imagination

This is part of my weekly series on how philosophy (personal beliefs) affect people’s perspective, and how you can this knowledge in life.

The engineer and the artist have the same mission.

Both are working to build something, whether it’s physical or a blueprint. What’s the difference? How each goes about their work.

Approaching the task from a pure technology standpoint, the engineer believes in doing things a specific way, which is the best way he knows. His strength is in understanding the best way of doing things. His opinion seems to be a fact at this point. At the same time, his weakness is being unable to look away from the path he believes is the best one. He does not want to try a different way of doing things.Read more

This is part of my weekly series on how philosophy (personal beliefs) affect people’s perspective, and how you can this knowledge in life.

Friday the 13th is the most ridiculous superstition, ever.

According to the Wikipedia entry, the idea of Friday the 13th being an unlucky day is rather new. The first mention of it was 150 years ago in Gioachino Rossini’s 1869 biography. Many Italians feared both the day and the number, and Rossini happened to die on Friday, November 13, 1868. Of all the reasons listed for Friday the 13th being unlucky, none

Today is my birthday, on a Friday the 13th. I turned 1 on Friday the 13th. Among my friends I’m known as the guy with luck on his side. I’m not lucky in everything, but it seems if you involve me in a plan that needs a little extra luck, your odds just got a whole lot better.

In fact, I view 13 as a lucky number. Am I superstitious at all? Yes, and I think we all are in some way.

If we define superstitions as beliefs as ones not based on facts, rationality, or experience, what superstitious beliefs do you hold? Why do you hold them?Read more

Ever feel like the people you’re talking with are way behind you?

We could be talking intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, career-wise, relationship-wise, or any number of other things. These people seem to not have made the kind of progress you have. You realize you have to go back so far to get to their level.

Here’s what I’d like you to do: open your eyes up to what you’re looking at. Think about how you’re sizing up this person.

The easy route is to say, “He’s ahead/behind me.” You’re measuring this person using your scales, your goals, and your perspective. It’s on your terms. Not on their terms, not in the context of what they are trying to achieve, but on your terms.

There are times when this is necessary. If you’re hiring someone for a job and you need this person to have certain skills and experience, then pull out your scales and see how each candidate measures up. Rate away! “She’s got everything we need for this role.” Perfecto.

Unless there’s a reason to rate someone, why are you doing it? It’s one thing if you want to understand the distance between you and someone else. It’s another to use this against them.Read more

I made someone’s day by giving her a strawberry.

How is this possible? It’s a mere strawberry. No, she was not starving, nor is she a fruit lover who hasn’t eaten any fruit in ages. Let me tell you what happened.

I walked up to my coworker’s desk with both my hands clasped around something. The look on my face must have read, “I’m up to something goooooood and you’re about to find out.” It was obvious the whole time I had something in my hands, unless I was playing a prank. This whole non-verbal exchange might have lasted two seconds. I then asked her to hold out her hands. She did, smiling, and I dropped the strawberry from my hands into hers.

What happened there?

First, I created suspense. To create suspense you need to promise something good is going to happen without giving away what this good thing is. You’re letting the other people know, “you HAVE to see this.”

Second, I made it dramatic. I could have revealed the strawberry and given it to my coworker. Instead I kept my good little secret hidden AND made her do something for it. It built on the suspense. It makes the good thing you have even better.Read more

The average job seeker has little idea how to knock someone’s socks off when applying for a job.

In the two years I’ve looked to hire people I must say I’m underwhelmed. Maybe horrified is a better word. Horrified. I’m horrified at the applications I sift through whenever I post a position. Besides the usual pitfalls – misspelled words, no cover letter, no relevant information, and sometimes no relevant job experience – most people lack any kind of style OR substance which sets them apart.

What can you do about it?Read more

What would you rather be, a person of great experience or a person with endless creativity?

I’m going with creative on this one. Give me original ideas over a book of facts any day.

The title of this blog is from a Paul Arden book, It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. Paul Arden had a fantastic mind for marketing and advertising. The first half of the book I mentioned focuses on the how and why of creating ideas before going into business advice. It’s a fast read and he makes some fantastic points on originality and creativity.Read more

Want to take some personal photographs of earth from above the clouds? It sounds like a crazy idea, probably expensive, and any pessimist will start listing all the problems – lousy photos, wasted time and money, who cares, yadda yadda.

Think bigger than that. Then think simpler. Why? Because a few students did it with a cheap digital camera and a helium filled balloon.Read more

One of my favorite one-two question combos goes like this: “Do your best ideas come to you in the shower?” The other person almost always says ‘yes’ to my question. Then I ask, “Do you know why that is?” Typically I get a puzzled look, as if they should know the answer and now realize they don’t know it. I bet it would come to them if they took a shower.

Now you’re probably thinking, “Well mister smarty-pants, answer the question!”Read more