Recent Articles

During my studies in literature, philosophy and political sciences, I have come across a great many authors, novels, essays, texts – sometimes enough to give me indigestion. I could have chosen to reference the poetic lines of Aragon, German romanticism or Simone de Beauvoir. They all taught me… read more

“When I’m afraid of losing, I never win.” Anonymous

What a wonderful reminder of such a basic truth in life. Many years ago, a friend asked me, “Pepper, are you playing to win, or playing not-to-lose? There’s a big difference you know.”

Think about it. Get mental… read more

"I am not an Athenian, I am not a Greek, I am a citizen of the world.” Socrates

I think it’s ironic, in a way, that a quote from more than 2,300 years ago could help us understand civil society in the 21st century so succinctly. Socrates so eloquently sums up what I… read more

I have spent my life, since age seven, contemplating a very special kind of physics—a kind that literally changes lives. I call it the physics of life. You won’t find this field of physics in academia because, as far as I know, I made it up. A little background on this might be in order.

“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” Warren Buffet

This quote always reminds me of a wonderful story about two bestselling authors, J.D. Salinger and Norman Mailer. I have no idea if it’s true or not, but the message is powerful that I… read more

“When you are the anvil, hold you still. But, when you are the hammer, strike your fill.”
George Herbert

George Herbert was a 17th century Welsh poet and he would definitely be on the invitation list for my fantasy dinner with historical figures. In more than 50… read more

“The secret to success is to maintain enthusiasm between failures.”
Winston Churchill

Reading this quote always reminds me that the path to success, however we define it, is not linear, or a constant upward trajectory, as I have learned from my own experience—… read more

“Who you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I spend a great deal of time talking to leaders about things like employee engagement and corporate culture and, while there are many things that can be done to impact culture and… read more

“Go beyond the dominant voices to ask, ‘Who are the missing voices.’”
Peter Ramsden

This little gem of wisdom came to me recently from Peter Ramsden, founder of Freiss Ltd., a mission-driven, micro consultancy specializing in social innovation and inclusive… read more

I have been collecting quotes for more than 50 years—philosophers, statesmen, military leaders, writers, and business leaders—my collection has all of these categories and more. In this series, Time for Reflection, I will share with you some of my favorite quotes. Some of these quotes are… read more