This is the story I had to share; this is the story that brought TLQ back.

Abbot Fr. Gherasim Iscu will be glorified as saint by the Romanian Church in 2025. Forgive me for referring to him as a saint in the interim; it's hard to find another example quite like him.

Christian or not, "spiritual" or not, you need to hear this. For the full story, visit: https://orthochristian.com/148639.html.

Visit my Substack newsletter, The Original; and if you like my work and are willing and able, consider subscribing or becoming a paid supporter.

May God bless and keep you and thank you. 🙏

More than two years since I've recorded an episode...and oh how things have changed.

This is take three of what was supposed to be a short teaser of things to come. I'm back to the podcast, and to writing and publishing online, but for very different reasons than where I was this time two or three years ago.

While TLQ will always remain free, I've released my first video to supplement the audio episode for paid supporters of my Substack newsletter The Original. Would love if you came over and gave it a read and let me know what you think (even, or especially, if you think it sucks). In the meantime, stay tuned for a story I think everyone needs to hear--no matter what you believe, or even if you don't know what you believe. It's that important.

arunlazarus.substack.com

For leaders in uniform, or not. Doesn't matter where you work or what you do...if you want to "succeed" in an uncertain future...or, you might say, win the future war no one's imagined yet, think about these three things: devolve, flex, and fail.

Thanks, as always, for your support and listening. I'm expanding my work on this podcast and through Decoherence, my platform on Substack. Check it out and consider supporting through a subscription if you like the conversations we're having and value asking tough questions, no matter how hard the answers might be.

Concluding the two-parter, back to talk about our subconscious narratives and how I fell afoul of mine and into the trap of "personal branding," "social media," and the performance art of today's digital discourse.

Click here to listen to Bari Weiss interviewing Jonathan Haidt on her podcast, "Honestly." Referenced this week.

Full link:

https://www.honestlypod.com/podcast/episode/1f94f74c/why-the-past-10-years-of-american-life-have-been-uniquely-stupid

You and me this week, talking about career transition...and the story embedded deep within us. Does it drive our decisions, or do our decisions fulfill its outcomes? Aren't those the same question?

Didn't plan a two-part episode, but we went farther down the rabbit hole that I thought. That's what makes it fun, after all...stay tuned for Part II coming next week!

Click here to watch Jordan Peterson's interview of OSU professor Angus Fletcher. Full URL below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ytoU1ZXjJw&t=3s

It's you and me this week! Missed recording for last week, back today talking about where I was and what's coming up for 2022.

This week, Jim Warner joins me on the podcast. An ICBM and GLCM veteran, Mr. Warner today serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Air Force Missileers. It was through his letter to members that I found Cole Smith's Guardian editorial.

We cover his career spanning more than 40 years, experience in leadership as the Cold War gave way to the 1990s, and responds to questions raised by Cole's piece. We end with some foundational questions--why nuclear weapons today, why the ICBM in particular, and is Global Zero possible?

That's how we can have mature conversations, in my opinion. This week on TLQ, a solo episode--why I think it's critical we have a conversation about what the world can look like in the future. And why we should start talking about it now.

Humans are naturally irrational and can hold two seemingly opposite views at once. So let's stop oversimplifying our problems and get down to real business. Then we can put our rational brains to work and get something more done than grabbing clicks and media time.

I'm excited to share this week's episode, a conversation with writer, filmmaker, and nuclear ops veteran Cole Smith.

Though we were stationed together, I don't know Cole well...but knew I should talk with him after coming across an article he wrote recently for The Guardian based on his experience as a U.S. nuclear operator. No matter how you feel about his article, or the subject of nuclear weapons, the argument he makes is reason enough to give this one a listen.

Cole is a filmmaker with several projects in the works, including a feature film on the "Damascus Incident" of 1980--popularized in Eric Schlosser's 2013 book, Command and Control. To learn more about Cole and his work, find him at colesmithfilm.com.

It's been a rough-and-tumble couple weeks. High stress, a lot of change, tons of questions. We've emerged looking skyward and genuinely excited about what's to come, and I've emerged determined to keep this train on the tracks and rolling forward.

I missed the boat on last week's episode, which will now be Episode 3. For now, enjoy Season 2, Episode 2, with my friend and fellow airman Matthew "Omaha" Ditson.

Matthew and I were qualification training classmates and stationed together twice. I'm excited to talk with him and get his take on a variety of topics, and ask him about the genesis behind his book on leadership and the parenting podcast he and his wife, Kathryn, twice per month.

Enjoy the episode and, as always, let me know what you think!