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

Intrinsically Valuing YOU

Do you ever think about your intrinsic, infinite value? In today's world, you are taught from a very young age that your value isn't in WHO you are but it is in WHAT you do and HOW you behave.

In elementary school you are first taught all the rules... don't cut in line, don't write on the walls, don't put gum in Suzie's hair. Then, you are taught reading, writing and arithmetic and graded on how well you learned it. You are measured almost every day in school with tests, quizzes and homework. Are you ever taught about the value of people? Is it any wonder that you only see your systemic and extrinsic value?

Come to think of it, how do you even know that you are intrinsically valuable? Are you priceless and irreplaceable?

I tell a story at some of my speaking engagements... Those of you who are over 25 y.o. may remember the story of Baby Jessica. Baby Jessica was 18 months old when she was playing in the backyard of her aunt's house in Midland, Texas. Her aunt went into the house to answer the phone. When she came back moments later, the other children she was babysitting were looking down the casing of an abandoned well. As we later found out, Jessica was wedged in the 8-inch wide pipe 22 feet down. For 58 hours, the world watched as an estimated 450 volunteers tried to rescue 'Baby Jessica'. Drillers, miners and volunteers from as far away as Albuquerque, N.M. selflessly dropped everything and rushed to where their skills were needed.

Why? Why were so many people involved in the rescue of one little baby girl? Can you imagine how much money was spent drilling that parallel shaft and then trying to find a away to dig over to where the little girl was stuck? I mean, we didn't even know if Jessica was going to amount to anything. Was she going to do well in school, complete her homework and get stars on the top of her quizzes and tests? Was she going to behave and obey the rules? Really! Was she going to be worth all of this effort when we didn't even know what she was going to DO when she grew up? Besides, couldn't her parents just get together and make a new one?

Ok, I am being quite facetious. Why did we rescue her? Because as long as those listening devices were picking up Baby Jessica's cries and sounds from that well, we all knew that there was a precious human life to be saved. No matter what the cost in materials or how many human labor hours were needed, as long as she was alive, our efforts to get her out would be unceasing. Baby Jessica is a priceless, irreplaceable, infinitely valuable human being and so are YOU!

Distorting Reality

Over the years, through your experiences, your mind has picked up thought habits that do not accurately reflect reality. These thinking patterns were developed over time and now your mind 'sees' the world through these distorted glasses. In some areas of your life the distortion isn't great at all. In others, the misperception and myths are truly detrimental.

To learn more, click here.