The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings. William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616 Do you remember when you were in grade school? You had to raise your hand and get permission to talk. You also had to get permission to go to … [ Continue Reading ]
How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them. Benjamin Franklin 1706 – 1790 In my last lesscon, I outlined the five elements necessary to achieve real, sustainable change with your New Year’s resolutions. The resolutions must be your own — … [ Continue Reading ]
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re probably right. Henry Ford 1863 – 1947 The following is an interesting story based on the research of G. R. Stephenson–though it’s probably been embellished a bit. Five monkeys were placed in a cage. There was a ladder … [ Continue Reading ]
We are very influenced by completely automatic things that we have no control over, and we don’t know we’re doing it. Daniel Kahneman 1934 – A week or two ago, I was thinking about a fad that went around when I was in high school. A classmate would be out … [ Continue Reading ]
If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak. William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616 Have you ever dreamed about having access to a time machine? You know, the kind in science fiction stories where people get to go backward … [ Continue Reading ]
A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever. Jessamyn West 1902 – 1984 I have some vivid memories from childhood. For instance, when someone would say something mean, insulting or hurtful to me, I’d go to Mother with tears running down my cheeks and look for comfort. And she … [ Continue Reading ]
Saying, ‘I’m sorry’ is the same as saying, ‘I apologize.’ Except at a funeral. Demetri Martin 1973 – A few years ago, the shampoo Pantene did a commercial in which women apologized for a variety of common actions: for speaking up in a meeting, for asking a co-worker for an opinion, … [ Continue Reading ]
You become what you give your attention to. Epictetus 55 – 135 A.D. I’m always looking for little things people can do to improve their quality of life. I recently heard of a good exercise from an associate in Dallas; he calls it the pillow test. It’s simple, but it … [ Continue Reading ]
You possess strengths you might not realize you have. Find the right one. Use it. Epictetus 55 – 135 A.D. There’s an interesting story about penguins that illustrates a profound lesson. As the story goes, a group of penguins got wind of the fact that inspirational and motivational speakers were … [ Continue Reading ]
Do not fear going slowly; only fear standing still. Chinese Proverb Do you ever get frustrated because you’re doing all the right things to reach your goals, but your progress seems stuck at a snail’s pace? Around 550 B.C., Aesop offered some relevant advice in the fable about the Tortoise … [ Continue Reading ]