From Volume 5, Issue 11:We all have an “inner child,” don’t we? Sometimes it’s curious and investigating. And sometimes it’s mischievous and rebellious. Sometimes it just loves unconditionally (puppies and kittens come to mind), and sometimes it functions like a paranoid schizophrenic (temper tantrums).
Who are you when your child takes over? Jekyll or Hyde
From Volume 5, Issue 11:A. Fear B. Anger C. Joy Choose one! While some of you might have some sort of emotional attachment to fear or anger, I’ll bet you picked C. Why? Because the other choices are emotions that cause us pain, stress, suffering, and struggle. And we usually don’t want those things. What are our emotions, anyway, and how can you change them to get more of the emotions you do want?
From Volume 5, Issue 10:Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. It’s a Buddhist proverb, and I’d like to thank Jeff V. for putting it out there a week or so ago. Essentially, this proverb explores the concept that pain is what the outside world does to you, and suffering is what you do to yourself. It’s a very important lesson for all of us.
From Volume 5, Issue 10:Back in the 1970s, a researcher named Albert Mehrabian explored how we communicate. He discovered that when a dialogue between two people involves more than simple data (“What time’s the meeting?” “8:15.” “OK.”), and contains information about feelings, moods, or attitudes, words are trusted only 7% of the time, vocal tonality 38% of the time, and facial expression and body language 55% of the time. Now where does that leave the text-based communicator?
From Volume 5, Issue 9:The term “black swan” refers to the shocking discovery that not all swans are white, something the world was sure about until new data came in. Now it’s used for big, bad surprises, like discovering that playing fast and loose with marginal loans and generating huge annual returns on investments couldn’t go on forever and would lead us into a recession. We all have black swans in our lives, but we can change the way we deal with them so they aren’t constantly causing stress.
From Volume 5, Issue 9:Since I deal in frustration, stress, and struggle, I’m frequently engaged by leaders to work my magic on their teams. The problem, these leaders often suggest, is that people have a hard time listening. They make the same mistakes repeatedly, or don’t communicate well with the team. They are the source of the boss’s frustration, stress, and struggle, and my job is to change them. But what’s the one thing all these people who cause so many issues have in common? Their leader!
From Volume 5, Issue 8:Are we creatures of habit or blessed with free will? I believe the former. Each of us makes thousands of decisions, but the vast majority of them aren’t really choices. Does this mean there is no free will? No, but making a real choice requires understanding some complicated concepts.
From Volume 5, Issue 8:Occasionally I challenge the wisdom of the Jedis by claiming that Yoda’s famous quotation from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back—“Do or do not. There is no try”—is just not a productive attitude for most of us. Yoda’s words tell us that we should be able to step off cliffs and not plummet to our doom. Or drive a Rally Ford Fiesta in a World Rally Championship event and win. But if you buy into this thinking, you’re setting yourself up for a lifetime of frustration and feeling like a failure. There’s a better way to approach doing, and yes, Yoda, there is a try.
From Volume 5, Issue 7:I want to brag about a client I’ve worked with since 2009. Eagle Bank and Trust is a regional bank in the St. Louis area that is more than 100 years old. Back when the stuff was hitting the fan in late 2008, a mutual friend introduced me to Mike Walsh, president and CEO of Eagle Bank. Mike knew that the bank, like every other bank, was facing an uncertain future. He was determined to not only weather the storm, but prosper. And boy, did he ever!
From Volume 5, Issue 7:It has not been unusual in my life for me to obsess about a small thing just to see the big goal go unattained, or even be obliterated. The problem is, I don’t know I’m doing it until it’s too late. The ego gets involved, and before you know it, that big dream you’ve been shooting for is whisked out of your hands. Take these race day stories as an example of what not to do when you have a goal in mind.
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