Her first job was inspecting parachutes during World War II This person lost her first job at Dunkin’ Donuts for squirting jelly filling all over a customer. His first five businesses left him broke. This other person’s first seven businesses failed. As her first films were complete failures, she was dubbed “Queen of the B […]
All of us have some dreams that will never come true. And when we finally admit that to ourselves, we feel the disappointment…and the pain. You read about the minor league ballplayers who never make it to the Majors, or the dancers who don’t make it to the top, or the pianists, the violinists, and […]
Neurology is discovering a stunningly simple strategy for motivating ourselves. Let’s talk about that today. “I really want to finish my college degree.” “I really want to lose this weight.” “I really want to repair that relationship.” All of us really “want” to do things. BUT WANTING IS NOT DOING! So why is so hard to get our […]
Victor Frankl received 29 honorary degrees from universities around the world. Although he began as an Austrian psychiatrist, his real training…and horrendous suffering…began in World War II…as an inmate at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. It was there that he lost his brother…and his father….and his wife. But through a series of discoveries he made in those […]
At 46, Brad Slocum wasn’t too concerned when he noticed blood in his urine. He continued enjoying his wife and their 10-month old son. And then…in 2005…he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and told he had nine months to live. “It felt like being slammed in the head with a lead brick!” He went from […]
What we say to ourselves is far less important than how we say it! For instance, when psychologist Ethan Kross ran a red light and exclaimed, “Ethan, you idiot!” It was not, “I’m an idiot!” it was “Ethan, you idiot.” Why did he use his first name! Since Ethan Kross is, after all, a psychologist, […]
It’s interesting. For most of the 20th century, the general consensus among neuroscientists was that the human brain remained unchanged from early childhood. Now we know the opposite is true! In fact, we now know that our brain remains plastic (that is, changeable) throughout our lives. These changes (called ‘neuroplasticity’) range from what we […]
It’s Interesting! Most of our “To-Do” lists set us up for failure and frustration. Let’s learn why, and how to create To-Do lists that actually work! So why don’t they work? Consider your present “To-Do” list. How often do you simply pick off the short tasks you can immediately finish? And how many items are […]
When Tony Cavallo fell off the jacks that held the Chevrolet Impala he was fixing, his grandmother lifted it high enough for two neighbors to rescue him. His grandmother was 58-years old! As Timothy Boyle watched in horror, the Chevrolet Camaro in front of him ran into cyclist Kyle Holtrus, pinning him under its frame. Tim […]
At my fifty year high school reunion, I remember seeing Mickey, my dear friend from 50 years ago walking up the bleacher stairs on the opposite side of the gym. Mickey had gained sixty pounds and I had lost my hair. And yet we recognized each other…instantaneously! That is AMAZING! How could I pick Mickey out, […]