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What do you see when you see people?  That’s the fundamental question of human interaction. And the way you answer it colors every relationship you have with others.  I have a programmer friend who’s a master at efficiency. His ability to execute a specific outcome with a minimum amount or quantity of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort is unparalleled.  But he’s not exactly a people person. Shocking, I know….

I once applied for twelve hundred jobs in five months. And I was rejected from every single one of them.  It was a fascinating social experiment. Because after the endless onslaught of phone calls, interviews, meetings, video chats, job fairs, aptitude tests and writing assignments, I learned a valuable lesson about modern business.  Corporations operate like cars.  Think about it. The average automobile has thousands of parts. But it…

Humans have a natural aversion to completion.  We don’t like when things end. Endings represent loss and change and death and dying and saying goodbye. What’s more, if we stop, that means we have to start over. And starting over is hard.  And so, instead of erring on the side of completion, instead choosing to call the work done, we leave the door open. Our projects suffer from a…

All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. Based on my books in The Prolific Series, I’m going…

Boredom is biological.  As soon as we stop doing something purposeful, the mind begins to project unpleasant information on the screen of our consciousness. It’s an evolutionary safety device that’s served human survival for millions of years.  Not just for protecting the tribe from giant animals, but also for advancing the tribe into the next generation. Boredom is what forces people to reach down deep and preoccupy themselves with…

Happiness is the true foundation of existence. Maximizing it is the only reasonable goal in life. Every other desire is sought after only because we expect that it will make us happier.  No matter how we rationalize what we want in life, be it money or freedom or sex or health, ultimately, all roads lead back to the same destination. Humans want to be happy. Period.  The irony is, happiness…

Rogers wrote that the biggest shift in his approach to therapy was to stop thinking about how he could treat and cure his patients, and start wondering how he could provide a relationship that his patients could use for their own personal growth.  It’s a profoundly effective way to engage with people. Surrendering the impulse to rush in and fix and solve and save the day. Freeing others from…

Eminem’s song asks the listener, if you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?  It’s one of the most inspiring, empowering and energizing rap songs of all time.  But it’s also a major reality check. Because contrary to what popular culture tells us, there are no big breaks in life. Very few people are…

Ideas are free, execution is priceless. That’s been my mantra since day one of starting my business. It’s also the title of a book I wrote a few years back. You can download it for free here. But here’s the problem. I’m an idea junkie. Everything I look at in the world breaks down into a collection of ideas. I have about fifty new ones every day, and sadly, I…

The irony of being a rebel is, we don’t play by anyone’s rules. Including our own. And so, it’s easy to trap ourselves in an endless loop of opposition.  I’m reminded of a classic scene from my favorite television show. Homer is driving home from a bar, completely intoxicated. And he announces to himself: I’m in no condition to drive.  But then he has an epiphany… Wait a minute,…