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The CARE model “The CARE model for consuming and disseminating

“The CARE model for consuming and disseminating information:

· Consume quality content

· Assimilate it so that it becomes your own

· Rephrase it in your own words

Evaluate by asking: ‘What did I get right?, ‘What did I get wrong?', ‘What will I do differently next time?’”

The power of a smile  “I think most of us are guilty of

“I think most of us are guilty of underestimating the value of a simple smile. If you are like me, you have experienced the power of a smile when you were desperately in need of one.”

Silence  “Silence is one of those things which can be interpreted in

“Silence is one of those things which can be interpreted in so many conflicting ways. Think about all those times when you needed to ascertain what someone’s silence meant. Here’s a question to ask: ‘May I ask what your silence is supposed to convey to me?’, or something similar.”

Efficiency is Not Enough  You can ‘never’ be efficient enough to do

You can ‘never’ be efficient enough to do everything that seems to need doing. You need to have a method for separating the vital from the relatively inconsequential. This might involve making both a ‘to do’ list and a ‘not necessary to do’ list.

What We 'Really' Value People often tell me that they value this or that. I

People often tell me that they value this or that. I pay scant attention to such claims. Instead, I ask to see their calendar and checkbook/credit card statements. These will tell me everything I need to know about what they ‘really’ value.

Urgent vs Important It is never advisable to allow the urgent to crowd out

It is never advisable to allow the urgent to crowd out the important.

The North Star of Decision Making It's always good when confronting an

It's always good when confronting an opportunity to ask yourself: 'How does this align with my 'core values'? In order to do so one must have already identified just what their 'core values' are. If you haven't identified your own core values, now would be a good time to do so.

Different for Me Than Thee We take a different approach when advising

We take a different approach when advising others than when advising ourselves. When we are advising ourselves we are all over the page in an effort to consider every possible factor. When we advise others we tend to focus only on the most important factor. When advising ourselves we often fail to see the forest for the trees.

The next time you are confronted with a problem or opportunity, ask yourself: 'What would I advise a friend to do?

Outsourcing Problem Solving One of the best things one can do when

One of the best things one can do when confronted with a problem or opportunity (actually problems very often lead to opportunities) is to seek out someone else who has successfully dealt with a similar situation.

The 30,000 ' view One of the most useful practices one can employ when

One of the most useful practices one can employ when confronted with a problem or opportunity is to get as far away from it as possible in order to obtain a much different perspective. There are several ways this can be accomplished. For example, you may imagine how a person very different from yourself might view the situation. You might even interview a few such people.

Super Communicators One of the most salient characteristics of super

One of the most salient characteristics of super communicators is the fact that they ask 10 to 20 times more questions than the average person.

Destruction is Always a Necessary Part of Creation The economist Joseph

The economist Joseph Schumpeter coined the term 'Creative destruction' to describe how capitalism inevitably destroys some thing in order to bring into existence others. And those others are almost always superior to what preceded them and was destroyed.

Life in general works just the same. Something old must be removed to make way for the new.

Never Really Solved The problem of survival for man is never resolved any

The problem of survival for man is never resolved any more than perfect understanding is ever attained.

Dealing with the Past  You cannot reconcile yourself to the past by

You cannot reconcile yourself to the past by avoiding it; instead, you must confront it .

Assertive Confidence is an emotion; assertiveness is how we express that

Confidence is an emotion; assertiveness is how we express that emotion.

Silence Silence may be the absence of sound, but it is not the absence of

Silence may be the absence of sound, but it is not the absence of communication.

Knowledge vs Wisdom It seems to my mind that knowledge is the understanding

It seems to my mind that knowledge is the understanding of how the world works and wisdom is knowing how to use that knowledge.

Paradoxical Intention The harder we try not to think about something, the

The harder we try not to think about something, the more difficult it is to forget. Don't think of a pink elephant is the most commonly used example.

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic There are essentially two types of motivation,

There are essentially two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. The intrinsic type is that which comes from within. It is our own reasons for wanting to do something. It is not reliant upon external circumstances.

Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, is provided by forces external to us. The approval of others, financial gain, culture, etc.

While both have a role to play in one's success, the intrinsic motivation is the more important of the two and will buoy our efforts when...

False Positives and False Negatives A false positive is when we believe

A false positive is when we believe something to be true which is not. A false negative is when we believe something to be untrue which is in fact true. False positives typically entail less risk and cost than false negatives.

When our ancestors on the Savannah believed the sound in the grass was from a predator (which it was not) and ran away, they were perhaps slightly inconvenienced but otherwise unharmed.

If they thought the sound was just the wind (when it was in fact a predator) they...