[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #53: Soft Skills Make All The Difference

Hard skills—technical skills—might get you an interview. They could land you a job. They might even get you some business.

But hard skills combined with great soft skills such as: communication skills, leadership skills, teamwork, Emotional Intelligence, self-motivation, customer service, and conflict resolution—will put you in an entirely different league.

Soft skills will get you the job and the promotion. Soft skills will get you the business and a relationship that keeps them coming back.

So, read a book, take a class (like public speaking), or join an organization. Better yet do all three.

Work on your soft skills. They make all the difference.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #221: Never Convict An Innocent Person

Setbacks and failure can leave a person wallowing in the mud of past misery. Unless you are a cute, little piggy you have no business splashing around in the mud!

Humans are the only creatures on this planet that willingly live the same misery over and over again.

You imagine it. You experience it. You remember it.

Too many people continuously convict themselves for past mistakes and mishaps. It makes no sense to constantly punish yourself in the present for an honest mistake you made in the past

“I made an honest mistake. Now I know better, so I’ll do better.”

If that statement is true for you, then you need to give yourself a pardon. Otherwise, you’re convicting the new and improved you (an innocent person) for something that the old you did.

Never convict an innocent person.

100 Best Communities for Young People

Trying to figure out where to live? Check this out:

Americas Promise Alliance – 100 Best Communities for Young People

Q & A: Help with My Brother?

Q: I have a personal question to ask about my brother. Your story of your brother kind of taught me, because I am sort of in the same situation.

My younger brother is acting up. He used to be this passionate kid. He worked harder than hard working. He would always be in competition with me. If I got an B in a class he had to get an A. He used to cry at the sight of even having less than an A-.

Now-a-days as he is in high school I have no idea where his motivation went. He is doing horrible in school. He is basically failing every class and does not care. He is also behaving bad too, from talking back to my mother to stealing the cars at my house for a joy ride. He is only 16 years old. I tried talking to him, but all he does is shake me off.

I do not know what to do. Do you have any input?

—Gabriel S.

Blame It On Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, And Nobody

Someone recently reminded me about this story. You’ve probably read it before because it’s easy to find. Nevertheless, it’s a cool little story about blame.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #222: New Opportunities. Old Wounds.

New opportunities heal old wounds.

Has anyone you ever known been in a relationship that ended on a sour note?

Perhaps the person was a little depressed; not really doing anything, just sitting around eating, watching TV, or listening to sad love songs and nursing his or her wounds. Finally, someone tells that person that he or she needs to get out of the house and go meet somebody new.

And just like that, life starts to become fun again.

It works the same way with temporary setbacks. So, when you experience a letdown, find a new opportunity (or an old one that you’ve been blowing off)  to pursue as soon as possible.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #68: Minor Situations. Major Catastrophes.

Continuously making bad choices in minor situations can lead to major catastrophes.

In situations that “aren’t a big deal” people tend to make quick decisions that they regret later. We’ve all done it. We’ve all felt like idiots.

Here’s a super-simple way to help you decide whether or not to take a particular course of action.

Before you make a choice or take any action…PAUSE. THINK. And ASK yourself:

1. How could this help me?
2. How could this hurt me?
3. How could this help somebody else?
4. How could this hurt somebody else?

Obviously, buying a house, choosing a college, or any other major decision would require you to consider many other factors. You may be surprised, however, with how much this little process will help you make better choices in minor situations.