Go to any meeting in any organization. What will you discover? People who spend their time between talking thinking about what to say next. People eagerly seizing on someone else’s words purely as the excuse for talking themselves. Decisions made before the meeting ever takes place. No one listens. No one is open to persuasion. Attendees are briefed to take a position, regardless of what’s said after they arrive. Like politicians toeing the party line, they have open mouths and tightly shut minds....

As I grew up in Ireland, we ate a lot of potatoes. They were generally boiled, I remember. That certainly made them healthier than having them as French fries which makes up about 33 percent of the total amount of traditional spuds eaten in the USA! I guess we were eating a pretty healthy diet. But sweet potatoes (Convolvulaceae, and named botanically as Ipomoea batatas) were a whole new ball game for me, so I began to wonder if they were as good....

We’d never deny health care benefits, appropriate and fair remuneration, bonuses and travel perks in a job package. However, even if served to us on a silver platter, those features can only satiate us to a certain point. You might wonder what governs entrepreneurs and start-up business owners to quit their lucrative jobs, essentially look the gift horse in the mouth and kiss such benefits goodbye! There can be an irresistible pull to mastermind a business with products and/or services that serve the greater good of community wider than that constituting their daily existence....

One of the biggest bandwagons that has rolled through the self-help community in recent years is the so-called Law of Attraction (LoA). This claims that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Before I explain why I believe that this is not a law, not true, and not helpful, let me differentiate the LoA from some associated but different self-help concepts that actually do work. 1. Positive Thinking....

Consume less You the Consumer: Written for Blog ACtion Day 2007, this post looks at the history of consumption in the West and the ways it has come to provide meaning (and in some cases, replace it) in our lives. (Dustin M. Wax) How to Avoid Being Enslaved by Consumerism: If money can’t buy happiness, why do we spend so much energy chasing after it? More importantly, how can we stop?...

One of our basic motivations to do things is based on physical needs, like food, water, clothing, and shelter. Being the most obvious, the need for these things (food, water, clothing, and shelter) is the prime motivation that drives people to work in order to earn an income and get them. Without these items, we can’t survive – thus survival becomes a basic motivation that enables us to continue living....

There is a delicate balance to be struck when you make a month-by-month plan for permanent behavior changes. It must be slow enough for you to build some momentum—moving from one success to another. Most people try to implement too many changes at once and then fail in only a few days, reverting to their original habit patterns especially after a moment of crisis. At the same time, it must be fast enough to keep your attention....

While utilizing Facebook for job searching purposes isn’t a new phenomenon, there are some new trends and rules we should keep in mind. Understanding these trends can help you to get ahead in your search. Here are a few to note: 1. Take advantage of Facebook Graph Search Facebook Graph search is essentially an in-depth search engine for Facebook. For instance, you can search for people by their interests, likes, where they’ve been, their photos, groups or organizations they’re associated with, etc....

Who else would want to correct mistakes they might be making when learning from their mistakes. We can all agree that part of achieving personal mastery is to transform mistakes, failures and setbacks into learning opportunities that will make us stronger for the future. Mistakes are great because we just can’t learn that much from our successes but what most people don’t realize is that when they are learning from their negative experiences, they may be inadvertently making a harmful mistake....

The first year of business was good. Lots of customers went to his restaurant to try his pizzas. But after a year, a taco place opened up nearby and was becoming popular. Their lines seemed longer and their business seemed more robust. As this was all happening, Tom was scrolling through Facebook one day. He saw that one of his old friends, who currently works in banking services, just bought himself a new car....

As you may or may not know, I work on a television show here in Australia called 9AM on the Ten Network. It screens nationally every weekday morning from 9 – 11 am. I am the resident on-air fitness bloke and I do my best to cover a broad range of subject matter which will be of value and interest to as many people as possible. A few months ago my producer (the lovely Becky Zack) came up with the notion of doing a family fitness make-over, with the idea being that I would work with a family which was in need of a little shaping up....

1. Cathay Pacific Airways Jumping up five spots from sixth place last year to first this year is Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong. Having place number one previously in 2009, Cathay Pacific has a reputation for comfortable seating in all classes as well as delicious in-flight meals. 2. Qatar Airways Want to relax in cozy seating and enjoy an awesome entertainment system? Then Qatar Airways might be for you. Having the friendly cabin crew around doesn’t hurt either....

We are entering into a new technology era. Mobile used to be a single function device. In recent years, mobile has acquired some extra features. The most common are music player, productivity suite and utilities, and online capabilities. Some road warriors can now carry a mobile phone in their pocket and continue their work on the road. How will the mobile technologies be developed from here, to assist you on your work and life everyday?...

The Basics – Who Can See What? There are several options with regards to who you can share your info with: you can set this as default in your privacy settings or you can set it on individual updates. The individual update will override the default settings. Public – Yes, this means everyone. Friends & Friends + – This is your friends, but your friends can choose to share with their friends, so it includes all of your friends and all of your friends’ friends....

If you’re a manager, you’re number one priority should be your employees. You should cultivate a teamwork-friendly environment where people get their jobs done without wanting to put their heads through a wall. However, sometimes it’s the employees that make an office environment unbearable. New York company Taskworld has illustrated the seven most common employees that are likely to mess up your work dynamic and who you should probably fire....

When Kiel Patrick and Sarah first met, 15 years ago, they planted a tree of love at Henry’s Christmas Tree Farm. So, it’s only fitting to have the wedding of their dream in this symbolic place. Each December, the couple has visited Henry’s farm to pick out a Christmas tree. This couple’s annual trip to the farm became their Christmas tradition. Patrick brings magic to Europe by popping the question in front a castle lit by fireworks…...

In an environment that lacks trust, everyone feels suspicious of everyone else. The subliminal message that runs constantly in the background is to put one over on the other guy before he or she manages to do it to you. Friendly greetings are scanned for evidence of a hidden agenda. It’s almost a relief to face a truly nasty, hostile person, because at least you know where you stand with them....

In almost every style of yoga, you’ll find yogis doing the old Downward Dog. It’s routinely practiced in Iyengar, Bikram, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga yoga styles. At first glance, Downward Dog doesn’t look like an overly difficult pose. However, if you’ve been practicing for awhile, then you know it requires strength, flexibility, and stamina to perform correctly. Downward Dog is one of the few yoga poses that strengthens and stretches almost every muscle in the body....

There is nothing wrong with any of these individuals; they just would want to give a new face to their introverted persona by doing well to adjust on certain occasions to the needs of their environment. Rather than switch off like introverts, they still would show some signs of the extroverts. If you are dating an extroverted introvert you should know that you are getting a mixed blend of two identities....

What if I told you that you could buy an extra slice for someone who could not afford it? In 2013 Mason Wartman left his job on Wall Street to move back to his hometown of Philadelphia to open a pizza place. He would name it Rosa’s after his mother and serve slices for an affordable $1. Business took off immediately. One day a customer asked Mason if he could pay an extra $1 for the next homeless person to walk in, as a pay it forward gesture....