Brian Allain

Entrepreneurship is behavior

From “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” by Peter F. Drucker Entrepreneurship is thus a distinct feature whether of an individual or an institution. It is not a personality trait; in thirty years I have seen people of the most diverse personalities and temperaments perform well in entrepreneurial challenges. To be sure, people who need certainty are unlikely […]

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triple-wrapped in mystery

From “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old” by Parker J. Palmer The poet goes on to say, “Who serves best doesn’t always understand.” Those words are liberating because there’s so much about life that’s triple-wrapped in mystery. When I’m sure I know exactly what I’m doing and why – so sure

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the clearness committee

From “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation” by Parker J. Palmer Vexed as I was about vocation, I was quite certain that this was the job for me. So as is the custom in the Quaker community, I called on half a dozen trusted friends to help me discern my vocation

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it began with a whisper

From “Trust the Whisper: How Answering Quiet Callings Inspires Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Grace“ by Kathy Izard My life plans had typically been driven by the two loudest voices in my head: my “to-do voice” and my “fear voice.” My to-do voice kept me focused on daily tasks, which included all the rational reminders like

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holy coincidences

From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown Young Howard Thurman tossed aside financial and racial obstacles to obtaining a secondary education and moved beyond the oppressive atmosphere of Daytona Beach. At the time, colored children were only permitted to complete the seventh grade, thereby disqualifying them

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Letting nature speak

From “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life” by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird It is remarkable to see how prayer and contemplation open your eyes to nature, and how nature makes you more attentive to divine guidance. I once saw contemplation as something done best in the quiet of

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Low trust slows everything

From “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything” by Stephen M. R. Covey Low trust causes friction, whether it is caused by unethical behavior or by ethical but incompetent behavior (because even good intentions can never take the place of bad judgment). Low trust is the greatest cost in life and in

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Question: Can everything about people be changed, and should people try to change everything they can?

From “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck, PhD The growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be cultivated. But it doesn’t tell you how much change is possible or how long change will take. And it doesn’t mean that everything, like preferences or values, can be changed. I was once

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