Let's talk MILLIONS, BILLIONS and TRILLIONS

Which is greater $1 trillion or $990 billion?

Ok, most of you reading this blog know that $1 trillion is $10 billion dollars more than $990 billion. But, which number LOOKS bigger when it's spelled out like that?!?

When most people hear millions, billions, trillions, their eyes glaze over. Those numbers are really too big for most people to think about. So, I was thinking... how can we help others to understand?

Here are some options I came up with to resolve these issues and allow the American people to be truly educated and informed:

1. I think news media should be required to spell it out. When the government talks about a $1 trillion dollar deficit, they should be required to write out $1,000,000,000,000.00 so that people can see all the zeros. So, now when you say that you are cutting $56 million from the $1 trillion dollar deficit it would look like this:

   1,000,000,000,000

   - _____56,000,000

   999,944,000,000

2. Or, the government budget offices should be required to use analogies so that the common folk could understand and see it as it is... their money. In the above example, they could have us imagine that we were making $50,000 per year and the drastic cuts that the government is talking about would amount to you cutting $0.30 from your spending... or a person making $100,000 scraping together a way of saving $0.60.

Well, I don't think the government or media will be honest with us. So how about each of you doing your part? When numbers come out from Congress or the White House, let's all try to break it down to numbers that we can wrap our heads around.

If you're a visual person, check out this short YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWt8hTayupE.

Change & Beliefs

Every day I have the opportunity to meet someone new. Lately I have met so many terrific people. I am constantly amazed and excited to see the seeds of greatness within them. Their potential is so evident not just to me but to all who know them... "All" usually meaning everyone but them.

For example, someone I know very well once believed that she wasn't a good speaker / presenter. For decades, she dreaded any situation that involved standing in front of even 5 people and talking. It was a deeply held belief which was totally and only supported by her thoughts and emotions. There was no real empirical evidence to support this belief. In fact, to others she was a fantastic speaker.

Today if you check out her LinkedIn profile you'll see over 50 recommendations for her speaking abilities alone. Statements like: "Traci is a dynamic and engaging speaker / presenter..." and "Traci's presentation at the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) in Houston was the highlight of their 2008 EXPO. She established rapport and gained immediate credibility with her humor and in-depth knowledge of her subject. We were educated and entertained! What else can you ask for?"

Ok, yes, that person I know very well is me. You wouldn't know it now, but my beliefs were my beliefs and no matter what others said, I didn't believe them. No one could convince me to change my beliefs except for ME. But how do you convince yourself to do that?

Do you ever question your beliefs?

Read more

Six Ways to Boost Brainpower: Scientific American

Six Ways to Boost Brainpower: Scientific American

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Rights vs. Entitlements

Definition of Entitlements: A government program that guarantees and provides benefits to a particular group.

Definition of Rights: that which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, moral principles, etc.

It seems as though many in America believe that these are one and the same, but in fact, they are not.

Many of you know that I study and teach axiology - the science of human value and value judgments. Axiology provides a logical structure for valuing and has 3 classes or dimensions of value into which everything can fall.

The least valuable (mathematically) is systemic. Systemic value involves mental constructs and things that only exist in our minds. They are intangible like rules, policies, plans, ideas and expectations. Examples are a circle, the speed limit, a marketing plan, a law, a regulation.

Infinitely more valuable than the systemic is the Extrinsic. Extrinsic value involves tangible things. So, when a plan is implemented and something is created that's extrinsic. When a law is enforced and action is taken that 'doing' is extrinsic in nature.

Infinitely more valuable than the extrinsic is the Intrinsic dimension of value. Intrinsic value and valuation is around the infinitely valuable. Examples are one of a kind, incomparable things... i.e. human beings, freedom, compassion, community.

Why do I mention these classes of value? Because when we as human beings transpose one type of value onto an item in another class it can be dangerous. That is what seems to be happening with rights and entitlements. Rights are intrinsic while entitlements are systemic!! Many are being told that their entitlements are their rights. Rights are inalienable; entitlements are imposed. They are transposing the highest form of value (intrinsic) onto something that is systemic and a member of the lowest class of value.

