Why unboxing matters. — He carefully placed his debit card and handwritten note with his PIN in an envelope and sealed it. My retired neighbor, Bert, from four houses away was always extra cautious. He had heard about the work of scammers from his sister, who used to work in the bank. “Trust nobody…

But they must learn to seize the freedom and opportunities that life provides. — “So, you’re the guy who thinks men over fifty are boring.” It has become a common conversation opener since I published Are Men Over 50 Boring? last year. It’s amazing how many people — including complete strangers — want to talk with me about middle-aged men. A few weeks ago…

When do you know it’s time to mix things up and do the opposite? — People don’t like change. A bit late, maybe, but that’s what I learned over the last couple of years. So, when you are at an event telling the participants that change is upon them, two things can happen. You will be attacked, ignored, or denied. Alternatively, you become the center…

Unhappiness at work and the desperate need for a more common-sense workplace — “Oh, Sorry! I thought you took sugar.” I had prepared a coffee for the plumber who was fitting a new faucet in my kitchen — a fancy one with an instant boiling water tap. “I used to. But not anymore. I turned forty a couple of months ago and I…

Definitely. It’s time to speak out. — “What’s the best food you’ve ever had? And by the “best,” I mean dishes you never want to end?” When you ask this question to people around you, don’t be surprised to hear the same answer. “Authentic local dishes.” For instance, you can always wake me up for Hakata ramen…

They must figure everything out for themselves. — My first business card. I remember admiring this beautiful “relic” for hours. It looked fantastic. The job title. My office phone number. The address. The colors. And my name in the middle. I was so proud. I couldn’t wait to share my card with my family and friends. And with…

The “tell us what you think” frustrations of digital living — And we have a new record! I’ve just received the fifth what could be dubbed as “we love to hear from you” email within ten minutes. The last one is even more depressing than the others. Why weren’t the emails redirected to my SPAM folder? Pure frustration. I need a…

Sometimes a little bit of unexpected can kick us into action. — A comfortable chair. A cup of mint tea. And today’s newspaper. Everything I need after a long day away from home. When life is super busy, we crave those peaceful moments when we pause and step away from the stresses and strains of everyday life. Little things that allow us…

The real question is: when will the world stop listening? — The HR department sent me a batch of job applications to review. “Could you let us know your top-5?” It was a thankless task. But they kindly created one file with more than a hundred documents to make it easy for me. Letters. Recommendations. CVs. We are looking for a…