I've turned to this poem during the most painful times in my life. I'd be unforgivably selfish if I didn't share it. If If you can keep your head when all about you     Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,     But make [...]

We are often rude without knowing it.  Here is a list for your consideration  I will leave the rational behind each up to you. ---------------- - If you compliment someone on their shirt, watch, perfume, etc.  Do not ask "Where did you get that?" or worse "How much did it cost?" - If a person [...]

I am grateful for having access to every person, thought, and song at my fingertips. However, I miss: - Getting lost while driving - Making mixed tapes from the radio - A trivial debate ending unresolved - Playing private detective to find someone's phone number (white pages) - Writing / receiving letters - Prank phone [...]

You've hit a wall and you don't know what to do next. You're up against the impossible. - What would your hero do next? - What would your idealized self do next? - What advice would give your younger brother/sister in this scenario? - Fail. Fail quickly, fail often (hat tip: Mom) - Fine - [...]

When I'm at a restaurant with cloth napkins, I do NOT want to see the kitchen. I want to idealize the chef's appearance, the kitchen's cleanliness, and the waitstaff's calm demeanor. Reality falls short of my idealized expectations. At McDonald's, I expect less. I like glancing at the food preparations because it alleviates my fears. [...]

Assume: 1. People are selfish. 2. Conversation is the exchange of information and ideas. When we speak, we give them and when we listen, we receive them. 3. Most people prefer to talk than to listen. One of these assumptions is false. Do we prefer to talk because our desire to give is greater than [...]

Stop saying and writing the word "very." You are exhausted not very tired. She is devastated not very disappointed. They are eccentric not very odd. Give it a shot. You'll be very happy you did. (damn!)

"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." - Blaise Pascal Experiment time - I sit quietly alone with no distractions, no computers, phones, books, etc.  After five minutes I start to fidget for something to do.  Five minutes?! How often do you consider "nothing" as the ideal [...]

Introducing the "80 Percent Theory of Communication" … "A leader can transfer no more than 80% of his/her knowledge, standards, or vision through verbal communication." 80% isn't horrible. But when the process repeats one rung down the org chart? 80% of 80% = 64% Ugh! Next rung. 80% of 64% = 51.2% Ugh! With "x" [...]

There are 168 hours in a week, not 169. There are 31,560,000 seconds in a year, not 31,560,001. Your brain has "x" neurons, not "x+1" neurons. In the last year, did you add more stuff to your "bag" than you removed?  If so, how did you did you?  Did your bag grow this year? This [...]