New Year, New Name

Highlights from January

Welcome to my re-branded newsletter! I aim to share fresh perspectives on common work-life challenges—things that are Beyond the Obvious. Read below to learn how to win a Beyond the Obvious Moleskine® journal.

Here are a few highlights from the past month…

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What I read…

I finished up five books this month.

• Dust (Silo Series book three) - satisfying ending to a fun series. (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

• Maslow on Management by Abraham Maslow - I understood about 60% of this book, but what I did understand was pretty mind-blowing. He was so far ahead of his time. (⭐️⭐️⭐️½)

• Likeable Badass by Alison Fragale, PhD - what a great title, right? (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

• Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke - I found myself more discouraged than encouraged reading this one. (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

• Motivation and Personality by Abraham Maslow - I understood about 15% of this book. (⭐️⭐️½)

The most helpful book was Likeable Badass. Two insights from Fragale stood out to me as “beyond the obvious.”

1. Status is a need (not a want), and improving one's organizational status is beneficial.

2. The role warmth plays in building our status.

You can listen to her interview on this podcast episode to save yourself a few hours.

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What I watched…

For some reason, Jackie and I made it through quite a few films this month. A few notables:

• A Hidden Life - near perfection. If you are interested, my commentary below has more to say about this film and how it helped me connect some dots in my life.

• The Thin Red Line - way better the second time I watched it.

• Inception - it’s still great.

• Dune 2 - I understood the plot much better this time around.

• And, of course, we started season two of Severance

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Where I traveled…

Two trips to visit clients were postponed this month, so I only made it to the airport one time:

• Ogden, Utah - a surprisingly laid-back college town with great people, fantastic scenery, and a perfect little coffee shop I visited three times in two days; thank you very much.

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What I taught…

I was in the classroom a few times this month, and the topics that seemed to be the most helpful were:

• Endurance (Part 4) from The Edge

• The Four Elements of Positive Influence

• The Power of Optimism and Positivity

• Trust Building Behaviors

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How you can win a Moleskine® Journal…

Exciting news! I’m thrilled to share that I now offer a referral program for my subscribers to Beyond the Obvious. When you refer others to sign up, you’ll have the chance to win some great prizes as a thank-you for helping grow this community. Participation is easy; the more you share, the better your chances to win!

• Refer five new subscribers to win a Beyond the Obvious Moleskine® journal.

• Refer fifteen new subscribers to win a signed copy of The Edge for you or anyone in your network.

• Refer thirty-five new subscribers to win any book from my top ten list for you or anyone in your network.

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Insights on Common Work-Life Challenges…

As mentioned above, my wife and I recently watched Terrence Malick's 2019 film A Hidden Life and found it deeply moving. At the end of the film, Malick displayed the following quote on screen:

“The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”
—George Eliot, Middlemarch

It was the perfect ending to the film.

But for me, it was more than that.

That night, two dots that had long been disconnected in my mind finally came together—a random experience and a nagging question suddenly made sense in a way that felt both relieving and encouraging.

I hope this connection encourages you on your leadership journey.

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A Brief Background

I graduated from Clemson University in December 1997 and started my professional career on January 5, 1998. For those who don’t want to do the math, my career has now spanned over twenty-six years.

For thirteen of those years, I worked in full-time vocational ministry. That season of my life was deeply meaningful—a chance to merge my personal faith with my professional work. At my core, I’m a teacher, and ministry allowed me to live out that calling in a way that felt significant.

However, my faith journey wasn’t typical. I didn’t grow up taking it seriously. I attended church a few times as a kid, but it wasn’t a regular part of my life.

Around my 21st birthday, my life took a surprising turn toward God. I had always assumed I’d explore faith in my 30s, but suddenly, I was ahead of schedule. I dove headfirst into this newfound faith.

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Dot #1: A Random Experience

My faith immediately changed my life. I started attending church, befriending other Christians, listening to Christian music, and reading Christian books—not because I had to, but because I wanted to. It was all new, exciting, and life-giving.

I was learning the basics of the faith and the quirks of this new subculture—the phrases, practices, and even its celebrities.

Like all subcultures, this subculture had its heroes. The preachers and teachers seemed to be the most esteemed group of superstars. Many were captivating communicators who spoke to packed auditoriums, sold cassette tapes and CDs of their sermons, wrote books, and later dominated blogs, podcasts, and social media. Their influence was undeniable; many did great work, inspiring and challenging thousands of people, including myself.

But as with any group in the spotlight, the cracks began to show. Some of these superstars stumbled, whether through moral failings, unhealthy ambition, or struggles with the pressure of fame. Stories of affairs, dishonesty, abuse of power, crises of faith, and even tragic suicides began to surface.

I understand this wasn’t the story of every superstar, and my newfound subculture wasn’t alone in witnessing heroes fall from grace, but it was still heartbreaking.

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Dot #2: A Nagging Question

Alongside this, I wrestled with a persistent question: Is celebrity the only way to make an impact?

It seemed like the most influential figures in this subculture were always the most popular. Yet, in my own life, the people who influenced me most had never written a book or built a social media following.

This tension lingered. Was celebrity really the only way to create change? Is it possible to make an impact if you are not popular?

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Dots Connected

While watching A Hidden Life the other night, Terrence Malick and George Eliot finally connected the dots. They say that being popular isn’t the same as making an impact.

If we take the film’s title as a way of life, we see that the hidden life is countercultural. We live in a world obsessed with visibility—where influencers rule, cameras are everywhere, transparency is expected, and everyone has access to everything.

But Malick and Eliot quietly remind us that celebrities are not the only influencers in our culture. Countless people living faithfully hidden lives are having a profound impact.

As heartbreaking as it’s been to watch my heroes fall, it’s equally heartwarming to think about all the unsung heroes making a difference in their corner of the world.

Popularity doesn’t equal impact.

Yes, most of us will rest in unvisited tombs, but we are why the world isn’t as bad as it could be.

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The True Influencers

My encouragement is this: Keep living the hidden life. Keep resisting the urge to abuse power, act selfishly, or cut corners. Your unhistoric acts contribute to the good that remains in your corner of the world.

Most of us will live, die, and be forgotten. Most of us will have unvisited tombs. But that isn’t evidence of a life wasted; it’s the opposite. It’s the mark of a life well-lived.

Be encouraged, friend. The hidden life is the good life. Keep it up!