Here's another example: Let's say that you are married to the love of your life - that's intrinsic! However, if you decided to value your spouse based on whether he/she followed your rules and lived up to all of your expectations, not only would you be very disappointed, but, by comparing your one-of-a-kind spouse to your ideas or to another, you are infinitely devaluing them. (Now you know why they get so mad at you.)

That is exactly what is happening when our government, the media, and others transpose systemic value to "rights". We are devaluing HUMAN BEINGS.

On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let's take a look at some these:

• All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
• Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
• Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
• Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
• Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
• Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
• Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
• Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

The above seem to be true rights and freedoms.

However, there are other "rights" in this declaration that are entitlements. Look at these ones:

• Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
• Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
• Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
• Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

(You may notice a little influence from FDR in this second list.) Can you see the difference between the first list and the second?

You see, the first list is about freedom from systemic governing bodies. It is about rights which are not conferred on man by man and cannot be denied by to man by man. Rights are inalienable and divinely bestowed. The Founding Fathers of the US were trying to curtail government intervention into human lives when they wrote the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Constitution.

The second list is about entitlements. Entitlements are 'governmentally' bestowed by taking from others and giving to some. The government can not give away "protection against unemployment", "a standard of living", "education", "security" unless it takes away something from others. The (systemic) government doesn't have these things without the (intrinsic) human beings.

If we continue to view the government as the answer, we will continue to devalue the human beings that make up this fantastic country. If we truly believe what are President said earlier this year at George Mason University that "It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth. But at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe." then we are believing that the idea of a circle is more valuable than a human being.

If we believe that the laws and rules of government are the answer, WE are devaluing the very things that this country was created for... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Come Together: Our Need to Cooperate: Scientific American

Come Together: Our Need to Cooperate: Scientific American

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Thoughts to Tea Party and other protesting participants

A few days ago on April 15, 2009, thousands and thousands of people in the United States had a "tea party" in cities all around the country. Some said TEA was an acronym for Taxed Enough Already. The basic message was one of great skepticism about the government's remedies to the current economic "crisis". Sure, there were extremists out there, but most of the folks I know who participated were just your "normal" Americans... hard-working, family-oriented, community-minded people who are shocked at the government's response. They see that this our federal government is utilizing the financial strategies from Bernie Madoff and that somehow we can borrow our way out of debt. The US citizens see themselves as the victims of a ponzie scheme far bigger than Bernie could ever imagine.

But I have a message to all of the party-goers and protesters... protest, cry out, have your voices be heard and then PLEASE, PLEASE go out and SUCCEED anyway.

Despite the wrongdoings you rise up against, be innovative, persistent, courageous and principled in adding value to the world. YOU ARE NOT VICTIMS!

You are Americans and still amongst the freest human beings on this planet. Remember that former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission." In the same vain, no one can make you feel like a victim without your permission.

Oh sure, you can be victimized, but you don't have to feel like a victim. Much in the same way that you can fail and not be or feel like a failure.

You have been heard, now utilize your energy to become successful. Add value to this earth by solving problems and finding opportunities. As long as you are free, you can find them! and you can conquer these challenges. Continue to protect liberty by going out and creating jobs for your neighbors - you can do that by understanding what people need most and delivering it to them.

Sure, I believe our conditions could be better, but instead of just protesting, let's make sure we DO something about it. As I've written before, we could be freer. However, that just means that we can't waste the incredible gift of freedom that we do have. We must keep moving forward!

So, to you tea partiers and protesters, please don't allow your emotions to derail you... don't allow circumstances to discourage you. Keep standing up for what you believe but don't let it consume you. Go out and be the best you that you can possibly be and build something, create something of value. Don't just point out the problems, become the solutions.

Pssst: Gossip hurts--but friends can protect you from the worst of it: Scientific American Blog

Pssst: Gossip hurts--but friends can protect you from the worst of it: Scientific American Blog Posted using ShareThis

Thermostat or Thermometer?

In life, change is either created by you or happens to you. Yet, your response to change is ALWAYS your choice. So the majority of the time, do you affect change or does change affect you?

Are you typically a thermostat or a thermometer?

or

What's the Difference?

Thermostats set the temperature of the environment while thermometers react to the environment.

As a leader, which best describes you most of the time? Are you mostly in control and being the thermostat? Are you allowing your boss, your circumstances or even your followers to set the temperature on your thermometer?

