Recently, I contracted some kind of sinus infection after traveling out of town for a weekend. I tested negative for COVID in the following days, however, I felt I should not be out infecting people and canceled my attendance at an important conference. Under these circumstances, two things happen. First, we self-diagnose. Of course, we …
Remember (for your older folks) when your parents told you to eat ALL of your meal? For me, there was no dessert unless I ate all the parsnip on my plate – you might have a food that causes you to gag, as well. And I was left sitting at the table until I forced …
When a speaker stands on a stage – virtual or live, to present to an audience, there is an inherent contract. Outside the standard speaker contract with the event producers, there is an implied contract between the audience and the speaker. Maybe not an ‘implied contract” by the letter of the law, although someone more …
Words are fascinating to me. I am monolingual because I only read, write, and speak English. I truly admire friends of mine who read, write, and speak in multiple languages. My brain hurts just thinking about thinking in any other language than my native. I immigrated to America before I turned 30 and had to …
In the first edition of Never Iron When You Are Naked, I wrote a page about some perceived differences between men and women. Writing this page prompted a soul search. I wanted to offer a perspective of how to understand people, rather than dividing by sex, or even ignoring gender. I stepped back, contemplated, and …
I fell down a Facebook rabbit hole recently. The offer was attractive – they were going to solve ALL my health and fitness issues with their amazing-incredible-fabulous AI. I clicked over to their sucker page – actually referred to as a “squeeze page”, and answered all their questions. The “AI” then showed me a countdown …
I have always wanted to learn magic to add something extra to my speaking sessions. In the process of understanding the magic effects I wanted to use, I learned that a KEY technique of magic is distraction. Much of magic is executed without the audience seeing it, because the magician has distracted the audience from …
The half-full or half-empty trope provides us with a measure of optimism vs pessimism. In my speaking and writing, I try to upend cliches – for an “unperspective” – and attempt to take this glass story on a different journey. I have heard some interesting responses and memes that address the glass – for example, …
I recently found a Banksy poster and it now graces my wall. For those who are unaware, Banksy is a pseudonym for an England-based street artist and political activist. Banksy uses graffiti and satirical art to comment on social or environmental issues. His art is in demand across the planet. An apt description is Banksy’s …
It’s trendy to follow gurus who show us ways to tidy, organize, and throw out stuff we don’t need. Our lives are full of clutter, and it seems that every time we go out, we bring something back to add to our already overwhelming piles. Sure, they are important knick-knacks or decoration or they have …
