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The Cause is at the Source

Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom 138 One of the most influential papers from my former career described the ‘River Continuum Concept’. Though quite basic, this paper revolutionized how we thought about streams and rivers. Specifically how freshwater systems changed from their springs where they began to the oceans into which they drained. This paper introduced me to systems thinking and changed how I think about the world and nearly everything in it.  Generally, systems are comprised…

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KEW The Acid Test: The Problem and The Questions (Episode 104)

What is the question!!!???? Say you are studying the effectiveness of a vaccine against some pathogen. What is the question? Too many times we get wrapped up in the specifics. The details. The minutia. We forget WHY we are doing this in the first place. In this case, I would say the question is, does this vaccine help reduce the problems associated with said pathogen? Maybe you’re interested in climate change. So you gather a…

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KEW Episode 103: Human Pros and Cons. We’re not as ‘evolved’ as we think.

As we conduct the great KEW acid tests I have to establish a baseline. In this episode I want to touch on a few elements of the ‘human personality’ and our ‘global value system’ that I think we can improve on. I think humans are great, but there are a few key items I want to mention: One of the big issues is that we think linearly. We tend to look at things as either…

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Preview KEW Episode 89: Trade-Offs

You know how they say you gotta give a little to get a little? Trade-offs are like that. In the biological world, organisms make trade-offs daily. Should I run out and grab that rabbit? If I get it I’ll eat, but I could also get eaten by a predator. Or, as it’s related to the Are vs Should Problem or personal growth in general, what scary stuff are you going to have to put up…

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Preview KEW Episode 88: It Takes a Village

Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘it takes a village’? Man, I have. And I wish I understood earlier what they meant. When I was a full time stay-at-home dad, I felt totally isolated. My wife works 50+ hours a week. My parents were too old and far away to help. Her parents were too busy taking care of their other grandchildren. I wasn’t very good at navigating the moms at the playground or at…

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Preview KEW The Are vs Should Problem Interview Series: Antia Boyd

You know how some people are able to turn lemons into lemonade? That’s Antia Boyd. And it’s An-Tia, not A-nita. I was so excited to learn about how Antia’s work translates to the Are vs Should Problem. She came so well prepared to talk about her work empowering women to stop chasing the wrong partners. It turns out, her work and her expertise align perfectly with what I am trying to do with the Are…

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Preview KEW Episode 87: What Are You Afraid Of?

I know, I know. You’re not afraid of anything. None of us are, right? But if you are willing to let down your guard, I think you will see that, like everyone else, there are things that scare you. In fact, I argue that many of our issues, problems, and stresses are ultimately caused by fear. The problem is, this isn’t obvious. Usually we get mad about something, or feel judged by someone, or blame…

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KEW The Are vs Should Problem Interview Series: Pat Schulte and Bumfuzzle

Analog nomads . . . . . When I decided to focus on the Are vs Should Problem, or the struggle between the person you ARE and the person you feel like you SHOULD BE, I was thinking mostly about the SHOULD part. To me, the issue isn’t so much about figuring out who we ARE, it’s more about telling the SHOULDs to be quiet. And figuring out how to do that. The AREs are…

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Preview KEW The Are vs Should Interview Series: Pat Schulte (Bumfuzzle)

I can’t wait for you to see or listen to this Episode. Asking Pat to come on the podcast was a long shot. We are so lucky he could make time for us. I use the term ‘analog’ as a means of an introduction. In short, He and his wife, Ali left the rat race in their late 20s to sail around the world. They have changed vehicles multiple times (porches, airstreams, motorhomes, trawlers; mostly…

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