Marcel Legros - Play the Game of Life

I travel a lot and I’m away from my family one week every month. I miss my wife and son terribly while I’m on the road but there is one advantage to this situation. Every time I go, I learn how much my two favorite people mean to me. Distance gives me perspective and strangely, it brings me closer to what really matters.

I’m on the road again this week and I thought I’d send a note out to my wife:

I’ve lied to you and I’ve hurt you.
And you forgave me.
I’m deeply flawed.
And yet, you see the light coming out from the cracks in my personality.
I’ve lied next to you in our bed and felt your warmth.
We’ve done so much together, you and I.
You smell good and you look even better.
I feel like every day is a journey, and it’s a journey I want to take with you.
We’re on a road-trip babe, with the music cranked and our feet hanging out the window.
You stick your tongue out at the world and I’m right there with you, laughing at it all.

I love you Charlene.

Take time to appreciate the people that make life worth living. If you want to improve your friendships, relationships, or marriage, why don’t you tell them exactly how you feel?

Send a note like this and make it count. Nobody’s keeping score and paying attention to your vulnerability. The best thing you can do is connect to another human being with real feeling and passion.

Now, go for it.

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Don’t try to go it alone, become part of a team and you will make it to your goal faster. Form a T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) that takes advantage of everyone’s special abilities, and the sum will be greater than the parts, resulting in bigger payoffs for all concerned. One way to do this is to form a Mastermind Group, that brings a group of people together, on a regular basis, to talk about each person’s particular goals, and then the rest of the Mastermind Group, gives that person feedback and suggestions to help them attain it. Remember, none of us is as smart as all of us.

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Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers!

Have you ever noticed how traditional family recipes, especially comfort food, are the most unhealthy, yet the most satisfying? I don’t think anyone should eat cream sauces, sausage, cheese, and five kinds of snacks every day, but life just wouldn’t be the same without a few days of indulgence every year.

I learned to cook from spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmothers. You learn a lot about your family’s history and heritage from the food you cook. Of any skill a person can learn in life, being able to cook a delicious meal for family and friends is probably the most useful and satisfying. You can take this skill with you wherever you go, and the need for a good meal is universal.

We live in a hurried world full of schedules, deadlines and problems; taking time to eat, share company, and talk, is just what we need when life is crazy. So, indulge yourself from time to time. Give thanks to your family for unhealthy comfort food. Give thanks for the time to enjoy it. Give thanks that you have someone to enjoy it with.

For the guys: Think cooking isn’t manly enough for you? Women love it when you cook an amazing meal for them. Anyone can go to a florist and drop some money on a bouquet of flowers. Not everyone will take the time to cook a mouth-watering dinner for their sweetheart. It goes a long way at the dinner table and later on, in the bedroom!

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“A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person.” - Dave Barry

Do you know someone that fits this description? Be careful. This type of person is devious and manipulative. Here are the hallmark signs of Machiavellian behavior:

• They kiss your butt if they think you can help them achieve wealth, power, attention, or status. Think: gratuitous flattery.
• They belittle and intimidate you if they perceive you as a threat or obstacle to their success.
• If you can’t help them and aren’t a threat - they ignore you.

I often run into other salespeople that walk in the front door, ignore every employee, and head straight to the manager’s office for a business discussion. I cringe when I see this because it’s the worst thing you can do in business and in life. The guy washing dishes in the back should be just as important to you as the CEO of the company. It’s not about what that person can do for you or how much money they can put in your pocket. In fact, it’s not about you at all…

I remember as a 19 year-old kid, working for an electrical wholesaler as a shipper/receiver. My job was to receive deliveries from the couriers, put away stock, and ship goods to other customers. I was hidden away in the back for most of the day. Every day, a few sales reps would stroll in and usually ignore me - most of them didn’t even know my name. There were a few who made an effort to get to know me and talk for a while on each visit. As years progressed, I was promoted several times. Suddenly the same reps who didn’t have the time of day to talk to a warehouse person were bending over backward for my attention and business. They were wasting their time. I was giving my business to the thoughtful reps who had helped me learn along the way.

Kissing up to the owner or manager while ignoring the ‘little people’ is a recipe for professional and personal disaster. It speaks volumes about your character and whether you know it or not, people notice. Respect and learn from everyone you meet as an equal. (Kissing up to your wife however, can greatly increase the quality of your life.)

I learn from my wife, son, work colleagues, as well as from store clerks, and perfect strangers. They’re all different but each person has a story and experience that is unique and valuable. These connections and experiences enrich our lives. When you show genuine human kindness and care for everyone equally you acquire true wealth and lasting success.

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I’ve learned a lot of life lessons and a lot about people in my years on the computer and on the internet. That may seem like a paradox, but the Internet is a perfect reflection of our beliefs and values. People express their inner thoughts and feelings more openly when under the cover of anonymity; and through online exchanges, our inner worlds become exposed. Some of these observations aren’t pretty, but I believe they’re accurate. Here is what I’ve learned:

The Good

* People want answers to important questions as it relates to them personally. Human beings crave learning and love to share their knowledge with others, even if there is nothing in it for them financially. The huge success of Wikipedia is testament to this fact.
* People change the world - corporations and governments do not.

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You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compis mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph. And -

A man convinced against his will

Is of the same opinion still.

Source: How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie - Part 3, Chapter 1, page 117

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I’m So Smart, I’m Stupid
Have you ever taken a free IQ test online? I have. Personality and IQ testing is fun, but ultimately pointless fun. IQ tests don’t actually measure intelligence - they measure how well you solve problems using logic. Computers can apply powerful logic to a problem, but they are not intelligent. The […]

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