Pain, along with the fear of it, is one of the most unpleasant sensations we human beings ever experience. Unfortunately, we’ve experienced a lot of both in the past few months as the economy continues to unravel. Since pain and fear are so prevalent, let’s take a closer look at them in order to figure out how we can handle them more effectively. And let’s put a positive spin on this examination by asking how pain and fear actually help us. Continue reading →

There certainly is a lot of bad news out there, what with the turmoil in the financial and housing sectors, companies laying off thousands of workers, and hundreds of billions of dollars vanishing from mutual funds and retirement accounts. Most experts, however, believe we will emerge from this recession within twelve to eighteen months. The challenges will be significant but, at some point, this time of disruption and anxiety will become yet another chapter in the story of our country. No doubt the negatives will dominate in future retellings of the great crisis of 2009 but let’s focus on the positive opportunities that, right now, are hiding in plain sight. Continue reading →

Regardless of the economy, both in good times and bad, there will be occasions when you have to have a tough conversation with someone at work. How do you tell a vendor of many years that you’re cutting back on their services when you know that you are one of their biggest customers?  What is the right way to let a team member know that their work has serious mistakes and must be redone?  How do you tell a long-time employee that, due to the economy, you have to let him go?  How do you explain to a colleague that an important project won’t be ready on deadline?   Continue reading →

Some pieces of wisdom are counter-intuitive — at first glance, they contradict what we believe to be true. One example of this type of wisdom is “What other people think of you is none of your business.” This can be a liberating concept if you spend a lot of time worrying about what goes on in other people’s brains. After all, none of us can read minds and even if we could, there is little we can do about the contents of someone else’s thoughts.  So why fret about what other people think? Continue reading →

As the recession deepens with no end in sight, many people are coming up against some simple, hard truths about saving and spending money. Although the value of these principles has always been acknowledged, you could probably benefit from reviewing them to see how well you use them in your own life. Continue reading →

There are times in your business life, as in your personal life, when you feel that you must make a big decision. Should you change careers? Should you move into a new industry? Should you look for a different type of position in your current industry? Should you take that big chance to bring your business up to the next level? Continue reading →

During such difficult economic times, many of us are – not surprisingly – experiencing much more stress in our lives. Our fight-or-flight instincts are constantly being triggered by unpleasant or anxious thoughts.  Since we are not engineered to function well under a constant barrage of stress, the global economy is negatively impacting us on a most personal level: our health. The medical community agrees that most diseases in the developed world are caused by stress and poor lifestyle choices, so our ability to manage stress can make all the difference between life and death.  The sooner we get our stress levels under control, the better for our long-term well-being. Continue reading →

In recent months, we have witnessed an interesting phenomenon.  Despite the downturn in the economy, many people are still earning a good living but almost everyone has drastically cut expenses.  People are doing everything they can to avoid buying things, even when they have the money and even if making the purchase is a logical, cost-effective choice. There seems to be some sort of internal mechanism that stops them from spending. On a macro-level, a similar phenomenon is apparent as banks and companies stop making the investments needed for the world economy to function. Even credit-worthy loan applicants are being turned away. These choices, both individual and collective, don’t seem to make logical sense. And this has a lot of people wondering what’s going on..  Continue reading →

In any American dictionary, you can find numerous definitions of the word “independent.” These include: not influenced or controlled by others; not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction; not influenced by the thought or action of others; not depending upon something else for existence or operation; not relying on others for aid or support.  Meanwhile, the word “interdependent” has a simple definition: mutually dependent; depending on each other. Continue reading →

When you’re interacting with someone, do you hear them or do you listen to them? And do you understand the important distinction between the two?

Listening is often treated as the same thing as hearing. but hearing is the sensory perception that uses our ears, while listening involves the active mind.  In the dictionary, we find two definitions to the verb “to listen.” The first is “to make an effort to hear something,” and the second is “to pay attention.” Both definitions highlight the fact that listening requires some effort on our part. The most skillful listening is empathic — an attentive, alert, non-judgmental focus that allows you to enter another person’s world.   Continue reading →