight Should there be on the military? (5) How do we end & prevent “forever wars”?

(1) What is globalization? (2) Is globalization a bad thing? (3) What are the good (and bad) things about globalization? (4) How can we encourage (and improve) it? (5) Will the pandemic kill globalization?

(1) Is immigration a problem? (2) What are the negative aspects of open immigration? (3) What are the positive aspects of open immigration? (4) How do we strike a balance? (5) Should the world have open borders?

(1) Should we take notice of and start doing something about climate change? (2) What kinds of things should we start doing? (3) Why haven’t we done more already? (4) How do we really effectuate change? (5) What other areas do we need to worry about?

(1) Should we transition away from oil? (2) Can we transition away from oil? (3) Should we focus on renewables? (4) Should we abandon nuclear power? (5) How do we ensure that we’re staying focused on the long-term goal?

(1) Has technology been a net positive? (2) What are the drawbacks to scientific discovery? (3) How do we regulate and manage technological progress? (4) How do we foster the next generation of discovery? (5) What areas should we be focusing on?