There are some leaders who don't want to 'rock the boat'. They spend most of their time polling their team members and their management. They are interested in pleasing others. If you were sitting next to them in church, you might over hear them talk to the person on their left who say, "Boy, it's cold in here today," "It sure is", would be their response. The person on their right might then turn and whisper to them, "My, my, it's warm in here today." They would respond by saying, "It sure is."

These leaders respond as thermometers. Someone, something, or some expectation is setting the temperature for them. Some are cold and distant because of circumstances and they choose to be closed and fearful. Others are hot and blistering because they believe that their circumstances warrant their anger and ire.

Living as a thermometer can leave you feeling frustrated, distant, or overwhelmed because your mind tells you that you "must", you "have to", you "need to" respond to the changing temperature in your life. What are the things that you believe that you "have to" do? (Go to work? Pick up the kids? Go to church? Do the laundry?) If your habit is to feel obligated and your mind gives you thoughts that you "have to", "should", or "must", you are a thermometer to your own thinking habits. These are just thought habits, however, that have been created in your mind which you are choosing to respond to and believe.

To read more, go to http://www.breakfreeconsulting.com/newsletter/200904-thermometer.htm.

How Conflicts Escalate: Overreacting to Perceived Slights: Scientific American

Here's an interesting article on how people punish one another for stinginess more than they reward for generosity. It only takes a minute or two to read and could give you something new to think about...
How Conflicts Escalate: Overreacting to Perceived Slights: Scientific American

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Let's change the standard definition of P.C.

To many people here in the US, P.C. means 'political correctness'. Personally, I don't believe there is anything political or correct about it. I mean, if we call a turd a flower, does it really make it a flower?

Political means 'of, pertaining to, or involving the state or its government' or 'pertaining to the art or science of government or governing' or even 'the methods or tactics involved in managing a state or government'. (Please note it says 'managing a government' NOT manipulating the population.)

Correctness means having the properties of being correct. And being correct means that it is 'right' or 'free from error or fault; true or accurate'.

Yet, somehow when we pull these two words together we get something totally different. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the 2 words together as 'avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against'.

Huh? From the first two definitions, being politically correct would mean governing by what is right, accurate and true. I don't see anywhere in those definitions where political or correctness means that no one ever in this world should ever be even marginally offended or insulted.

Let's examine what I think P.C. really means...

Being P.C. really means 'Patronizing Censorship'. It really tells people that they are inferior because they can't handle someone's opinion of them. So, we should reword or censor all of our statements in a manner that doesn't hurt their feelings. Really? Are we Americans a bunch of spineless babies who can't handle someone talking negatively about us any more? Must we truly limit our freedom of speech because someone chooses to be offended by them?

P.C. also means 'Preplanned Compliance'. This makes us feel like we have to 'walk on eggshells' and avoid spontaneity. Lord knows, if we happened to slip up and say what we really meant, we would fall out of compliance and be slapped with heavy fines and penalties. We wouldn't ever want to hear another person's unrehearsed, unadulterated opinion or experiences. That would be such a tragedy. (Yes, you are detecting a note of sarcasm there. Oh, wait, is sarcasm politically correct?)

Being P.C. actually 'Promotes Corruption'. It tells people that it is acceptable to be dishonest and even encourages them to lack or push aside their integrity. They are not allowed to be true to themselves and their thoughts because in doing so they might possibly offend someone. Instead, we have to massage our message so that we don't say what we truly mean but instead what others want to hear. (No wonder so many people feel unheard and isolated in our society.)

P.C. causes us to treat each other like 'Purposeless Caricatures'. It makes us somehow feel like we aren't real live people with hearts, minds, and souls. Instead we are aimless pawns that need 'their' rules, policies and procedures so that we might properly navigate the game board of life.

Most of all, PC translates to 'Paralyzes Communication'. It limits our freedom of speech and keeps us from fully expressing ourselves. Following the rules of P.C. tells us that our thoughts, ideas, and opinions don't matter unless they fit into 'their' Prescribed Conditions. And when our thoughts, ideas and opinions don't matter, our humanness doesn't matter.

I say we redefine this acronym!

