With Friends Like These…
“Emotion can be the enemy. If you give in to your emotion, you lose yourself. You must be at one with your emotions because the body always follows the mind.”-Bruce Lee
Emotions are the guardians of your well-being. They are your friends and their primary objective is to ensure survival. They are arguably the most powerful force governing our behavior.
There is an old adage, however, that rings true when it comes to emotions. “With friends like these, who needs enemies?”
- Topics: ArticlesCharacter DevelopmentPersonal DevelopmentProfessionalSelf-Awareness & PurposeSoft SkillsTeenYoung Adult
Duncan Nugget® #120: Goal Getting
There’s a BIG difference between goal setting and goal getting. Here’s a tip to make sure you’re practicing the latter and not only the former.
Break large goals into small, easily achieved steps. This will create a pattern of success and provide you with you milestones to celebrate.
Suggested Reading:
My Success Journal: For Young People
by Al Duncan
Duncan Nugget® #29: Networking
It’s more important to ask someone for his/her contact info then it is to give them yours. Always get the other person’s info because you’ll have a chance to initiate further contact.
Q & A: What are soft skills and why all the fuss?
Q: “Al, what are soft skills and why all the fuss about them?” —(Graduate student, Emory University)
What’s On Your Mind?
Mind your mind. Studies have indicated that negative predictions about an experience are far more likely to come true than positive predictions because negative thoughts are seven times more powerful than positive ones.
This means that to override any negative thought or expression you produce, it takes seven positive thoughts just to break even. Think about that.
When you say (or think) that something negative is going to happen and it does, did you predict the future or did you create the future?
- Topics: ArticlesCharacter DevelopmentPersonal DevelopmentProfessionalSelf-Awareness & PurposeSoft SkillsTeenYoung Adult
A Poverty of Ambition
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself.”
–Barack Obama, Knox College Commencement Address 2005
Even after hearing the phrase “dream big” 3,297,391 times (or more) over the course of their life, most people still don’t get it.
“Don’t rock the boat.”
“Better safe than sorry.”
“A bird in the hand beats two in the bush.”
These timeless maxims are sage advice. When taken to the extreme, however, they create a certain poverty of ambition.
What The Ancient Egyptians Said About Public Speaking
“Be skilled in speech so that you will succeed. The tongue of a man is his sword and effective speech is stronger than all fighting.” –Kheti
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers the number one skill across the board that employers are looking for is the ability to communicate effectively.
Suggested Reading:
- Topics: — Public SpeakingArticlesCharacter DevelopmentCommunication SkillsPersonal DevelopmentProfessionalSoft SkillsTeenYoung Adult
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Books & Posters
The Leading Soft Skills Training Program for STEM Students. Check out S3TEM.com
The 5 Soft Skills Clusters
Click here for a list of soft skills definitions, and behavioral indicators.
