Writer. Speaker. Nice Guy.
With any luck I’ll get that promotion. With any luck I’ll become fit and happy. With any luck I’ll experience the life of my dreams. There really isn’t luck. Stuff happens or it doesn’t. You are ready and willing and able to make it happen, or you aren’t. We are the architects of both […]
With barely any embarrassment I am once again embarking on a daily blogging adventure. I have committed to myself to write for at least 10 minutes daily in an attempt to rejuvenate my atrophied writing muscles. I shall share something (hopefully useful) here, each day. Each day is a new opportunity to be creative, […]
Today was the first day I’ve yelled at my kids in what feels like weeks. I have resolved that I don’t want to be a yelling parent any longer. I’ve been running and meditating most days for a while now, and I have worked hard to erase the yelling habit, while cultivating more calm in […]
Resilience looks like this: Imagine waking up and hearing your wife and kids talking in the kitchen. Mostly it’s friendly banter, but because your son got up early he’s now past the point of needing food and has crossed over into full blown hungry-stupid meltdown. All you want to do is roll over and go […]
There’s a saying: “A change is as good as a holiday.” I posit that the reverse is also true. A holiday is as good as a change. I have been absent from publishing these IQs for several weeks now. I have such beautiful readers that have sent me “R U OK?” type emails, for which I […]
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle There is a joy, a rapture, that I find in projects that are creative and for people I like. I got up at 5am this morning, and have been working on family portraits for clients (super […]
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” – Bobby Unser Yesterday was an amazing day. I mean, truly amazing. Here’s the short version: We got in-principle commitment from a national TV network for a series of exclusive interview/feature spots for The Root Cause, we secured our first major sponsor for our round Australia trip (signwriting for […]
“Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.” – J. R. R. Tolkein Adventure? Excitement? Huh. A Jedi craves not these things. Well, perhaps not a Jedi, but certainly an Israel. I love adventure and excitement, as you may have guessed (see: Around Australia bus trip with young family…) Mr Tolkein […]
“The 6 elements of life are to laugh, give, share, enjoy, care, and live a strong and full life.” – Indrani Smith I am regularly amazed by my daughter. Today’s IQ is entirely by her, and I couldn’t be prouder: ———– Such beautiful things, elements of life. Today I’ve given you six to think about. […]
“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” – Kobe Bryant For what am I grateful? I am grateful for many things. I am always grateful for my health, for my wife, and for my kids. I am grateful for the opportunity to constantly push up against at my own boundaries. I am […]
“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” – Caroline Myss You may have noticed an absence of IQs for the past two days. In a word? Overwhelm. I have been so utterly overwhelmed, and so “spent” that I haven’t had anything meaningful to say. I wish it […]
“Make it count.” There’s a touch of truth in the statement most commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Turns out it was originally stated thus by Aristotle: “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” […]
“Words empty as the wind are best left unsaid.” – Homer Empty was the keyword tonight as I sat down to create an IQ. I honestly was – and kinda still am – utterly empty. I have worked hard, played hard, fought hard, and generally pushed hard all ’round. Note: Empty is not synonymous with unhappy. I am […]
“Plan ahead.” Yep, it’s been done before. Yep, it’s a little cliché. But that doesn’t mean it has no value. I could have done better at this today. But there you go. So really, this is a reminder for me. Have a great day! With love, Israel. xo
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward Yesterday was the Best. Birthday. Ever. Starting with getting jumped on by my kids at 6am, we had pancakes/crepes for brekky while watching cartoons. We went down to Maroubra beach, where I had a great surf and a great […]
“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” – Dr Seuss Milestones are a beautiful thing. Today marks two significant ones: my 37th birthday, and the 600th IQ I’ve published! Amazing, eh? To celebrate my birthday and this milestone, I’m offering a sale of 37% off […]
“Know what you stand for.” Once upon a time, a photographer ordered a rush canvas for a dear friend and clients’ second wedding anniversary (cotton). The canvas, being shipped early, arrived early, and with much excitement, the photographer took up a blade, and cleft the packaging in twain. And lo! It was not good. For, […]