Let's have P.C.'s definition be 'Personal Choice'. Let's allow ourselves to have the freedom of speech that the First Amendment guarantees. Our founding fathers and many others have DIED for this right. Now, our society has somehow made it the standard, or should I say, made it politically correct, for this right to be taken away from us.

Let's have P.C. stand for 'Practical Confidence'. Let's not be so confident that we are cocky and self-righteous. Let's be realistic about who we are and let's be confident and sure that we are and are becoming whom we were created to become. It is not arrogant to make claims of superiority when you ARE superior in

How about 'Principled Constitution'? And by that I mean our personal constitution or make up. Let's raise our next generation of children to have a solid human foundation... to believe in themselves; to be self-accepting, self-assured, broad-minded and big-hearted. Let's teach them to 'Promote Charity', 'Provide Comfort', 'Promote Community', Praise Cultural differences and Publicly Consider and debate our differing ideas. Let's teach them that...

"It's not what you are called, but what you answer to that matters!!"

Les Brown once told a teacher that he was EMR (educable mentally retarded) and couldn't do what the teacher had asked. 'They' had labeled him. His teacher, Mr. Washington, then said something to Les that changed his life...

"Someone's opinion of you does NOT have to become YOUR reality."

When someones says something negative, derogatory or demeaning about your race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, class, geography or ecology, it does NOT have to become YOUR reality. YOU control your destiny. If one door is closed to you, find a way to open it or go find or make another door. You have the Power to Choose!

Eleanor Roosevelt once said,

"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission."

If each one of us truly and deeply believed that, there would be no need for Political Correctness which Paralyzes Communication and isolates us, and dare I say, segregates us one from another. In fact, no one can make you feel anything without your permission... no one can make your feel offended without your permission. No one can make you feel humiliated without your permission. No one can make you feel victimized without your permission.

While we may not choose our circumstances... We DO choose our reactions to our circumstances. That is what differentiates us from every other living creature on the planet. Even in the most tragic of conditions, we can choose our response. That is what makes us human. Political Correctness leads us to believe that we don't have that ability.

Political Correctness perpetuates FEAR. The only way to overcome it is through LOVE. You CAN love people and still be politically incorrect. These 2 things are NOT mutually exclusive although 'they' (the promoters of political correctness) would like you to think so.

Let's work to bring the different cultures, different religions, and different people of this great nation together!! Let's stop the divisiveness of Political Correctness. Let's not allow the very characteristics that makes us great to tear us apart.

Let's get rid of political correctness and replace it with Principled Constitution, Practical Confidence and Personal Choice. That, my friends, will allow us to overcome this fabricated fear and live together in liberty and love.

(Republished from 2 years ago because it has a lot of relevance to today.)

Freedom to Live

Freedom... is there anything more powerful?

In the USAToday this morning, there was a poll asking what adults say is their idea of the American Dream. The results?

It appears that freedom is at the top of the list. Freedom to accomplish and freedom to speak. What's also interesting is that the next two items are financial and these items also require freedom in order to be attained.

I believe that men and women of this earth can solve or overcome any crisis or challenge as long as they are FREE.

There is no greater power on this planet than a human being that is free to dream, create and be.

As an American, I am greatly blessed. I happened to be born in and live in the freest country in the world. As long as you have your freedom you can create great wealth... for yourself and for the world. (Haven't Americans already done that throughout our history?)

Freedom, however, includes the freedom to fail. Our current government (both political parties) seems to want to eliminate failure and corruption. By doing this, they will also eliminate our freedom and our ability as human beings to learn, adapt and grow into our full potential.

For instance, yesterday, did smokers in the US, with the additional sixty-two cent tax on a pack of cigarettes, gain or lose freedom? Regardless of their choice to continue smoking and pay the tax or quit smoking and not pay the tax, they lost some of their freedom to choose because of the new law. They are not simply free to make the same decision they did the day before without new consequences.

If your freedoms start to disappear, if you are no longer free to succeed or fail, your potential is being limited and you will become retarded in your growth. Oh sure, you will have naysayers who will tell you that freedom breeds corruption - just look at our current financial situation. However, it didn't happen because of freedom, it happened when others took freedom away.

