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It’s not the noise. It’s not the clutter. It’s not the messenger. Most messages – from personal emails, to annual presentations, to monthly internal marketing communications, to weekly promotional efforts, to daily blog posts, to hourly tweets – are depthless trivialities at best. THEREFORE: The (real) reason your message fails to break through, get heard by the people who matter, and move those people to take action upon hearing…

“When you trust yourself, you learn how to live.” Johann Wolfgang Goethe said that. I agree. And I also think that when you trust yourself, several other cool things happen: You earn new energy. You advance inner knowing. You recognize trust in others. You live within your own skin better. You move through whatever happens. You frame yourself in yessable attitudes. You develop a deeper sense of self-acceptance. You…

Sing it with me: “I will no longer be a non-force.” That’s the mantra of your mission. Because whether you’re the leader of a congregation, the executive director of a non-profit, the author of a mommy blog or a political candidate running for office, the dream still remains the same: To reach the world. And, to turn that world upside down once you get there. Here’s how: (read part…

Sing it with me: “I will no longer be a non-force.” That’s the mantra of your mission. Because whether you’re the leader of a congregation, the executive director of a non-profit, the author of a mommy blog or a political candidate running for office, the dream still remains the same: To reach the world. And, to turn that world upside down once you get there. Here’s how: (read part…

Which one of the following questions dominates your daily decision-making? 1. Who’s going to let me? 2. Who’s going to stop me? If it’s the first, you’re the type of person who asks for permission. If it’s the second, you’re the type of person who acts without restriction. AND MY THEORY IS: People whose decisions are determined from the second question (that is, people not addicted to permission) are…

I don’t care how brave you are. What I really want to know is how you greet your fear. I don’t care how strong you are. What I really want to know is what lie you tell yourself so you won’t have to feel the pain. I don’t care what you do. What I really want to know is how you think, why you live and whom you love….

A brand without focus is destined to be forgotten. Try to make everybody happy, and you lose. Try to make everybody like you, and you lose. Try to make everybody want you, and you lose. Success, therefore, is a process of elimination. It’s learning what your brand can live without. MY SUGGESTION: Stop your driving your brand all over the interstate. You’ll either get pulled over, cause an accident…

Not with a fatal disease, of course. We’ll leave that to the zombies. Instead, let’s talk about your role as a leader. The word “infect” comes from the Latin infectus, which means, “to put in.” THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION: What are you putting into people? What are you infecting them with? Fire? Love? Creativity? Negativity? Inspiration? Indifference? Enthusiasm? Salmonella? It might not matter. With the exception of most diseases,…

Ever seen a dog fart so loud that he scares himself? I love it when that happens. It’s a helpful reminder of two key life lessons: 1. Everybody farts. 2. Scaring yourself isn’t always a bad thing. Think about it: To scare yourself is to motivate yourself. To scare yourself is to challenge yourself. To scare yourself is to understand yourself. Not that you should do anything dangerous. I’d…

Few forces in the world burn brighter than a human being’s inherent hunger to contribute. However, contrary to what Al Gore says, making your mark in the world doesn’t have to mean leaving carbon footprints. What it does mean is getting off your ass, getting into the game and cementing your legacy. That way, you can leave this cosmic campsite better than you found it. To do so, consider…