When Do the Means Determine the End?
It’s amazing what an extended trip to another part of the world can do to provide a new, fresh perspective. The following approximates the conversations we had after Will’s return from the island country of New Zealand. WILL: It’s good to be back Chris, after a full month in New Zealand. CHRIS: You told me you met some amazing people there. WILL: I love the country; it was my fourth visit, first for my wife. The people are wonderful. The weather, the beauty, what’s not to lov
Could You Have Been Secretly Hypnotized?
What is real? Are you sure? How can you know? What if you’re wrong? If you ever attended a philosophy class in college, these types of questions are often used to challenge students into thinking beyond the boundaries of their own self-imposed limits. Unfortunately, most of us stop asking such questions when we complete the class. In recent blog posts, we’ve reintroduced this type of exploration by delving into our natural inclination to impose meaning onto what happens to us
When Was the Last Time You Did a Reality Check?
All of us are innate storytellers. We discussed that in our last blog post (and this figures prominently into the first chapter of our book Thriving in Business and Life). The ability to create and act out stories; to convincingly cast ourselves and others in various roles, is one of our most remarkable abilities as humans. But there’s another more challenging dimension to this imaginative capability—one that is so deeply embedded that we often overlook it. Research shows tha
How the Story You're Telling Impacts Your Life
Author Jonathan Gottschall wrote, “Until recently we’ve only been able to speculate about story’s persuasive effects. But over the last several decades, psychology has begun a serious study of how story affects the human mind. Results repeatedly show that our attitudes, fears, hopes, and values are strongly influenced by story.” With that in mind, imagine being able to generate stories that helped you produce a thriving experience each day. According to anthropologists, story
How to Cross Life's Impossible Bridges
Imagine this scenario. You’re on a hike through previously untrekked terrain. Somehow you got separated from your friends so you’re a bit anxious. You follow a trail to a ramshackle bridge. On the other side you can see your friends and safety. But there’s a gap in the bridge, making it impossible to pass. So, how do you get over the bridge? Think about it for a moment. You might come up with a few ideas, like: Throw a rope across and let someone pull you over. Take a run fro
Can Good Be Better Than Great?
In Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great, he makes a challenging statement: “You have to give up what made you good to become great.” Like most declarations, it’s dangerous to assume what’s presented is an enduring truth applicable to every situation and individual. On the one hand, there’s wisdom in venturing out of our comfort zone to achieve more than we currently are. This calls to mind that safe prediction: “If you don’t change direction you’ll end up where you’re headed.” On
Are You Sure That What You're Experiencing is Real?
That familiar phrase, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” is being seriously questioned. The latest in brain science confirms that “brain blindness,” a condition we write about in our book Thriving in Business and Life and explore in our upcoming on-line learning game, is real. If we don’t believe something exists, we’re statistically less likely to be able to see it. Where this really hurts is in our relationships, both personal and professional. Over time we develop attitudes
Something Magic Happens When You "Pass It On!"
Who do you want to be when you grow up? It’s an interesting question – fundamentally different from the usual one (what do you want to be…) – and it came to mind while we recorded our weekly podcast with Gary Dixon, President of the Foundation for a Better Future. In fact, I (Will) told Gary that I wanted to be like him when I grew up! Good joke but I kind of meant it. What an inspiring guy! You can listen in to our conversation with Gary at http://tobtr.com/10268253 I (Chris
What if Playing a Game Could Change Your Life?
Games . . . they can be engaging, even addicting. What about the game of life? How engaged are you in this most important of all games? That's a question we've been captivated by for a good portion of our lives . . . separately . . . even before we knew each other. And another question always accompanied that query . . . how could we help people understand how to play the game of life more effectively? Well, it’s been a year and half since we met on the gameboard of life . .
How Our Brains Create False Facts
Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think it’s true or not, you’re right.” Our personal mindset determines which filters we use to parse the billions of information bits that assail us every second, choosing the four million or so we can actually process. But what determines our mindset? According to a Psychology Today blog, “With this onslaught of input, how do we manage to not go completely insane? The key is that we pay attention to only a small portion of that informat
