Leaning Toward Wisdom
Leaning Toward Wisdom | Modern Tales Of An Ancient Pursuit
Episodes
These 5 books have been on my mind lately. I've not re-read them lately, but I've ruminated about each of them (and others). Click on any of the images if you'd like to buy any of them. Yes, they'll be affiliate links earning me a rinky-dink commission. But you won't mind. Will you?
Some other random useless/useful information about today's show:
Dunbar's number ...
Share
Mark as Played
April 15, 2021 • 57 min
Here's one theory about the origin from Wikipedia:
The origins are uncertain, but a common theory is that the expression arose after Conservative Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury ("Bob") appointed his nephew Arthur Balfour as Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1887, an act of nepotism, which was apparently both surprising and unpopular. Whatever other qualifications Balfour might have had, ...
Share
Mark as Played
February 28, 2021 • 76 min
I'm doing some computer work and watching Homicide Hunter on ID Discovery. It's just on as background noise, but I perk up when the shot includes Lt. Kenda looking into the camera asking about some dysfunctional family behavior that involved murder. He answers his own question with this witty answer,
"I don't know 'cause I'm not crazy."
Reasoning with unreasonable people.
Trying to relate to crazy when ...
Share
Mark as Played
February 15, 2021 • 50 min
I stare out the window. The trees have dropped all their leaves. Fall fell. Now it's winter. But I'm in north-central Texas so that isn't quite what it is to you guys who live in Canada or Minnesota or Maine. I'm craving a change of scenery. Not just the kind nature provides, but the kind that puts your head into a clearer space.
So away we go to a spot we often frequent. About half-a-day away by car. Not bad.
Pi...
Share
Mark as Played
February 7, 2021 • 89 min
I’m battling my chronic insomnia. Again.
3 am brings out my best. Sometimes.
Headphones are on and I'm watching buskers on YouTube. YouTube has some suggestions for me. One is a video of a man holding an acoustic guitar. The title indicates he's covering a Radiohead song, No Surprises. Well, I have to click on that. Not because I love Radiohead 'cause I don't even like them. But this man does not look like he'...
Share
Mark as Played
January 18, 2021 • 57 min
I contacted about half a dozen business owners expressing interest in hiring them for a future project. Yes, they were all in the same space. I was hoping to figure out the best one to do what I wanted to be done. I sent cold emails explaining what I was hoping to accomplish. I contacted 7 companies. Literally, I contacted 7 business owners.
Right away I heard back from one who offered to schedule a phone call within the next 2 we...
Share
Mark as Played
January 10, 2021 • 38 min
"Are we good?" I ask.
There hadn't been any tension. No drama. No strife. But there had been a bit of quiet. And how could you know if it was caused by the pandemic or something else? Well, you couldn't. Unless you ask. So I did.
"Yes, of course," was the reply. A 15-minute phone conversation followed, catching up on a few things. Each of us reinforced to the other that we'd just not been in touch like...
Share
Mark as Played
January 4, 2021 • 40 min
Today's show was prompted by an email from a new listener who asked if I had any episodes giving "my story." Well, I didn't have the heart to tell him this entire podcast is pretty much "my story," but I know what he meant.
Hopefully, this is my not-so-boring effort to provide him, and YOU, a bit more context about me. But as always, this isn't about me, but it's about US. All of us, who have an int...
Share
Mark as Played
December 18, 2020 • 39 min
He lost 75 pounds in 3-1/2 months. He admits it wasn't likely the ideal way to do it or the ideal timeframe. But he was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Here's what he did:
1. Gave up soda and sugar
2. Ate oatmeal every morning
3. He ate grill chicken every day and premade enough for the week, his only veggie was broccoli
4. When he got too tired of chicken he ate eggs instead
5. He ate special k bars for sweet cra...
Share
Mark as Played
December 1, 2020 • 50 min
Robert H. Frank is the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and Professor of Economics at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management. I don't know him personally and until 2016 I had no idea who he was, but that's the year I read an article in The Atlantic entitled, "Why Luck Matters More Than You Think." It was intriguing me, but honestly, there wasn't anything new about my intrigue. The sub...