“Do you give serendipity a chance in your world? Do you dance with chance?” – Nick Kellet A question, instead of a statement. Something to ponder. I am going to meet Nick well outside my comfort zone this morning at a Sydney Tech Startup Meetup at Fishburners. My trip to meet him is based solely […]
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain It sounds trite – as some of Mr Twain’s quotes can – but the deeper message here, for me at least, is to reflect when you find yourself marching to the same drum as everyone else. […]
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” – Mahatma Gandhi Today was such a mixed bag. Some successes. Some failures. Some moments of “No, seriously?! Oh come ON.” and some moments of “YEAH!” Highlights: Fixing my […]
“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” – Norman Vincent Peale Today is a significant day in the building of our bus. I am visiting the bus builder guy, after countless delays and hiccups, to determine how his progress […]
“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen This guy is a man after my own heart. I LOVE this quote. I had it sent to me recently by a friend (I can’t remember who – I’m so sorry!) but it immediately resonated. Then, this morning, as I […]
“I continue to be drawn to clarity and simplicity. ‘Less is more’ remains my mantra.” – Stephane Rolland Let’s just leave it at that. ;) With love, Israel. xo
“I told you That we could fly ‘Cause we all have wings But some of us don’t know why” – Michael Hutchence Taken from this song – and yet, an amazing thought in itself. We DO all have wings. I experienced a brief feeling of this weightlessness, a glimmer of lift-off, earlier today. I owe an enormous […]
“R U OK?” Today is R U OK? Day. R U OK? Day is an initiative designed to start conversations, connect people, and prevent suicide. It’s all about asking that simplest of questions -“Are you OK?” – and being present and ready to listen. The tagline is “A conversation could change a life.” I believe it wholeheartedly. […]
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene Today’s quote comes from a dear friend, Elle, who sent it to me recently. I love it, especially with the storm of actual and psychological rain it feels like I’ve experienced lately. I’m LOVING the sunshine, but […]
“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.” – Henry Ward Beecher Never more is this true than when your children are sick. My daughter has recovered fully from what was a confirmed case of Measles. My son had a fever yesterday and looked like he might be coming down […]
“This is all you have. This is not a dry run. This is your life. If you want to fritter it away with your fears, then you will fritter it away, but you won’t get it back later.” – Laura Schlessinger This. Is. All. You. Have. Wow. If you have the courage to truly look at […]
“The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family.” – Reed Markham Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there :) I’m dedicating this IQ to you. May you have a fabulous day, may you acknowledge the role you […]
“There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.” – Charles Dickens After six hours in the car, three and a half hours re-designing and taping-out our floorplan, and many discussions with my wife and at least two furious discussions with our bus builder, I collapsed into bed. […]
“Touch one heart, touch one soul. I know it’s cliché, but it’s seriously gold.” – Steve Pajor Today’s IQ comes from a mate of mine – Steve Pajor. An artist, a surfer, a father, a friend. The painting in the background was also done by Steve, and hangs on my living room wall. Steve and […]
“Things without all remedy should be without regard: what’s done is done.” – William Shakespeare His hand dropped the dagger; his expression a mask of anguish, as he finally understood what he had done. I’m off to see some theatre (pron. thee-AYE-tar). Macbeth, by Sydney Theatre Company. I’m a wee bit excited. It’s a bit dark, and […]
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew.” – Saint Francis de Sales This quote is supremely resonant for me today. You may have noticed I missed publishing an IQ yesterday. […]
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Khalil Gibran My daughter is suffering a bit now, with her illness. She’s OK, but just uncomfortable. Late last night it got me thinking about how we aren’t used to suffering – almost every opportunity for “discomfort” in our […]
“Play.” It’s Sunday here, which is a family day of fun for us. My daughter is sick with either Rubella or Measles or Chicken Pox – she’s super spotty, and we will be seeing the doctor tomorrow – and despite this, I’ve spent some of this morning wrestling with my son on the loungeroom floor, […]
“Listen.” Today’s IQ is a video one, too. This was shot a few years back at Crescent Head, our summer holiday destination of choice for the past 5 years. I love the gentle clunking noise made by the stones on the beach, as each wave passes them by. It reminds me of the different sounds of […]