A Story

A young man on vacation was staring at the calm, blue sea thinking about lunch. A small boat laden with a large Yellowfin tuna docked near the pretty Mexican village. A lone fisherman jumped ashore. “That’s a great catch,” said the tourist. “How long did it take... 

Winston Churchill on Optimism

Winston Churchill once commented, “The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity.” The pessimist allows problems to rent cognitive space. But why think of problems when you can fill your head with solutions? How... 

Handling Criticism

QUESTION: My youngest son has been particularly prickly recently. Even when I try to express my suggestions in a positive way, he interprets it as criticism. When he bridled at some comments I made about interrupting people, he really became upset. Any suggestions? RESPONSE: Being... 

The Two-Minute Rule

We’re all familiar with the Nike slogan, “Just do it.” If we apply this motto/suggestion/saying to anything that can be accomplished in two minutes or less, we will be using the “Two-Minute Rule.” Here is how it works. If you decide that an action can... 

Think in Terms of More or Less Effective

Cognition can not be separated from emotion. What we think precedes what we feel, and often what we think triggers our emotions. Thinking in terms of “right” or “wrong” is especially dangerous because people become emotionally involved with these concepts. It... 

Three Techniques for Influencing

There are three time-tested approaches for putting your ideas across to arouse interest and enthusiasm. The first is to use a fishing pole. Since it is very difficult to ram a hook into a fish’s mouth, the fisherman casts his pole temptingly near the fish. The fish is then enticed... 

Reactions to Problems

Epictetus (pronounced Epic-TEE-tus) lived and taught in both Rome and Greece in the first century. Like stoic philosophers that preceded him, he dealt with logic, physics, and ethics. Epictetus taught that adversity introduces a person to oneself. On the occasion when a situation... 

Comparing Yourself with Others

Do you compare crayons? Comparing is such a natural activity that we become a victim of its effects. Every time you compare yourself with another and think lesser of yourself, you fall into the abyss of a useless activity. Your feelings fall with you, and you have gained nothing. On... 

Priorities and Time Management

If you truly want to manage your time effectively, stop thinking in terms of amount and start thinking in terms of priority. If you truly want to manage your time effectively, stop thinking in terms of amount and start thinking in terms of priority. Divide priorities into musts and... 

Two Word-Tip

I share with you the greatest two-word tip of all time. I share with you the greatest two-word tip of all time. These two words are the single, best advice in improving your effectiveness in any endeavor. I encourage you to write these two words down and perhaps tape them to your... 

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