From Chapter 12: “Language is a gate to the world. It is a gate for your mind, and if that gate is broken, people think the mind is also not very bright.”

From Chapter 18: “His imperfections do not turn Mebel off; rather, they remind her that at the end of the day, they are all human and flawed, crashing into each other's lives by pure chance and enjoying each other's company when they can.”

Someday: The when we've been waiting for

Just: Moments ago, fair and deserved

Began: It started, we're in it, our dream is on

(inspired by the song “Our Time” from the musical play “Merrily We Roll Along” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth, based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart)

1) Controlling the center: Control the four central squares to give your pieces maximum mobility and influence over the entire board. 

2) Castling: This key to king safety moves the king away from the center (where the action is) and brings a rook toward the center. 

3) Connecting rooks: Move your minor pieces (knights and bishops) and the queen to establish a connection between your rooks on the back rank. 

These are fundamental principles for beginners that are also applicable in the vast majority of intermediate and advanced games. (drawn from the House of Staunton website) 

1. Read (the words you want to memorize)

2. Write (write those words down, by hand — you may need to break longer pieces into smaller chunks)

3. Repeat (speak the words you've just written aloud, without looking — although you will likely see them in your mind)

That's how I memorize lines for a play.

Zen — at its core — is a rigorous training in how to see clearly. How to stay present when things are uncertain. How to hold complexity without collapsing it into false simplicity. How to act from wisdom rather than react from habit or fear.

It is, in other words, exactly what great leadership requires.

Here’s what Zen actually trains:

Not-knowing. In Zen, the beginner’s mind — the mind that doesn’t pretend to have all the answers — is considered the most powerful mind. It stays open. It asks better questions. It doesn’t rush to fill the silence with noise. In a world that rewards confidence and certainty, this is a radical and deeply effective stance.

Paradox. Zen doesn’t resolve contradiction — it teaches you to hold it. Strength and vulnerability. Action and stillness. Decisiveness and openness. The most effective leaders I’ve worked with don’t choose between these poles. They’ve learned to inhabit both at once.

Presence under pressure. Zen training doesn’t happen in peaceful conditions. It happens in the middle of hard work, discomfort, and uncertainty. That’s the point. You learn to stay grounded not when things are easy, but when they’re not.

1. Spoken by Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in the 1993 film “Tombstone.”

2. Could be derived from “I'm your hucklebearer” — your coffin-bearer (because coffin handles might have been referred to us “huckles”) … but that's not what Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday said in the movie.

3. What it really means: “I'm the one you want.” Spoken rather menacingly in the movie. Check out https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/im-your-huckleberry and the title of Val Kilmer's memoir “I'm Your Huckleberry.”

Anyway, I'm your huckleberry, and I'm saying it sweetly, because I like you.

“Home” By Glenna Luschei

Dog at my pillow. Dog at my feet. My own toothbrush.

When you expand your world, you gain perspective.

Ways to expand your world:

1. Step into history. Read about another era. The noise of today echoes the noise of yesterday. Realizing this can soften the drama of the present.

2. Engage the natural world. Spend time with mountains, oceans, or trees. Their timescale makes political storms seem brief.

3. Broaden your inputs. Balance political reading with art, poetry, science, or stories of other cultures. Nourish your imagination.

Expanding your world doesn't make current events disappear—it places them in context.