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 Get The Girl!, tagged dating, how to, interpersonal, kiss, story on July 15, 2012| 2 Comments »
First, draw lips on your hand and practice. Just kidding. This post isn’t about the actual mechanics of kissing, but rather how to successfully plant that first smooch on your sweetheart-to-be.
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Lower East Side, New York City
I’m on the dance floor at La Caverna, absorbed by the loud music and spinning lights. I feel like a wooden puppet, animated by the energy streaming through me. Halfway across the room, I spot a slender brunette with a doll face–just my type. I basically like 2 kinds of girls: ones who look adorable, and Katy Perry. Her eyes lock onto mine drawing my body toward her like a helpless lamb being led to slaughter. I grab her hand as our dance rhythms begin to meld. Her eyes are glued to mine like sticky taffy. I can’t help myself. I go in for the kiss.
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 Master Your Mind, tagged bereavement, betrayal, break up, dating, how to, interpersonal, peace of mind, philosophy on May 25, 2012| 2 Comments »
A lot of what I write deals with overcoming adversity, taking on new challenges, or navigating the complex web of human relations. I write these under the assumption that you are able to exert some measure of control on your external environment. However, there will be occassions for which there seems to be no adequate recourse:
Heartbreak. Betrayal at the hands of a friend. A merciless twist of fate.
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Choose to Take the Journey 