[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #202: Live Your Life

A few years ago, I saw the following statement on a student’s Facebook status:

“Oh I get it! The point of life is to live.” 

As you can imagine, his status immediately generated a couple of sarcastic comments:

“omg”

“lol”

“AHAHA you hit the nail on the head didnt you?”

People were clowning him and I’m not sure if he was serious or not , but that is a profound statement: the point of life is to live.

A lot of people spend their whole life dying. Dying from stupidity. Dying of mediocrity. Dying of boredom. Dying of loneliness. And the list goes on. They do nothing. They just fade away and completely waste a precious gift.

Enjoy your life.

Do something awesome with your life.

LIVE your life. You deserve it.

Million-Dollar Question:
Are you really living your life?

___________________
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #26: Contagious

There are few things more nerve-wracking than being stuck at work or on a plane next to someone who is constantly coughing.

You’re sitting there thinking, “I better not get sick or I’m going to hurt somebody.”

When people are coughing like that it’s easy to see that they might be contagious, but we are often unaware of the subtle ways that people are contagious.

The limbic system is the part of your brain that produces emotions. Scientists have discovered that it’s an open-loop system. Which means the moods and attitudes of one person transmit signals that can alter the heart rate, hormone levels, sleep rhythms and immune functions inside the body of another person. And the person may not even realize what happened.

That’s deep.

People are always contagious.

Million-Dollar Question:
What attitudes and moods are you and the people you hang around infecting each other with?

______________________
ACTION STEPS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Al Duncan – FBLA Colorado District 1 Conference – Testimonials

Testimonials from members after Al Duncan’s keynote address and workshop at the 2012 FBLA Colorado District 1 Conference.

“Mr. Duncan, Thank you SO much for flying in all the way from Georgia to speak to the Colorado FBLA District 1 members. I hope your wise words travel with them as they embark on the journey of the rest of their lives. Thank you very much for everything! You’re awesome! Much love! ♥”

—Kae, District 1 Vice President

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget® #211: The Deciding Factor

Exxon Mobile Corporation conducted a study that shows that price isn’t always the main deciding factor for choosing a gas station. It’s other things like cleanliness, brightness, and safety.

That’s interesting because it shows that…

When someone makes a decision about you and what you have to offer, many times the deciding factor isn’t what you think it is.

I’ve seen plenty of people get tripped up over this. If you are a parent, educator, or mentor whether or not someone heeds your advice is seldom based on common sense. The deciding factors are things like trust, respect, and authenticity.

When you’re in an interview, seldom are your GPA and technical knowledge the deciding factors. It’s often a matter of soft skills like leadership, communication, teamwork, and decision making.

Million-Dollar Question:
When making a choice about you
and what you have to offer,
what will be the deciding factor?

_______________________
ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Al Duncan – Delta Epsilon Iota AHS Induction Ceremony – Testimonials

Testimonials from leadership and members after Al Duncan’s keynote address at the 2012 induction ceremony for Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society’s Nu Delta Chapter at Georgia State University.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #320: Squabbling Over Crumbs

Three birds were sitting on a branch. They were starving. A bakery truck passes by and off falls a loaf of bread. When the loaf hits the ground a piece of the crust breaks off into crumbs.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #42: The Coffee Bean

If people experience the exact same thing, why do they have different versions of reality?

I’ll show you.

Initially, a coffee bean is green. Once harvested and roasted, it turns brown.

Next, someone grinds up some beans, puts the coffee grounds in a filter, runs hot water over them, and voila!—countless variations of coffee—cappucino, frappacino, black, or whatever—a perfect cup of coffee for whomever is drinking it.

Can anyone re-create the original coffee bean?

Of course not! Communication and reality work the same way.

You process reality through filters like your beliefs, values, and moods. You distort, delete, and generalize information to create the perfect cup of reality for you. Think about that.

Exceptional communicators learn to understand the filters that people use.

Million-Dollar Question:
When it comes to communication, can you take a coffee bean and make the perfect cup of coffee for you AND for others?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Think about a time when you and someone experience the same thing, but both of you felt differently about what happened? Describe the situation. What factors—such as personality, experience, culture, emotions, etc.—caused you to see things differently?

2. Have you ever said something to someone that he or she took the wrong way? What happened? What factors caused the misunderstanding? What, if anything, will you do differently in the future?

3. What are 3 questions you can ask someone to make sure that you understand exactly what he or she is saying? Do you actually use these questions when you are communicating with people? If yes, provide an example.  If not, how will you remember to use them in the future?