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Anagrams are cool. For example: Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one. Same letters. A decimal point = I’m a dot in place. Same letters. Morrison = Mr. Mojo Risin. Same letters. George Bush = He bugs Gore. Same letters. Now, beyond clever wordplay, anagrams also suggest something deeper. THINK ABOUT IT: If the switching the letters of one word creates a NEW word that eerily connects to the…

When I started writing books in 2002, I decided that they wouldn’t be categorized as “How-To” books. But rather: “How-To BECOME” books. I think “becoming” is cool. Plain and simple. Especially the last three letters of the word: -ING -ING represents a lifelong process. -ING represents continuous improvement. -ING represents growth and change and maturity. It’s like my mentor, Bill Jenkins, used to tell us when we were kids:…

1. Allow everything to mentor you. Everyone you meet. Everything you do. Everywhere you go. Find a way to learn from them. Mentoring opportunities are endless. All you have to do is pay attention. Who (or what) teaches you? 2. Become an expert at learning from your experiences. As my mentor says, “We learn not from our experiences but from intelligent reflection upon those experiences.” So, after you experience…

Idiots are invaluable. Next time you encounter one, don’t be so quick to write them off. Instead, find a way to profit from them. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Track what makes you tick, then do the opposite. I used to have a colleague, Jordan, who was without a doubt, the worst listener in the history of the world. Total conversational narcissist. Major monopolizer. Big time know-it-all. So,…

Holiday Season also means Networking Season. This is a good thing – as long as you’re prepared. In the next six weeks, you will no doubt run into old friends, colleagues and perhaps ex-spouses. So, when you’re giving them the update on your world, remember these thirteen ways to network without being a nuisance: 1. Stop asking people, “Do you remember me?” This question immediately makes them feel defensive,…

“When passion is involved, the rules change.” That sentence is NOT a scientifically proven fact. That sentence is NOT a Wikipedia entry. That sentence is NOT a statistic. Good. I don’t believe in statistics. Statistics prove NOTHING. Statistics are fabricated pieces of bullshite that people manipulate to make themselves look better. I believe in EXPERIENCE … because it is founded upon TRUTH. And truth is currency. When passion is…

The other day, one of my coaching clients emailed me an article from Reader’s Digest called, “What If You Said Hello to Everyone In Your Path for a Month?” Journalist Joe Kita attempted this 30-day experiment and found great success. “Reaching out focuses you,” Kita said. “The simple act of saying hello continually pulled me back from wherever my mind had wandered and forced me to be more aware….

Halfway through the movie The Peaceful Warrior, Nick Nolte’s character, Socrates, makes a profound point about practicing: “That’s the difference between me and you, Danny,” he explains to his young apprentice, “You practice gymnastics. I practice EVERYTHING.” SO, MY QUESTION IS: What are YOU practicing? Now, I bet if you asked a hundred people, their answers might include activities like: musical scales, free-throws or magic tricks; listening, patience or…

So, I like to bite my dog. She asks for it. And I figure, if she’s always (playfully) biting me, there’s no reason I can’t return the favor. I usually go for the ears. It drives Paisley crazy. Now, you’re probably wondering why the heck I’m telling you this. SIMPLE: I always start with silly. In emails. In writings. In speeches. In conversations. In phone calls. In conference calls….

Awareness is the first step toward mastery. Whether you’re strategically planning for the new year, engaged in a sales call with a customer or patiently listening to one of your employees complain about how much they HATE their coworkers, awareness always comes first. Awareness is power. It creates options. It enlarges mental space. And it converts your internal posture from a state of reactivity to a state of objectivity….