DLGP

Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives: Crafting Ministry in an Interconnected World

Sankofa

By: on March 2, 2024

Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the symbol is “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” The word is derived from the words: SAN  (return) KO  (go) FA (look, seek and take)[1] In my early career, at North Park University in Chicago, IL,…

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Think Fast and/or Slow Steadily.

By: on March 1, 2024

‘Thinking, Fast and Slow,’ by Daniel Kahneman is a highly recommended reading to anyone including leaders and aspiring leaders. He talked about the two ways in which our brain works, “System 1 and System 2. System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort of voluntary control. System 2 allocates attention to the…

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Let’s Always Be an Optimist: Racist, Will No Longer Exist

By: on March 1, 2024

“To believe in social transformation is to be an optimist. It has to have an element of utopianism about it. I live in hope that we can create such a movement again.” -Kenan Malik- (cited from https://tribunemag.co.uk/2023/05/not-so-black-and-white) To be honest, I have never directly experienced racism regarding my ethnic or racial identity. However, I had…

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Racism: A Worldwide Wicked Problem

By: on February 29, 2024

“To tell the story of one, we also must tell the story of the other.”[1] I began reading Kenan Malik’s book, Not so Black and White: A History of Race from White Supremacy to Identity Politics as a fascinating history and social science text tracing the invention of equality, race, and white identity. I immediately…

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Short-circuiting Systems

By: on February 29, 2024

Pretend you’re being chased by a bear. You are all alone, you have no weapons, no sense of which direction might aid escape.  You don’t even have the right footwear. The bear is getting closer, you can hear the forest brush cracking and snapping behind you. The ground shakes from his weight. Suddenly, your kindergarten…

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Slowing Down in the Important Things

By: on February 29, 2024

This was a challenging book. I found each idea made sense on its own, but I struggled to connect the ideas to get the big picture. I became a bit suspicious that I might be part of Kahneman’s research project to observe ways doctoral students panic when they do not fully understand the assigned reading.…

20 responses

龍爭虎鬥” (Lung jing fu dau) Cantonese

By: on February 29, 2024

龍爭虎鬥” (Lung jing fu dau) Cantonese = Enter the Dragon Introduction Part 1 How Malik defines the debate Part 2 What my peers are saying Epilogue – Enter the Dragon   Introduction About three hours of Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) training are required every semester for teachers at Pikes Peak State College.  DEI…

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When the Autopilot Fails

By: on February 29, 2024

A couple of months ago, I had my first Tesla experience.  When my plane landed in Austin, TX, I headed straight to the rental car counter to gain access to my ride for the next week, a 2023 Tesla.  Among the many curiosities I had about driving a Tesla, I was looking forward to experiencing…

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Don’t Settle!

By: on February 29, 2024

  Who remembers being in the classroom with a problem on the board or a video question on the screen, hoping the teacher would not call on you. It was early in my freshman year of college; the problem was on the board. The room was full of students whom I did not know. All…

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Resisting the Temptation to Stay in System 1

By: on February 29, 2024

Working remotely comes with an abundance of perks. My favorite is the flexibility to handle family affairs, especially during the summer when the kids are out of school. It does, however, come with downsides as well. Much of what I do at work contains system 2 thinking, while many things around the home, like laundry,…

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We Are More Than Bodies

By: on February 29, 2024

The person I’m about to talk about I’ve mentioned before, but this subject of identity politics calls for another mention. A little over ten years ago I sat at Skyline Chili, which is a chain restaurant in Ohio, and listened to one of the most fascinating stories I had ever heard. I had a notebook,…

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I Wish I Had More Time to Try to Understand This

By: on February 29, 2024

During our syntopical meetings we were asked if we had more time into what we might dig more deeply (I am paraphrasing the question). To answer, I would like to spend more time with this book, Not So Black and White by Kenan Malik. I am intrigued by the history he provides about how the…

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Cheers to System 2

By: on February 29, 2024

I know I have shared this in a few posts already, but it applies to Kahneman’s book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” It is used elsewhere also but is a big focal point for those in recovery – the acronym HALT – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. Being self-aware is critical to staying sober. It is also…

20 responses

Learning to Walk…and Think…Again

By: on February 29, 2024

During college I suffered a torn ACL that later required surgery. Because I was a part of the football team, my trainer was responsible for my rehab. He was a bit of a no-nonsense guy, a perfect trainer for a college football athlete. After the initial surgery, there is a period of rest to allow…

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To Die is Gain

By: on February 29, 2024

In his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman talks about two different thinking “systems” of the brain, which he labels “System 1” and “System 2.”[1] I like to think of “System 1” as the gut and emotional reactive part of the brain. It functions on learned behavior, instinct and is subconscious.[2] “System 2” is…

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Effortless and Effortful (Mudah dan Berusaha)

By: on February 28, 2024

It took me a while to get into this book, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, a mix of science, psychology and interpretation of stories.[1] I must admit that I did not completely get through the book, I felt rushed – I definitely want to read it slowly again. This is a fascinating book…

14 responses

I shouldn’t have answered the phone.

By: on February 28, 2024

As a general rule, I do not use my phone while driving. Several years ago, we were at a football watch party with friends. Between plays, the conversations were always interesting. On one nondescript Sunday afternoon, the conversation turned to driving while talking on the phone. Our friend Andy, who is a neuropsychologist, chimed in…

16 responses

Lamenting our history of race

By: on February 28, 2024

History is not the past, it is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history.1                                                                                                                         ~ James Baldwin 1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?…

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