When the US government (again, both political parties), steps in and tells its citizens that they are entitled to own a home even if they can't afford it, the government has taken away the freedom of the new homeowner. Ask any one of them that are now struggling to hold on to their unearned home... do they own the house or does the house own them?

Although there is just one letter difference between owe and own... the gap is bridged by freedom. When you owe, you have less freedom. When you own, you have more. There is a HUGE difference between being owed a home (entitled) and owning a home (deeded or titled).

We need to make sure that the "n" is at the end of "ow" and not the beginning of "titled" because THAT IS FREEDOM.

The greatest travesty bestowed upon the poor of this nation, particularly the African Americans, is the welfare and entitlement systems and mentality. This country, no, the world, would be far greater than it is today if the poor in this country would've been told about their freedom instead of told the falsehood of what some others owe them.

The wealth of this nation, dare I say the world, is ONLY created by people who are FREE!

I want to encourage everyone regardless of their political affiliation, race, gender, orientation, or status to preserve and fight for freedom. It is not about who has more. It IS about YOUR ability and freedom , if you so choose, to create more.

The more a government takes from ANYONE, the fewer resources and freedom the people have to grow wealth and prosper as human beings. When this happens the whole world loses.

Does the fountain of youth lie in the naked mole rat?

Don't judge this book by its cover (or lack of one), it just may hold the secret to a longer, disease-free life. Check out this 60 second article: Does the fountain of youth lie in the naked mole rat?

Where in the world am I?

Now you can know...

Today I will be master of my emotions. Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.

Changing Through Experience

You've heard the saying "experience is the best teacher", right?

The great Roman leader Julius Caesar recorded the earliest known version of this proverb, "Experience is the teacher of all things." around 52 B.C.

The Roman author Pliny in 77 A.D. wrote, "Experience is the most efficient teacher of all things." (Sounds like he copied most of it from JC.)

What I think they really mean is most people learn more by doing than by reading or listening.

Would you agree with that?

If experience is the best teacher, then why did I spend all those years in school? Was it to gain knowledge or gain experience? Shouldn't I just have gone out and gathered lots and lots of experience?

If experience is the best teacher then why aren't those with the most life experiences the most successful?

Will Rogers

Will Rogers once said, "The trouble with using experience as your guide is that sometimes the final exam comes first, then the lesson." Og Mandino wrote, "In truth, experience teaches thoroughly yet her course of instruction devours men's years so the value of her lessons diminishes with the time necessary to acquire her special wisdom. The end finds it wasted on dead men. Furthermore, experience is comparable to fashion; an action that proved successful today will be unworkable and impractical tomorrow."

Do you agree with those statements?

So which is it then? Let's look at axiology first and then we'll take a peek at how neuroscience and the brain work to answer the question "Is Experience the Best Teacher?".

The Value of Experience

Knowledge (thinking) lays the foundation for experience, yet axiologically knowledge is infinitely less valuable than experience. You see, knowledge is systemic. By definition, it only exists in your mind. Experience is extrinsic... you can measure it and you can see it. Something that is tangible is infinitely more valuable than something that only exists in your head.

So, experience is infinitely more valuable than knowledge. But is it the best teacher?

Because you have measured it, seen it, and experienced it, does that mean that you have learned from it? Of course not!

It is implied in the saying "Experience is the best teacher" that if you experience a lot, you will learn a lot. Now I'm not going to tell you that experience isn't a good teacher but it is only a good teacher if it brings about change.

A rich and wise man once told me, "to know and not do is not to know". Sure I was confused at first, but then I realized what it meant. For example, to say you KNOW you should exercise more and not DO it, is exactly the same as not knowing you should do it. Why? Because the knowledge changes nothing.

Read the rest of the newsletter at http://www.breakfreeconsulting.com/newsletters/200903-experience.htm.

Speed of Change

Let's take a look at the speed of change these days...

• INFORMATION: One week’s worth of NY Times newspaper contains more information than a person could access in a lifetime in the 18th century.

• ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Has over 540,000 words (5 times what existed in the 1600's when Shakespeare wrote his works)

• JOBS: top 10 “in-demand” jobs of 2010 did not exist in 2004

• JOB TENURE: 1 in 4 workers have been with their current employer less than 1 year; 1 in 2 less than 5 years with their current employer

Change is:

• Sudden

• Exponential

• Constant

• (and often times scary)

Robert B. Reich says, "Companies that can’t change the way that they think about change won’t be able to change the way they compete. Companies that can’t change in this new environment can’t play in this new economy."

The same holds true for you. If you can't, won't or don't change the way that you think about change, you won't be able to compete in today's economy.

How to keep up

How can one human being keep up with constant, exponential change? It comes down to VALUE. Look at it this way...

Do you remember the "change agents" that companies brought into their organizations in the past? They were given the positional authority to make changes and help the company do things cheaper, faster and better. This pushed the company toward linear (extrinsic) improvement. They would cut costs, question current practices, and apply new technology. Then, they would use command and control techniques to force these changes into the organization (usually without much buy-in from the folks who had to implement these changes. This approach to change was mechanical, limited, out-of-touch, and point-to-point.

Change today cannot only be about changing EXTRINSIC "things" because "things" keep changing and you couldn't keep up. Today's change must be about the INTRINSIC!! It must be about focusing on the genius of human beings... YOUR genius.

Focus on the Intrinsic

Og Mandino writes:

A mulberry leaf touched with the genius of man becomes silk.

A field of clay touched with the genius of man becomes a castle.

A cypress tree touched with the genius of man becomes a shrine.

A cut of sheep's hair touched with the genius of man becomes raiment for a king.

If it is possible for leaves and clay and wood and hair to have their value multiplied a hundred, yea a thousandfold by man, cannot I do the same with the clay which bears my name?

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

Your genius and your brilliance...

that is what makes exponential growth possible!!

To read more, click here.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

I'd like to invite you to attend any of my upcoming speaking engagements:

Date (2009)	Location	Time	Organization
Feb 10	Rochester, NY	6:00 - 8:00 p.m.	PMI Rochester Chapter Meeting
Feb 17	Syracuse, NY	5:30 - 8:00 p.m.	PMI Syracuse Chapter Meeting
Feb 18	Buffalo, NY	11:30 - 1:00 p.m.	PMI Buffalo Lunch Seminar
Mar 2	New York City, NY	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI NYC Career Development Network
Mar 10	Westchester, NY	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI Westchester Chapter Meeting
Mar 18	Baton Rouge, LA	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI Baton Rouge Chapter Meeting
Mar 19	New Orleans, LA	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI Greater New Orleans Chapter Meeting
Apr 9	College Station, TX	11:30 - 1:30 p.m.	ASTD Brazos Valley Chapter Meeting
Apr 16	Oklahoma City, OK	11:30 - 1:00 p.m.	PMI Oklahoma City Chapter Meeting
Apr 21	Morristown, NJ	5:30 - 9:00 p.m.	PMI New Jersey Chapter Meeting
Apr 23	Appleton, WI	8:30 - 9:30 a.m.	PMI Northeast Wisconsin Keynote Address
May 13	Kitchener, Ontario, Canada	5:30 - 9:00 p.m.	PMI Canada’s Technology Triangle
May 18-20	Amsterdam, Netherlands	TBD	PMI EMEA Global Congress
May 28	Thousand Oaks, CA	5:15 - 9:00 p.m.	PMI Los Padres Chapter Meeting

Resolutions and Change

Congratulations!! You've made it to a New Year! This is the time of year when you may be reminiscing about 2008 and making plans for 2009. This can be both exciting and frustrating.

Have you made any resolutions? Resolutions are all about change. I like to think of it as being all about GROWTH. (Change is more difficult and sometimes feared, where as growth is a natural process of living.)

Have you struggled with your resolutions in the past? If so, we'll take a look at change (growth) together in this newsletter and hopefully, you'll be able to implement the steps needed at the end to realize your potential in 2009. Let's get started...

++ Change is Hard!

I bet you already knew that change was hard but I bet you don't know just how hard it is.

Change or Die

What if that was your choice for 2009? Really. I'm not joking here. What if you had to change or you died? I'm talking about life and death - YOUR life or death. What if a super-smart, trusted authority figure approached you and said you had to make difficult and permanent changes in the way you think and act or your life would end soon, would you be able to do it?

