Reading Time: 3 min People often wish to “go back to a better time”, or reminisce about their childhood when “the world was a safer place”. It may have felt that way, but it’s almost entirely untrue. That’s not to say that things can’t be better — the world today is still a mess, but it’s the safest and […]
General
“No” is great, but what’s your “yes”?
Reading Time: < 1 min I’ve talked a few times on here about how powerful the word “no” can be. Saying no to the wrong client. Saying no to a great client that wants something foolish. Saying no to selling me new tires for my car. “No” can be helpful in sales, but most times you say no in your […]
Dehumanized people don’t count
Reading Time: < 1 min I’m noticing a disturbing trend online that only seems to be getting worse. Perhaps it’s always been this bad, but it really feels like it’s growing. The trend is people using words to dehumanize others that they don’t agree with. The reason for this was explained nicely in Peter Bevelin’s book “Seeking Wisdom“: “We tend […]
Handle me at my worst
Reading Time: < 1 min I tend to think I’m a rather even-keeled guy. I rarely raise my voice, and generally don’t let my emotions get too high or too low. Measuring the “worst” in someone is often a good benchmark of what to expect from them. It’s also why I very much dislike the phrase “if you can’t handle […]
Of course there is another hot item in the news
Reading Time: < 1 min Over the last few years, I’ve seen quite a few people express outrage at the media “taking our attention with the next big story”. It’s often framed as a way to hide “what’s really going on”, but I see it simply as media outlets doing their job. A great example of this was the Russia-Ukraine […]
Fuzzy boundaries can be powerful
Reading Time: < 1 min We’re stuck in a weird place in our world right now, where people are feeling like they have to set up firm boundaries around their beliefs. There’s also the angle that if you take one position, like supporting gun rights, you are forced to take a particular position on a separate subject, like opposing abortion […]
“Here I am” or “there you are”?
Reading Time: < 1 min There are two kinds of people in this world. Those that show up to be seen, and those that show up to see others. In his book “High Performance Habits“, author Brendon Burchard puts it this way: “There are two types of people. One walks into the room and announces, ‘Here I am!’ The other […]
The Carbon Almanac
Reading Time: < 1 min In the past few weeks, Seth Godin (with the help of hundreds of volunteers) has released “The Carbon Almanac“, a massive book full of facts about climate change. Their goal was to create “a source of reliable and easily understandable knowledge on climate change…that you can share to create meaningful impact.” Regardless your stance on […]
Wait for the fat pitch
Reading Time: 2 min There are times when you need to do something quickly. If your car is on the last drop of gas, you can’t mess around finding a deal to save 3 cents. If a pipe burst in your house and you can’t get it to stop, spending the next two hours getting the best rate from […]
What are you spending your attention on?
Reading Time: < 1 min As Seth Godin pointed out in a recent podcast titled “What you pay for”, he says there is a reason it’s called “paying attention”. Throughout your day, you are selling your attention for something in return such as information, entertainment, or status. The challenge we’re facing is that humans only have so much attention that […]