what does it feel like to publish? A book published. Mission accomplished and proof of value in a perfect case-bound hardback with a bio photo in the back. It feels different from the way I imagined it. It's not like winning a race, arms over head as the ribbon breaks across the chest. Nor does it feel like a completion...just somewhere farther along. At the NYC book launch event last week, I looked up after signing a book, hoping my signature wouldn't smudge, and realized this was just like...
16 days ago • 1 min read
when do I get to the top? I have climbed a few mountains - not tall enough for specialized gear and oxygen tanks, but climbing nonetheless. Growing up in Alaska, there were more than a few peaks to explore. Looking up at mountains from below, I imagine what it must be like on top, to sit on the knife's edge and see the world spread out below. But after clambering upward for a few hours to see for myself, it rarely feels quite like being "on top of the world". More often than not, a top is...
19 days ago • 1 min read
summer begins. For me, Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer this year was mostly wet. Was it a disappointment? Maybe. Rain delays disrupt the game and we are forced to wait it out. Summer days are supposed to overflow with sunshine. But do you remember delight as you jumped from puddle to puddle in rubber boots? Or huddling close under a too small umbrella? What about that golden sound of rain drops hitting a tin roof? I'll never forget riding through a rainstorm in a friend's...
24 days ago • 1 min read
do you want to come to a Chasing Lights book event? Chasing Lights is coming to the Big Apple! Join us if you are in town June 3. Here's a link to register for the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-alaska-to-abu-dhabi-an-evening-with-gunnar-branson-ceo-of-afire-registration-1990020686443?aff=oddtdtcreator Books will be available for signing, or feel free to bring your own copy of Chasing Lights. The host is my friend Dr. Sam Chandon. If you don't know him, he's a brilliant economist,...
29 days ago • 1 min read
so, what do you want to know? A good friend interviewed me about Chasing Lights had some interesting questions. I thought you might enjoy hearing where the conversation went: https://irei.com/video-and-podcast/afires-gunnar-branson-on-his-new-book-chasing-lights/ Have a lovely holiday weekend and keep chasing lights. Chasing Lights is now available in hardback, paperback, and e-book versions from Amazon. An audio book version will be available later this year. Wednesday evening, June 3rd, I...
30 days ago • 1 min read
what will you miss? Eyes tend to follow the road, mesmerized by the dotted center line and straining to see around the bend. Usually the view to the left or right is just more streets, off-ramps, or buildings. Let's get this over with. But in Alaska, when I managed to pull my gaze away from the yellow marks I could see miles and miles of a world not made by us. A road became the edge of modern life, and beyond there was a place that lived long before we came, endured our brief presence, then...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
is darkness a problem or a pathway? The dark can be scary. There aren't many brightly lit horror movies for a reason. How can I know if a threat might be hiding in the shadows? Better to stay in well lit spaces where I can always see what's coming. Depression, the shadow world of our psyche, is just as frightening. Better to stay busy and not face what might be bothering us. But without shadow, it might be difficult to see the light properly. Without darkness, Christmas lights can look shabby...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
how do I get there? Creating something new is hard. Can I protect myself from those telling me it can't be done? It hurts when they point out, rightly or wrongly, that I don't have what it takes to see it through, that the obstacles are too great, that my skills, my plan, or my temperament is not up to the job. And how do I defend myself when I agree with the critics or when I'm the toughest critic of all? If I listen too closely, I might give up. If I don't listen at all, I might miss what...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
what am I reaching for? It doesn't happen often. Abundant noise can fragment signal. Meaning is hard to see when every screen is yelling out one more disturbing detail, another enticing sensation, and distractions built upon a haphazard foundation of what came before. But every once in a while, the sounds become a chord and the words penetrate. No more noise, no more wondering if I'm doing too much or not enough. Just a connection where I disappear and we exist together. The air crystalizes...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read