Author Archives: JR Stanley

One of the struggles many new companies have is the transition from a scrappy startup to an established and respected company. This has been notable in the news as Uber has now made repeated attempts to change and establish itself. For companies, this means the transition from impromptu meetings, a general lack of structure, andContinue reading “On New Transitions”

“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” -Muhammad Ali Like the proverbial frog slowly brought up to a boil, we are often immune to gradual change. Asked how we are different from yesterday most of us could not see manyContinue reading “Changing For A Better Story”

A beginning, a middle, an end. These are essential components of nearly all of our experiences. The beginning exciting and invigorating. The middle often repetitive, even monotonous. The end bittersweet and nostalgic. This cycle, these three elements are what imbue every undertaking with meaning and purpose. Whether in education or business, recreation or occupation, atContinue reading “A Beginning, A Middle, An End”

The admission, and also the celebration, at the center of Christianity is that “I am nothing.”  The human bend is to strive to be something, a desperate plea that “I am something, I am someone.” Much of our daily lives is consumed with that pursuit. In career it is to demonstrate you add to theContinue reading “On Being Nothing”

The more I understand the human body, all the organs and tissues, all the complex interactions between systems and cells, the more I am amazed not at how terrible disease is (and disease is terrible), but how often things go right in the body. It is amazing how often all the systems come together toContinue reading “Complexity and Gratitude”

The common trend we see in the online community contains one step: React. More than a handful of times I have seen posts on social media in which the person acknowledges they have not read the item they are critiquing yet immediately following that admission they proceed to provide a uniquely, and by their ownContinue reading “Read, Think, React”

Academia, as well as life in general, is a strange mix of learning, doing, and teaching. The true innovators are those that are able to balance all three. Learning must come first. Hone your craft, incorporate new techniques and new knowledge. Then do. Create and cultivate. Finally pass on your knowledge and skills to thoseContinue reading “Learning, Doing, Teaching”

I recently came across a quote by Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur and innovator. Noting that everyone has 24 hours in a day and six hours a day is required for sleep, each person still has eighteen hours each and every day to spend however they so choose. For those that need seven hours of sleepContinue reading “18 Hours”

The political climate surrounding the issue of healthcare reform which has been charged for some time, seems to be reaching a climax in the United States. Reading and hearing the opinions voiced (sometimes shouted) by others one thing becomes apparent. (1) We all agree that the system is less than ideal. However, I have also foundContinue reading “Healthcare reform: an issue of heart”

Considering our place in evolutionary history, one of the most interesting, yet confusing ideas is the fact that we are the result of billions of years of evolution yet are also the substrate upon which natural selection is currently working. This is interesting in the fact that one can think about our bodies and mindsContinue reading “Changing environment, changing ourselves”