There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so. William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616 In his book, Influence: Science and Practice, Robert Cialdini tells a story about a young girl away at college. She writes a letter to her parents, first apologizing for not having written sooner. She … [ Continue Reading ]
It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. Mahatma Gandhi 1869 – 1948 Do you believe it’s possible to accurately predict success or failure by asking two simple questions? Before you … [ Continue Reading ]
Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. Stephen King 1947 – Have you ever looked at someone you considered successful and secretly wished you’d been born with their talent? Have you ever silently cursed your parents … [ Continue Reading ]
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you are probably right. Henry Ford 1863 – 1947 In the mid-1970s, Jim Fannin, a personal coach for many high profile athletes, did an experiment involving young children. He assembled over two hundred children aged four or five to … [ Continue Reading ]
Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers. Tony Robbins 1960 – In school, we were taught that we needed to know the right answer. (Thankfully, it was usually in the back of the book.) As we grew up and embarked on our careers, we … [ Continue Reading ]
Tone is often the most important part of a conversation — and listening is so much more important than what you say. Hoda Kotb 1964 – Do you want to be heard? That question may sound silly; most people would say the whole reason for speaking is to be heard. … [ Continue Reading ]
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same? Richard Lederer 1938 – English is a very rich language, but often, the way we say things can be misinterpreted, leading to confusion and unintended consequences. There’s a well known case in the British judicial system that illustrates … [ Continue Reading ]
Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. Leonardo da Vinci 1452 – 1519 How would you answer the question, “Are you a risk taker?” If you’re like most people, you probably want … [ 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 ]
Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true. Napoleon Hill 1883 – 1970 You don’t need to do much research to find that optimistic people live longer, enjoy a healthier life and generally fare much better … [ Continue Reading ]