Take the next “At Your Best” step for you, your team or conference
-
Recent Posts
Categories
At Your Best Archives
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- 0
Quixote Quest Archives
Category Archives: Strengths
Jazz Guitarist Bill Frisell on Your Unique Voice
“Trying to find my own voice…I’m not even sure if I know if I have it or not. It’s something I’ve thought about, something that’s so important. I mean I think every human has their own voice and so every musician should, or has to find it…. All my musical heroes: Thelonious Monk or Sonny [...]
Also posted in Happiness, Music, Passion, Persistence, Positive Psychology Comments closed
Jazz Guitarist Bill Frisell on How Complexity is Trumped By What You Bring
“I used to equate complexity with better music. How could you say that Segovia is more advanced than Robert Johnson or Jimi Hendrix or Wes Montgomery? … for me there’s no higher or lower… it just depends what you can bring to it or what your imagination can come up with.” - Bill Frisell (From [...]
Also posted in Happiness, Music, Passion, Play, Positive Psychology Comments closed
How did a young Bill Clinton aim his strengths to go from good to great?
I’ve been watching Elvis Costello’s TV show Spectacle. He conducts in-depth interviews with different famous musicians and famous people related to music. He also performs. Each interview I’ve watched so far reminds me of at least one strengths-based principle. In the Bill Clinton interview, Clinton talked about a key moment as a teenager when he [...]
Also posted in Passion, Positive Psychology Comments closed
What strategy did Elton John use to be so successful with his strengths?
I’ve been watching Elvis Costello’s TV show Spectacle. He conducts in-depth interviews with different famous musicians and famous people related to music. He also performs. Each interview I’ve watched so far reminds me of at least one strengths-based principle. In the Elton John interview, he talked about his collaboration with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. The [...]
Also posted in Passion, Positive Psychology Comments closed
Taking a chainsaw to the best show on television – rethinking The Wire
“We tried to say something with each of the characters. we tried to say something with the story as a whole. I think we tried not to repeat ourselves, which is not easy. There’s a lot of impulse that says, ‘do what you’ve done before’ and what’s worked. A lot of TV shows are like [...]
Also posted in Play Comments closed
Is it better to be a first-rate Gershwin or a second-rate Ravel?
Ravel knew the answer to that question. When the great composer George Gershwin approached French composer Maurice Ravel for lessons, Ravel turned him down, saying that it was more important to be a first-rate Gershwin than a second-rate Ravel. We all have our heroes, and wish we were like someone that appears to be more [...]
How Do You Know When You’re in Your Ideal Work Rhythm (and When You’re Not)?
Here’s the last part (for now) in my little series on ideal work rhythm, a topic in Quixote Consulting’s Resiliency training. It’s helpful to notice what it’s like when you’re in your ideal work rhythm. Here’s what mine feels like: Relaxed excitement, a sense of spaciousness around the task, focus, time feels eternal (in a [...]
Also posted in Happiness, Passion, Positive Psychology Tagged engagement, flow, Happiness, ideal work rhythm, in the zone, Resiliency, resiliency training Comments closed
What Music Supports Your Ideal Rhythm in a Work Day? Here’s What I Listen To
I listen to music most of the time I’m awake. And when I’m not listening to music I’m probably playing music myself. It’s my passion, and aids me in doing the work I consider important in a day. Every day is different, but I notice themes of music that help me. Here’s what I listen [...]
Also posted in Music, Passion, Persistence, Positive Psychology Tagged music ideal rhythm work day, music playlists for work Comments closed
What’s Your Ideal Rhythm for a Work Day? Here’s Mine
I recently wrote a post summarizing research about your body’s best time to do everything in a day. It’s interesting to notice how much my own ideal work rhythm coincides with the human average. These times are approximate, but they also can happily be approximately repeated day after day if life allows. Often, life doesn’t [...]
Also posted in Passion, Persistence, Positive Psychology Tagged ideal rhythm for a work day Comments closed
What I Realized about Strengths and Passion On My Bike on the Way to the Library