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Archive for April, 2012

Re-setting Your Limits

Comfort is the enemy of growth. Navy SEALS know that, and they’re teaching it to U.S. Olympians. “We’re going to re-set your baseline today,” a SEAL tells a group of athletes as they embark on a grueling session to test and expand their limits. Olympians and SEALS are just like the rest of us. They […]

Types of Intelligence

No subject intrigues me more than the question of “who will make it?” In any given group — classroom, business, sport — which person will exceed expectations, which one will fall short, and which one will wind up just about where you thought? We know the factors that won’t necessarily predict success. They include gender, […]

Baseball Salaries vs. CEO Salaries

Marvin Miller helped baseball players win the right to free agency, paving the way for their astronomical salaries. So it’s not surprising that Miller, former head of the players’ union, defends the money that they make, and contrasts their paychecks with those of corporate CEOs. Using the same power of argument that he did when […]

Two Reasons Why You Can Succeed

Marva Collins said, “Success doesn’t come to you. You go to it.” If you decide to make the trip, you have two huge factors in your favor. First, you have potential you don’t even know about and haven’t tapped into yet. Like Jeremy Lin, who was cut by two NBA teams before becoming a star […]

Why Optimists Prosper

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” Now this sentence is more than just a motivational phrase. It turns out that optimists do more than think about the future in a certain way. They actually do something about it. “We know why optimists do better […]

The Best Way to Choose a Spouse

A friend of mine once went to Italy to explore his ethnic roots. While there, he had the chance to study a courtship ritual. The groom’s family put out the word that he was looking for a wife. Then the would-be brides and their families were invited to make what amounted to a sales pitch. […]

Is Reading People an Innate Talent?

They tell the story of Willie Wood, who showed up at Green Bay Packers training camp, sprinted to the end zone, jumped to grab the goalpost, then started doing pullups. This burst of energy impressed coach Vince Lombardi, who decided then and there that he wanted Wood on his team. Whether or not the story […]

It’s How You Finish

Some people think the game is over the minute they make a mistake. They quit, and a dream dies right there. Winners think otherwise. When they fail they don’t get discouraged. They get excited. Today George Takei celebrates his 75th birthday. Takei played Mr. Sulu in the iconic science fiction TV show “Star Trek.” Here […]

Getting Someone’s Attention

Last night I was chatting with an athlete in the gym. It was a friendly conversation, but not extraordinary. One sentence changed it from ordinary to extraordinary. I simply said, “Someone gave you a compliment.” She leaned in. She definitely wanted to hear more, and I told her that. “Yes!” she said. “I want to […]

How to Think About Problems

Life is a series of problem-solving events. And the way you approach these problems will determine how successful you are in solving them. As a wise person once observed, “The problem isn’t the problem. The way you handle the problem is the problem.” For a look at how great problem-solvers approach their work, here’s an […]