Thursday, July 29, 2010
You can't please everyone
The feelings are much the same when the review is about one's book. I know because I received one. It was just an e-mail, so the rest of the world didn't see it—or at least I hope not. The only good thing the reviewer had to to say was that I had "a way with words."
Today, a colleague sent me a review she had posted on-line. It was thoughtful; it was glowing; it was all over the Internet. I'm going to blow it up and have it made into a poster. The best part was how quickly it obliterated the preceding withering critique, which by the way, is the only one I've read.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
With a little help from your friends
No one succeeds alone, no matter how talented, intelligent, or lucky that person may be. There is always another person—usually many people—along the path who open a door, share words of encouragement, or in some way make it possible to take the next step.
Whoever coined the phrase "pay it forward" was a genius. If you have achieved anything in your life, someone helped you, guided you, mentored you. You can't pay that person back; you can only pass the gift along.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Space Between
Life transitions are confusing. Between endings and beginnings is a fallow space where nothing seems to be happening. Actually, it is a time of quiet creativity and renewal. Something new is in the works; you just can't see it.
Think about winter. Sometimes, it seems to go on forever. The world is cold and gray. It takes an act of faith to believe that Spring is going to burst forth one day. It always does (if you're lucky enough to live in a place with four seasons).
Life is like that. Something ends, and nothing seems to take it's place. But, eventually, something will. Nature abhors a vacuum.
Friday, July 16, 2010
When amazing things happen
In 1960, physician and author Maxwell Maltz likened the idea of setting goals to a torpedo, speeding toward its target. When the torpedo veers off course, an internal feedback system makes the necessary corrections and points it back to its programmed end point. Thus, we are responsible for knowing where we want to go and getting ourselves there.
There is another explanation and one I believe in. Never underestimate the existence of just plain luck. Call it synchronicity or serendipity or coincidence; but the fact is, sometimes you have no idea why something amazing happens to you.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
How to Play Well With Others
Yet, it seems to be extremely difficult to get along with people much of the time. We just don't get another person's perspective at all. Many people don't even realize there is a perspective other than their own. Here's a thought: What if, instead of always concentrating on our own needs, we could try to understand someone else's needs? Might we not have better relationships? The answer is YES.
Interpersonal skills boil down to a single question: What does this person need from me at this moment? If you can answer that question and give each person what he or she needs, however briefly, you can get along with anyone.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Assembling the Puzzle Pieces
I am a writer. I have always been a writer. Then, what was I doing selling training programs on the East Coast—driving up and down unfamiliar highways, losing my luggage every time I went to Philadelphia, hailing cabs in crazy Manhattan, and lugging sample cases through airports? I had no idea. It felt like an out-of-body experience until I looked back on it years later when I was selling myself to potential clients. I could never have done it if not for that totally unrelated stint as a sales rep back in the eighties.
Take the long view and realize that everything you do, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, is like a puzzle piece in a much bigger picture. The piece may not fit anywhere at first, but eventually the pattern will become clear.