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Archive for the ‘Step Up’ Category

Why Not To Be Racist

Posted in Step Up, tagged , , on September 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Black Sheep

Do I think race exists?

Yes.

Does being a member of a particular group tend to confer certain advantages and disadvantages?

Yeah, I think so.

Do East Africans really make the best runners and Vietnamese the best poker players?

Probably.

Just google it. It’s unnervingly hard to attribute their success to vague reasons like “peer approval” or “cultural legacy.”

But I’ve also met Ethiopians that couldn’t run to save their lives and Vietnamese who have lost their livelihoods in a run at the tables. See, even if there truly are genetic, physiological, and neurological disparities between groups, that doesn’t guarantee YOU anything. You are still an individual.

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Keep At It Anyway

Posted in Step Up, tagged , on September 7, 2011| 4 Comments »

An Endless Road

Life can be a cold-hearted bitch. She can knock you down. Spit on your face. Then laugh at you with her friends and yours.

But you will keep at it anyway.

People will discourage you. They will mock you; deride you; sabotage you. At times, you will feel powerless. Impotent.

But you will keep at it anyway.

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Get More by Giving More

Posted in Step Up, tagged , on August 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Cupped Open Hands

In interacting with other people, you can either focus on giving value or taking value.  Giving value involves adding something of value to someone’s life, leaving them better off than how you found them.  Taking value involves stealing someone’s time, energy, or resources for your own benefit.

Giving value can be a scary experience.  There’s always the chance you don’t get anything back in return.  Or worse, your actions go unappreciated.  When someone doesn’t appreciate what we do, what we give, or even what we say, we may feel as if our generosity is misdirected.  It’s easier to be a taker, to only do what’s in your own best interests.  By constantly asking, “What’s in it for me?” you might maximize your returns from this world.  However, this strategy only works in the short term.

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Why To Be Assertive

Posted in Step Up, tagged , on August 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »

A Hand Making a Stop Sign

People often know that they should assert themselves and yet all too often they don’t.  There are a number of reasons:

1) We don’t think we’ll get what we want.

If you don’t try, you won’t know.  You may think you know, but what if you’re wrong?  What kind of life would you be missing out on if that were the case?  So go for it anyway.

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Everyone is Flawed…

Posted in Step Up, tagged on June 12, 2011| 2 Comments »

The Sphinx

Everyone is Flawed…

…including you. But that’s ok. That’s a good thing.

As an optometrist, I have the privilege of discussing personal medical histories with my patients. One thing I’ve found is that you really can’t predict what might be wrong with people. They could be young or old, rich or poor, beautiful or unattractive. Most people have something wrong with them and the lucky ones just don’t know what they have.

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