Share
Mark as Played
October 6, 2020 • 36 min
In 2012 a musician Joshua Hyslop released an album, Where The Mountain Meets The Valley. Track 6 is "The Mountain." It contains a lyric that serves as the title of today's episode.
When I first heard it I wrote that phrase down. Often I'd remember it.
I'd consider the long list of things I set out to do as a young man. And those things I'd still like to get done now that I'm old. It's dif...
Share
Mark as Played
August 3, 2020 • 57 min
It's a few minutes past 5 o'clock. In the morning.
The sky is light thanks to an almost full moon. The city lights help, too. When you live in the city the sky isn't nearly as dark as it is out in the country.
I walk. Quite a lot.
You'd think I'd look like it, but you'd be wrong.
No matter. I walk 4 to 6 miles every morning. Often before the sun is up. But not as often as I did before this pandemic. 3 am...
Share
Mark as Played
July 19, 2020 • 98 min
Are you not inside the new community? Click here to join - it's completely FREE! LeaningTowardWisdom.com/join
If you'd like access to exclusive content, like my two videos reviewing the music of 1972, join the community. I've moved away from Facebook so I hope you'll join me inside this new community. Hopefully, it'll be more interactive. All it needs now is YOU.
-------------------------------------------------...
Share
Mark as Played
July 14, 2020 • 69 min
She was in the midst of a struggle. It was fresh though, which is never the best time to do much more than encourage. We reviewed the facts - the things she knew to be true as opposed to the things she could be assuming. At some point I said it.
"I'm sure there's a way forward."
Just because it's not apparent right now doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Figuring out ways to escape isn't often apparent....
Share
Mark as Played
June 29, 2020 • 86 min
Jason Wilber was John Prine's longtime lead guitarist and musical director. John died during this pandemic. Jason released a new album after John passed. It's entitled, Time Traveler and contains a song, Poet's Life. Today's show title is a lyric from that song.
How do you measure a pleasure or an itch?
I don't know. But I don't know how you measure sadness, sorrow or disappointment either? So my inabili...
Share
Mark as Played
June 17, 2020 • 67 min
NOTE: I began preparing for this episode some days before the violent death of George Perry Floyd Jr. in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer. As violence broke out across the country it seemed best to stay silent and observe. And listen. The irony of the title of today's episode wasn't lost on me. It was purely coincidental. I was already thinking very seriously about my own urge to be quieter in some specific area...
Share
Mark as Played
May 9, 2020 • 59 min
It's May. And we're still in this pandemic thing. Let's talk it out. Some more.
Join the private Facebook group. There'll be surprises in it for you! Click here.
Thanks,
Share
Mark as Played
April 29, 2020 • 70 min
It's a question. Not a statement.
Here in Texas, our "stay at home" order (issued by the governor) ends tomorrow, Thursday, April 30, 2020. Starting Friday, May 1st, stores can open up at 25% capacity. The exceptions are hair salons, bars and health clubs. If things continue to improve (some argue that they may not be improving), then the governor said he'll modify his executive order to elevate the capacities to 5...
Share
Mark as Played
April 23, 2020 • 77 min
It's been about 5 weeks since this whole stay-safe-at-home began. Today, it's a rambling-mess documenting my effort of continuing to cope with Covid. You can judge how well or how poorly I'm holding up.
Early on, I know many of us, including me, thought this might be much ado about nothing. But there are real people behind the fatality numbers. Here's just one example that happened more than 2 weeks ago...
I wis...
Share
Mark as Played
April 7, 2020 • 73 min
Today's show is a video. I decided against live streaming 'cause I'm just not a live streaming guy. Okay, mostly I'm a chicken.
I'll give some words that distill today's episode:
Compassion
Understanding
Judgment
I'm coping with COVID by trying to better understand. I hope you and yours are safe, and well.
Links you may want to check out (mentioned in today's show):
Ed Sheeran's looper...
Share
Mark as Played
Chat About Leaning Toward Wisdom
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.