Shooting Yourself in the Foot

Would you punch yourself in the face to hurt someone else?  Shoot yourself in the foot to prove guns are bad?  Seems illogical, right?  But people use that logic every day.

I've never understood when people hurt themselves in an attempt to hurt other people.  We see it all the time with sports stars who are “hurt” because they didn't get the playing time, money or fame they desired.  As a result, they hold out, under-perform, or don’t practice.  They always end up hurting their career, making less money and being perceived as a “problem” teammate. 

Strength Comes from Overcoming Challenges

I believe confidence comes from overcoming challenges. I developed this as a core belief while training in and teaching jujitsu. I noticed a lot of new students came seeking to learn jujitsu, but couldn't perform techniques right away and quit within a few weeks. They were embarrassed by their perceived failure. Some, however, stuck with it. 

As a teacher, I was especially fascinated with the individuals who were not confident or natural at jujitsu in the beginning, but they kept on trying. Overtime, you'd see them get a technique right once, then 10 percent of the time, then half of the time, then 80 percent of the time. What I witnessed more than their ability to "kick butt" was their emotional ability to overcome failure.

It's the Start that Stops Us

I just found a note from the Inc 5000 conference I attended two years ago.  It was from the opening speech by Jill Blashack Strahan, Founder and CEO of Tastefully Simple. She started by saying that she enjoyed spending time with entrepreneurs. Why? According to Jill, entrepreneurs aren't stopped by the start.

That quote hit me hard.  It is powerful.

Most people are stopped by the start. I have watched this throughout my life with frustration.  People think about starting, and put more energy into the planning, than it could ever take to actually do something. I am not immune.  It happens to all of us. Put any legal contract or form in front of me and you can watch this phenomenon manifest.

Putting the US Debt into Household Budget Terms

The US debt has just reached 100 percent of the GDP.  This is the total of what is produced and sold in society. Unfortunately, this is a major marker in America's history, especially since a debtor nation is considered "bad off" with more than 50 percent of their GDP in debt.

Here's a quick, funny video putting the US debt crisis into context by comparing it to a family's annual household budget.

Major Strides for Paraplegics

The military is focusing on robotic skeletons to help paralyzed soldiers walk again. The exoskeleton is a wearable robot that allows a wheelchair user to stand up and walk. It could be a game-changer for anyone who is a paraplegic.

US Healthcare: Consumes 80% of World's Opioid Prescriptions

Prescription painkiller use is at an all time high in America. Eighty percent of the world's opioid prescriptions are taken in the US, yet we make-up just 4.6 percent of the world's population. That means we're consuming 83 painkillers for every one pill the average person takes around the world. So it's no surprise that a recent lead story on WorkCompWire centered on a widow whose husband overdosed on oxycodone (an opioid) and she was able to sue the employer for death benefits. Her husband was prescribed the meds due to a serious work-related accident.

What Type of Ripples Do You Want to Create?

As I have gone through life, I have come appreciate the "ripple effect" and how interconnected the world is.  Every action or choice impacts many other people around you and around them. Most of us know the analogy of throwing a rock in a placid lake, where even a small pebble will make ripples.  These ripples spread and become weaker the further away from the center they get, but the ripples still continue to spread until they reach the shore and then they bounce back.

If Aristotle Ran General Motors

Centuries ago, Aristotle wrote about the four transcendent virtues -- Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Unity. He said these virtues were necessary to achieve good for the individual and society. Author Tom Morris put Aristotle's philosophies to the test in his book, "If Aristotle Ran General Motors" to see if these four transcendent virtues can be applied to our business world today.

Finally...Something for Big Boned People

Everyone knows that the increase in obesity is one of the largest cost drivers in US healthcare costs. For example, medical treatment for workers' compensation injuries can cost six to eight times as much with obese patients vs. non-obese. I tend to gain and lose weight a lot (bad, but my reality), so I was particularly interested to read a new study showing that there is one advantage to having a little more heft when it comes to surgeries.  

The Path of Least Resistance -- It's Downhill

I often see people follow the "easy" path in life.  The "path of least resistance." They avoid hard work. They avoid responsibility. They get by doing as little as they possibly can in every situation. They may survive for a while.  They may fool people for a while.  They may charm people for a while.  Over time, the only steps they seem to take are down.  A little one here; a little one there.  It adds up.  Eventually, their life heads downhill fast and they are "in a hole" and need to climb out.