Some debts are fun when you are acquiring them, but none are fun when you set about retiring them. Ogden Nash 1902 – 1971 You were probably puzzled when you read the title of this lesson. The majority of Americans have financial difficulties. They live paycheck to paycheck; they’re one … [ Continue Reading ]
Weekly Lessons
Life lessons from Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, couldn’t put Humpty together again. Nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty is one of the best known nursery rhymes in the English language. I can still remember when I learned that … [ Continue Reading ]
What’s your communication style?
The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred. George Bernard Shaw 1856 – 1950 In the book 6 Secrets to Startup Success, author John Bradberry discusses his consulting role with new ventures. Part of his job is to assess the management team’s ability to solve problems and … [ Continue Reading ]
Would you rather be a king or a slave?
The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable prerequisite for success. Maxwell Maltz 1899 – 1975 Would you rather be a king or a slave? That might seem like a silly question; I … [ Continue Reading ]
The most important part of building a house
A man’s character is his fate. Heraclitus c. 540 – c. 480 B.C. Many years ago, I worked for a home building company. During that time, I observed a very interesting trend among the people purchasing a new home. Because of the soil conditions in the area, it was necessary … [ Continue Reading ]
Christopher Wren teaches how your attitude affects your results
Not for his own but for the public good. Epitaph to Sir Christopher Wren 1632 – 1723 In 1666, Sir Christopher Wren submitted a plan to reconstruct St. Paul’s Cathedral. Just six days after he submitted the plan, the great fire of London destroyed the central part of London and … [ Continue Reading ]
What is interfering with your success?
The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems. Mahatma Gandhi 1869 – 1948 I often work with people who score extremely high on potential but rather average on results. Most of these people are well educated … [ Continue Reading ]
Teaching others
For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. Aristotle 384 – 322 BC I recently had an experience where a client was losing a key employee. It was a rather small business and the job was not high tech. The employee … [ Continue Reading ]
Why purpose matters
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. Helen Keller 1880-1968 While you may never have heard of Roger Babson, he was quite an accomplished fellow. He was an economist and published the Babson … [ Continue Reading ]
Gatekeeper
We always have a choice about the contents and character of our inner lives. Epictetus 55 – 135 A. D. Some time ago, I called a work contact and was put on hold while the assistant checked to see if her boss wanted to talk with me. In business, we … [ Continue Reading ]