By Max McKeown & Philip Whiteley. ISBN 0-273-65614-7.

The table of contents was what caught my attention.

MythPrinciple
You are what you doYou are what you can become
Work comes firstLife always comes first
The boss is superhumanWe are all human
The plan must be secretOnly the goal unifies
People obey ordersPeople do what they want
Orgnisations are machinesThe organisation is a community
All change is goodOnly good …

Don one or more of the following today!

Do a cartwheel.
Sing into your hairbrush.
Walk barefoot in wet grass.
Play a song you like really loud, over and over.
Dot all your “i”’s with smiley faces.
Read the funnies. Throw the rest of the paper away.
Dunk your cookies.
Play a game where you make up the rules as you go along.
Step carefully over sidewalk cracks.
Change …

Thomas Carlyle’s response to this question was: “Reform yourself. That way there will be one less rascal in the world.”

Trying to control of influence someone else, to change them to do our bidding, is usually futile. Even if we actually succeed in doing so, the relationship usually suffers for it.

In our daily attempts to get things done, it is inevitable that we find ourselves relying on someone else’s …

Marianne Williamson:

“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking …

If there is only one lesson I am grateful for learning this year, it would have to be this.

Most of the personality conflicts I see come from the parties not feeling heard or acknowledged. Most of the time it simply took a third party (with no vested interests) to sit quietly and let all the parties vent their points to de-fuse a conflict to the point where progress can proceed.

They bring you down to their level and they beat you with experience.

I found this amongst my notes today. I can’t remember who said this to me. If you are that person, email me.

Our brains are very good at supporting and bolstering our ingrained beliefs and perceptions of the world. Left to its own devices, it dutifully filters all the incoming information and stimuli to present only what supports our current worldview.

For example – I may be freely giving my attention, energy and time away to everyone and anyone because deep down inside I do not believe anyone would pay …

The closer your job function is to the making of money, the more important you are perceived to be. People working in profit centres can be very dismissive of those working in cost centres. A company often places more glamour and prestige on profit centre staff. And yet, without the cost centre functions, the business wouldn’t exist. Have you thanked your parents/spouse/partner lately?

My toothbrush broke the other day when I was interstate. It simply won’t turn off. So it went into my check-in luggage merrily whirling away.

I spent the flight planning when to return it to the shop, what I would say, wondering if it was still under warranty, where the receipt was, and given the charger was working would it be a shame to return that or should I …

What Is Your Life’s Work? Answer the big question about what really matters … and reawaken the passion for what you do. By Bill Jensen. ISBN 0-06-076687-5.

The bulk of this book is filled with personal letters written by everyday individuals to their loved ones, to pass on the lessons they have learnt from their experiences in life and work. Their clarity is both …