A Higher Line Mentality

There are certain times in our business and personal lives that we have to make important decisions that will have a huge impact on our future. These “defining moments” or “critical choices” are the difference between clarity or confusion, misery or joy, success or failure. Several years ago, I was the recipient of some rather profound commentary on life. It didn’t come to me via some world-renowned scholar or teacher; it was casually presented to me by my son Tyler, who at the time was a 21-year-old college student. We were talking about his first few years away at college and I asked him how he goes about making important decisions. He thought for a moment and then said: (I am paraphrasing to the best of my memory) …

Necessary Evils

A “Necessary Evil” is an evil that must be allowed for a greater good to result; you may not like something, but you understand it’s necessary. Some examples of a “Necessary Evil” would be - Insurance, Root Canals, Speed Bumps, Colonoscopy, Taxes, Government, Changing Diapers, Exercise, and Work.

Those With Confidence Succeed

Who should be your biggest fan? You! If you don’t think you are good, why should anybody else think it? I believe one of the biggest mistakes we make in trying to improve is getting down on ourselves and staying there. Self-doubt is a proven “killer” to accomplishment. You will be a lot better off BELIEVING you can do something rather than DOUBTING that you can do it.

True Friends

Most people have a pretty good idea who their enemies are, and if they are smart, they follow Niccollo Machiavelli’s advice of: “Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.” Today I want to address something we sometimes give very little thought to … our friends. We have a tendency to closely monitor our enemies, watching every move they make, but overlook or take for granted the people who can have the most impact on our lives.

Eliminating Bad Habits

We all have bad habits that could be ruining our careers. The key to success in business is eliminating bad habits and developing good ones. English novelist Charles Reade, I think said it best when he wrote: “Sow a thought and you reap an act; Sow an act and you reap a habit; Sow a habit and you reap a character; Sow a character and you reap a destiny.”

Preparation is Key

Georgia Tech invited 20 aerospace engineers and college professors to a paper airplane flying contest to see who could design a paper airplane to stay up the longest. A contest had also been conducted for 2nd-graders in the state of Georgia to see who could design a paper airplane and fly it the longest. The 7-year-old boy who won that contest was invited to Georgia Tech to compete with the aerospace engineers.