This week’s wisdom comes from the Dalai Lama:
“𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴… 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴... 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦.”

And he adds:
“…𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦.”

This matters—because everyone, even someone like the Dalai Lama, acknowledges that we all face negative, disempowering, doubtful thoughts from time to time. Thoughts like:
“I’m not good enough.”
“Who am I to do this?”
“What if I fail?”
"Did I do okay?"

A powerful example of this came from Oprah Winfrey. After decades of interviewing presidents, celebrities, authors, and world figures, she revealed that nearly every single guest, no matter how famous o...

One of the things I love about timeless wisdom is how often it challenges what we used to believe about ourselves—and life.

Today’s quote is from the Dalai Lama:
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩.”
And in his words:
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭.”

For a long time, I saw this differently.
When I was younger (😉), I had a very different view of compassion:
- I thought compassion was too soft, not something that mattered in the real world.
- I believed it belonged only in our personal lives—not in business, leadership, or performance.
- I associated it with weakness, or something only "sensitive" people talked about.
- I thought you either felt it or you didn’t—and if you didn’t, that was just the way you were wired.

Looking back, that view came from inexperience, and maybe even a fear of feeling too much.

Now I see compassion very differently. Through my own experiences—moments of pain, challenge, and also connection—I’ve come to understand that co...

In the span of just two and a half months, three individuals in my circle passed away—each of them unexpectedly and far too young. One was a dear friend’s young adult son, another was a close colleague who succumbed to illness more swiftly than anyone anticipated, and most recently, a father who suffered a fatal heart attack.

Experiencing these losses has left me reflective, somber, and deeply aware of my own mortality. In the midst of the grief and compassion I feel for their families, I’ve found myself pondering urgent questions about how I’m living my own life:

• Am I truly living fully, or am I sometimes just coasting?
• Where do I hold back—staying safe in my comfort zone—when I could be braver, bolder, and more present?
• In the midst of my own goals and dreams, am I also showing up for the people around me—heart and mind aligned?

These moments of reflection bring me back to two Latin phrases: memento mori—remember you must die—and memento vivere—remember you must live. Togeth...

Introduction

In leadership, as in life, we often face a critical dilemma: should we stand firmly by our principles, or should we adapt to the reality of the situation?

A recent example of this tension played out on the global stage between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Rutte publicly advised Zelensky to rebuild his relationship with the U.S., emphasizing that America’s support is essential for Ukraine’s survival. For some, this seemed like a strategic and necessary move; for others, it felt like a compromise of values.

But this isn’t just a political issue—it’s a human issue. Every one of us faces moments where our values clash with practicality. How do we navigate this balance in our careers, relationships, and daily lives? And more importantly, how can we do it in a way that doesn’t compromise our moral compass?

The Dilemma: Principles vs. Pragmatism

Zelensky, as a leader, represents moral conviction. He is fighting for his country...

Questions are among the most potent tools we have to shape our thoughts, expand our perspectives, and influence our actions. Just as your perspective defines how you see the world and determines how you act in it, the questions you ask shape the direction and depth of your thinking. A question can be the spark that illuminates a path forward or the key to unlocking a deeper understanding of yourself and others. Yet, not all questions are created equal. Understanding the nuances of questions—their intent, quality, and purpose—is crucial to fully harnessing their transformative power.

The Dual Nature of Questions: Small and Big

Not every question carries the same weight or impact. Some questions are small, addressing immediate or surface-level concerns, such as “What should I eat for dinner tonight?” These questions can still hold significance when tied to a larger purpose. For example, “What should I eat?” gains depth when asked in the context of a long-term goal like improving health...