"Yes", you say?

Really? Try again.

"Yes!!", you say with more emphasis as if I didn't hear you the first time.

The truth is you are probably deluding yourself. You wouldn't change. Not if it was too uncomfortable or difficult.

Don't believe me? Let's look at the statistics:

Let's look at patients with severe heart disease who have undergone coronary bypass surgery, a traumatic and expensive procedure that can cost more than $100,000 if complications arise. About 600,000 people go through this procedure every year in the United States and another 1.3 million patients have angioplasties - all at a cost of about $30 billion. These procedures temporarily relive chest pains but rarely prolong lives or prevent future heart attacks. Many patients could AVOID the need for repeat surgery or repeat chest pain - not to mention changing the course of their disease and adding years to their lives - simply by switching to a healthier lifestyle. Yet, very few do. Their lives are at significantly greater risk unless they exercise and lose weight, and they clearly see the value of changing their behavior. But, after just two years, over 90% of them don’t follow through. Even though they know they have a very bad disease and they know they should change their lifestyle habits, for whatever reason, they don't.

There are people in the legislative and executive branches of the US government who preach about improving healthcare in the US. Yet, for the last 50 years, even with all the advances in technology and medical care, the US is still plagued by the same five issues that it had back in the 1950's. Eighty percent (80%) of the healthcare budget in the US - estimated to be $2.4 TRILLION dollars annually = 15% of our economy = over 50% of the US Federal Budget (minus the bailout money) - is spent on these five issues.

If you could change these 5 problems, you would solve all of the healthcare issues here in the US. That's amazing, isn't it. So, what are these 5 issues? They are all behavioral and VERY preventable...

• Too much smoking
• Too much drinking (alcoholic beverages)
• Too much eating (including high calorie beverages)
• Too much stress
• Not enough exercise

Have you ever tried to change any of these things in your life? Are any of these things on your list of changes (again) for 2009?

++ Change is Pain!

To read more, click here.

Great Expectations for 2009: Scientific American Podcast

Multiple experiments by Duke University professor Dan Ariely reveal how our expectations hugely influence our decisions, and ultimately, our experiences.

Well maybe consider Duke professor Dan Ariely’s book, Predictably Irrational, in which he describes how our expectations can hugely affect our decisions.

Listen to this 60 second podcast by clicking here.

Happy New Year!!!

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

I'd like to invite you to attend any of my upcoming speaking engagements:

Date (2009)	Location	Time	Organization
Jan 13	Houston, TX	6:30 - 8:00 p.m.	PMI Houston North Chapter Meeting
Jan 14	Houston, TX	6:30 - 8:00 p.m.	PMI Houston Galleria Chapter Meeting
Feb 10	Rochester, NY	6:00 - 8:00 p.m.	PMI Rochester Chapter Meeting
Feb 17	Syracuse, NY	5:30 - 8:00 p.m.	PMI Syracuse Chapter Meeting
Feb 18	Buffalo, NY	11:30 - 1:00 p.m.	PMI Buffalo Lunch Seminar
Mar 2	New York City, NY	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI NYC Career Development Network
Mar 10	Westchester, NY	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI Westchester Chapter Meeting
Mar 18	Baton Rouge, LA	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI Baton Rouge Chapter Meeting
Mar 19	New Orleans, LA	5:30 - 7:30 p.m.	PMI Greater New Orleans Chapter Meeting
Apr 9	College Station, TX	11:30 - 1:30 p.m.	ASTD Brazos Valley Chapter Meeting
Apr 16	Oklahoma City, OK	11:30 - 1:00 p.m.	PMI Oklahoma City Chapter Meeting
Apr 21	Morristown, NJ	5:30 - 9:00 p.m.	PMI New Jersey Chapter Meeting
Apr 23	Appleton, WI	8:30 - 9:30 a.m.	PMI Northeast Wisconsin Keynote Address
May 13	Kitchener, Ontario, Canada	5:30 - 9:00 p.m.	PMI Canada’s Technology Triangle
May 18-20	Amsterdam, Netherlands	TBD	PMI EMEA Global Congress
May 28	Thousand Oaks, CA	5:15 - 9:00 p.m.	PMI Los Padres Chapter Meeting