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Fear Hacks
There is a famous scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indy has to traverse a canyon over an invisible bridge, known as The Path of God. It is a fantastical cinematic depiction of a challenge that each of us faces frequently in our daily lives. We see a goal. We hesitate. Eventually, if we are bold, we step forward with our own leap of faith. What drives the hesitation? In the words of writer and entrepreneur, Seth Godin, fear is what stops us. Fear fuels hesitation and doubt. Fear fuels the negative self talk that undermines our confidence. Fear keeps our eyes averted, our mouths shut, and our hands in our pockets. Here are four…
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Hot and Tasty
Recently, I was the recipient of an opinion survey from an organization with which I do business. To protect the innocent, let’s say the questions went something like this… Were the biscuits hot and tasty? Was the room clean and comfortable? Would you stay here again or recommend the property? With any of these questions, it’s impossible to know what I was really thinking by my answer. Perhaps I found the biscuits to be pleasantly warm from the oven, but alas, not so delicious. How do I answer? Unfortunately, surveyors make the common mistake of combining questions with conjunctions rather than parsing them out (e.g. Were the biscuits hot? Were the biscuits tasty?). Why do these combo…
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May You Be With The Force
Some people might say something doesn’t “sit right with them”. Other people might call it listening to their intuition or trusting their gut. Yoda would refer to sensing a disruption in The Force. Regardless of their parlance, they’re saying the same thing. Something in a situation just doesn’t feel right. As much as some of us would like our decision making to follow an entirely rational course, we are occasionally pulled in a different direction by a detour of feeling. This isn’t the emotional kind of feeling. This feeling is a physical sensation–something I have always equated to a shift in energy. There is likely a scientific explanation for it. I will leave that to someone better equipped than me to explain. What…
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Get Uncomfortable
Ever try writing with your non-dominant hand? It’s very awkward. You become aware of every movement, each dip and swoop. Something as second nature as writing suddenly demands your complete attention and forces you to reconsider micro decisions you had not given a thought to since the second grade. Human beings are very adaptable, and our brains are wired to seek efficiency. Once a decision has been made, it will not be reconsidered unless there is significant new information to process. All of this is a good thing. If we had to put as much thought into which way the bunny ears are supposed to be looped while tying our shoes as we do other more complex concerns, we…
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Expectable
In a recent conversation with my 12 year old son, I demanded to know was his behavior acceptable?? Frankly, I was trying to maintain my composure. I had just walked into a family room that could have been declared a disaster area for the number of Legos strewn about the floor. He and his sister had been playing there all morning. My son was thoughtfully quiet and then responded, “Not acceptable…but expectable.” And, in that moment, I knew he was right. It’s easy to deny the nature of people–even ourselves. We like to pretend that certain proclivities, big or small don’t exist. Or that they were temporary. Certainly, the object of our expectations has out grown…
