Posted in Step Up, tagged interpersonal, money, no time, peace of mind, story on August 23, 2012| 3 Comments »
Time and money is on everyone’s lips, and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll soon find yourself with neither time on your hands nor money in your pocket. Fortunately, there is a powerful tool that can protect these scarcest of resources. This tool will neither take up any of your time nor cost you any money to acquire. It is free and instantly available to anyone who has the courage to wield it. This tool is nothing more and nothing less than the ability to say “No.”
Posted in Step Up, tagged charisma, peace of mind, philosophy, trust on July 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Trust Your Temperament
I’m partial to purple. I have a variety of purple shirts, purple ties, purple scarves, and even a pair of purple sunglasses. Initially though, I was a little hesitant about the sunglasses due to all the attention I might attract. My first few times wearing them elicited the hushed and sometimes even public ridicule of strangers. I came close to chucking them, but then I thought, “To hell with what people think! I look good in these!” Once I had made that decision, to own my style through and through, the flow of ridicule mysteriously stopped and the compliments started. Those are now my favorite pair of sunglasses.
Posted in Step Up, tagged how to, interpersonal, persuasion, philosophy, story on June 13, 2012| 3 Comments »
“I won’t eat it,” I said as I pushed it to the edge of the plate with my fork.
Like most children, I loathed vegetables, especially broccoli. I thought it tasted bitter and the texture of the florets against my tongue felt like I was putting dirt into my mouth. Like most parents, my mom had tried (and failed) to get me to eat it. The battle was a hard-fought one. She assaulted me with her words. She cornered me in my room. She tried getting broccoli into my stomach by camouflaging them with melted-cheese, or stir-frying and cloaking them in oyster sauce. One time she even cut off my access to the dinner table, but as soon as she saw that I wouldn’t hesitate to starve myself, she finally conceded to working around my finicky palate. Yet by the following week, I was eating not only broccoli, but almost any vegetable that she put on my plate.
What had changed?
Posted in Step Up, tagged how to, interpersonal, negotiation on June 11, 2012| 1 Comment »
In any negotiation, the key to getting the best deal is to conceal your neediness. If your counterpart senses any desperation, she will make you pay dearly for it. And why shouldn’t she? You would do the same if the shoe were on the other foot.
First of all, never believe her lies. Am I calling her a liar? Are you a liar for withholding your vulnerability? Don’t concern yourself with such labels. This is strictly business. You’ve both entered into this transaction knowing the other party will act in their own self-interest. Look for patterns in her behavior and watch out for inconsistencies. Do not be fooled by claims of innocence; they will pass between her lips easier than a slice of ripe mango. You must draw your own conclusions and trust your own judgment.
Posted in Step Up, tagged bars and clubs, how to, interpersonal on March 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I sometimes enjoy going to night clubs for the freedom it provides. Heart-thumping, pulse-racing, anonymous freedom. Unlike a house party or a work-sponsored event, most people at a club don’t know each other. There’s no host that will introduce you to everybody, no manager to orient you to your new environment. There are typically just small groups of 2-5 people waiting for something to happen. Will Debbie meet a charming stranger tonight? Will Donna get smashed and make a fool of herself again? Will Kirk finally get over his ex-girlfriend once he sees all the hotties?
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Choose to Take the Journey 