Published in ILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-only7 Books I Read and 1 I Wrote in 2021Books to motivate and inspire you. This has been a groundbreaking year for me. I launched a coaching business, volunteered at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, met one of my mentors, doubled the number of stories contributed to Medium, and published a book. While the year was filled with many achievements…Book Review7 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyIntroducing: John CunninghamGreetings from the road less traveled Hello, I’m John Cunningham. It took me a long time to be comfortable saying that. I used to just think of my name being a formal label that others could use to identify me. Nowadays, I consider it a description of who I am…Profile2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·14 hours agoMember-onlyAll Your Questions Answered if You Know How to ListenHow to hear the answers to your prayers — We have all made requests in prayers. God, please help me to overcome this obstacle. Or Lord, please give me a sign of which option to choose. When making these requests, are you able to hear the answers? Most of us are so busy talking or dashing from activity to…Spirituality4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Aug 3Member-onlyHow Do You Define Your World?A zen koan — A zen master traveled north to meet his friend. Who was a farmer; and also a zen monk. The traveler asked, What can you do about the world? His friend replied, What do you call the world? We meet this question of context everyday. Do you define your world by…Philosophy2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 25Member-onlyKeep or Cut: The Consequences of GrowingThe 3X3 — I live by the motto that we are either growing or dying. And the choice is up to us. This week, I heard that Michaelangelo’s last words were something to the effect of ‘I’m not done learning, yet!” With growth comes the need to prune your tree of life. We…Growth Mindset5 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 12Member-onlyThe Sum of All Your Experiences Makes You DesirableHow to create the career of your dreams — As a jobs coach and someone who has leveraged hobbies into work opportunities on many occasions I have found that opportunities don’t always come in the form of what you do for pay. They can also come from what you do for fun. …Professional Development4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 7Member-onlyWhat are Your Metrics? Featured Ilumination WritersThe 3X3 — I’m in week three of my new job, and it is refreshing to be in a situation where I am the newbie. In fact, today, I was telling a coaching client who is moving to Germany next month that when starting a new position, you can play the “I’m new…Onboarding5 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION-Curated·Jun 27Member-onlyWho are you working for?It may not be who you think. — Most of us work for a company. Large or small, we go to work with the idea that we are trading hours to the organization for dollars we put in our pocket, a slave to the machine. If you think in this way, you are missing a great opportunity. The…Work4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jun 22Member-onlyTo Grow Your Gifts, Share Them — Featured WritersThe 3 X 3 — I’ve been pondering this realization over the past week- You can’t understand the depth of your gifts until you give them away. That is an amazing concept. Think about it for a moment. If you have joy, it magnifies when you share it. When you give it to others, you…Editors Pick5 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jun 18Member-onlyWe All Need to FailFall 7 times, get up 8 — Phil Jackson I went surfing for the first time recently. It was a great lesson in the value of failure. I fell several times, plowed my shoulder into the sand bar, and bailed out into the water, ingesting salt water more often than…Life Lessons3 min read