Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius 551 – 479 B.C. I would like to introduce you to a word that was used by the ancient Aztecs. The word is “Ollin” (pronounced ALL-in). You can find the word used in many of the activities of the Aztecs. When … [ Continue Reading ]
Nothing recedes like progress. E. E. Cummings 1894 – 1962 Have you ever observed someone running on a treadmill? Usually, they’re putting forth a good deal of effort, yet they aren’t physically going anywhere; they continue to stay in the exact same place as when they started their workout. For … [ Continue Reading ]
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science. Charles Darwin 1809Â -Â 1882 A couple of years ago, my daughter was contacted by an association … [ Continue Reading ]
A man’s character is his fate. Heraclitus c. 540 – c. 480 B.C. Many years ago, I worked for a home building company, and I observed very interesting behavior among people purchasing custom-built homes prior to construction. Because of the soil conditions in the area, it was necessary to drive pilings to support … [ Continue Reading ]
The easiest time to cure an illness is before it is accepted as a part of the self-image. Jane Roberts 1929 – 1984 From time to time, we all have labels assigned to us. Some are helpful; some are not. Take a moment to think of some of the ways … [ Continue Reading ]
I think of myself as something of a connoisseur of procrastination, creative and dogged in my approach to not getting things done. Susan Orlean 1955 – Many people today engage in what I call “pseudo-productive procrastination” — usually without even realizing it. While this behavior might convey some short-term benefits, it can … [ Continue Reading ]
Without a purpose, nothing should be done. Marcus Aurelius 121 – 180 My work involves helping people achieve their goals. I want to share an exercise I sometimes use with the people I coach: I simply ask them what they have planned the next day. Most of the time, this … [ Continue Reading ]
Appearances often are deceiving. Aesop c. 550 B.C. Some time back, a certain bookstore (which we’ll leave unnamed) ran what seemed like a very nice online promotion: buy 1 item, get the second item for 60% off list price. Sounds good, right? Wrong. My daughter took advantage of the promotion … [ Continue Reading ]
If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing. William Edwards Deming 1900 – 1993 Throughout our school years, we were conditioned to answer questions asked in class and on exams. We became accustomed to thinking that the key to success is having the right … [ Continue Reading ]
Trying to control or change what we can’t only results in torment. Epictetus 55 – 135 A.D. There’s an old parable about a frog and a scorpion that provides a valuable lesson. As the story goes, the scorpion wanted to get across a lake. Because scorpions can’t swim, it asked … [ Continue Reading ]