There is an English proverb that says: Give a dog a bad name and hang him. Its meaning is that if a person's reputation has been besmirched, then he will suffer difficulty and hardship. A similar proverb is he that has an ill name is half hanged. A bad name or a name that has been besmirched will suffer…

For most of us, an unpleasant situation typically results in an “erase or dwell” response. Here’s an example – I was recently reminded of a small incident that felt unpleasant. Now, I could choose to do one of two things: Erase it from my memory and aim to completely forget it happened; or Dwell on…

Your idea is not a virus and here is why. A virus does not care who it infects. Everyone is a target. A virus’s only reason to be a virus is to survive. You actually care about the people who use your products, read your book, or sign up for your service. You are not…

When I was recommended “Nonviolent Communication” after I asked for resources on productive communication in October, my first reaction was wondering if the book was for me. “Violent” sounded like a strong word. Then, I heard this passage: “If “violent” means acting in ways that result in hurt or harm, then much of how we communicate…

Fixed mindset self-talk: “This is who I am and this is what I am capable of.” Growth mindset self-talk: “This is who I am and this is what I am capable of at this moment.” At this moment supposes that at some other moment I may be different, I may grow to be someone better, I…

You won't know.... Until you share it. The only way to know if something is worth sharing is.... to share it, and then you will know. Deliver that idea, ship it, let it out, set it free, if it works, great, then we know it was worth sharing. If it flops, it is okay, now…

Five thousand years ago, every human was a hunter. If you were hungry, you got a rock or a stick, a bow and arrow and you went hunting. The problem was that all of the animals were either dead, really good at hiding or very fast at running away. For a while this was a…

An aircraft must reach sufficient speed to take off. The pilot needs enough runway to achieve that optimum speed. Once reached that optimum speed, the plane takes off the ground. The same is true of our projects and ideas. Velocity alone is not enough to make an idea fly. Ideas also need time. They need…

The couple are examining winter jackets on a rail in the department store when the sales assistant makes rushes to them. ‘What size are we looking for?’ he says, helpfully. They explain that they are just looking, but he continues to follow them around offering assistance. So they excuse themselves and leave. I have recently…

Chris Dixon, entrepreneur and investor, had a fantastic post on the myth of the overnight success: _______________________________________________________ Angry Birds was Rovio’s 52nd game. They spent eight years and almost went bankrupt before finally creating their massive hit. Pinterest is one of the fastest growing websites in history, but struggled for a long time. Pinterest’s CEO recently…

  I was reminded of the poem Desiderata yesterday. I thought I would share some of my favorite lines from the poem: Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be…