Some Things I've Learned Along the Way

Insights can be really helpful, especially when we face challenges. When I seek advice from those I respect, I often have that forehead-slapping moment where I think, "I knew that!" or "Duh!". When that happens I write down what I just learned. Here's some of what I've come up with.

• Good enough usually is.
• When I want to feel good, I ask myself what I want. I'm the world's expert on Me.
• There's good news and there's bad news. Sometimes the hard part is figuring out which is which. Sometimes the same news is both.
• People tend to believe they know what other people are thinking.
• I can't possibly know what you're thinking. Mastering ESP is still on my To Do list.
• Whenever I make a mistake, I remind myself that I probably didn't invent that particular way to goof up.
• Nodding understandingly goes a long way, but only if you actually do understand.
• The nastiest thing about nasty problems is not that they don't go away when you refuse to deal with them. It's that they get worse.
• If you don't have a plan you can't follow it.
• Plan for today first. Planning for the distant future is worth less the more distant the future is.
• Kids know way more
  than they get credit
  for. Way more.Most people do their best. When it seems otherwise, maybe you just don't get it.
• Kids know way more than they get credit for. Way more.
• Deceiving others is difficult, especially if they're your kids.
• Dogs never ask you how you're doing because they already know.
• What fits for me might not fit for you. What fits for you might not fit for me.
• When someone speaks from the heart, listen to the beat.
• Experience eventually leads to wisdom. Some people require more experiences than others.
• That voice in your head that tells you you're messed up is usually coming from the part that's the most messed up.
• Feeling embarrassed is a waste. Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to notice.
• Speaking your own No is more powerful than repeating anybody else's Yes.
• If you don't like your choices, choose to look for more choices.
• Even though you know your favorite flavor of ice cream, try one of the others now and then.
• It's a lot easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble.
• Attributing significance or intention to other people's mistakes is often a mistake.
• Lots of people have been through really terrible things that they don't talk about. It's safest to assume that everyone deserves your respect and admiration.
• You don't always get back what you give. But since we can't really measure that, feeling slighted might be unwise.
• A human being is a wonder. You are a human being.

I could go on, but maybe you're wondering what your own list would look like if you wrote it down. You can find out.  Next in this series  Top    Next Issue

Love the work but not the job? Bad boss, long commute, troubling ethical questions, hateful colleague? This ebook looks at what we can do to get more out of life at work. It helps you get moving again! Read Go For It! Sometimes It's Easier If You Run, filled with tips and techniques for putting zing into your work life. Order Now!

Your comments are welcome

About Point Lookout

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.

Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.

Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.

Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.

Related articles

More articles on Ethics at Work:

Some Truths About Lies: I

However ethical you might be, you can't control the ethics of others. Can you tell when someone knowingly tries to mislead you? Here's Part I of a catalog of techniques misleaders use.

When Others Curry Favor

When peers curry favor with the boss, many of us feel contempt, an urge for revenge, anger, or worse. Trying to stop those who curry favor probably isn't an effective strategy. What is?

Ethical Influence: II

When we influence others as they're making tough decisions, it's easy to enter a gray area. How can we be certain that our influence isn't manipulation? How can we influence others ethically?

The Attributes of Political Opportunity: The Basics

Opportunities come along even in tough times. But in tough times, it's especially important to distinguish between true opportunities and high-risk adventures. Here are some of the attributes of desirable political opportunities.

Personnel-Sensitive Risks: I

Some risks and the plans for managing them are personnel-sensitive in the sense that disclosure can harm the enterprise or its people. Since most risk management plans are available to a broad internal audience, personnel-sensitive risks cannot be managed in the customary way. Why not?

See also Ethics at Work for more related articles.

Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout

Coming February 27: Brainstorming and Speedstorming: II

Recent research into the effectiveness of brainstorming has raised some questions. Motivated to examine alternatives, I ran into speedstorming. Here's Part II of an exploration of the properties of speedstorming. Available here and by RSS on February 27.

And on March 6: A Pain Scale for Meetings

Most meetings could be shorter, less frequent, and more productive than they are. Part of the problem is that we don't realize how much we do to get in our own way. If we track the incidents of dysfunctional activity, we can use the data to spot trends and take corrective action. Available here and by RSS on March 6.

Coaching services

I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenaCZEJToGYaXKRiEsner@ChacVkPIhtWrOXnzLzhCoCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.

Get the ebook!

Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:

• Get 2001-2 in Geese Don't Land on Twigs (PDF, USD 11.95)
• Get 2003-4 in Why Dogs Wag (PDF, USD 11.95)
• Get 2005-6 in Loopy Things We Do (PDF, USD 11.95)
• Get 2007-8 in Things We Believe That Maybe Aren't So True (PDF, USD 11.95)
• Get 2009-10 in The Questions Not Asked (PDF, USD 11.95)
• Get all of the first twelve years (2001-2012) in The Collected Issues of Point Lookout (PDF, USD 28.99)

Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info

Public seminars

The Power Affect: How We Express Our Personal Power

Many people who possess real organizational power have a characteristic demeanor. It's the way they project their presence. I call this the power affect. Some people — call them power pretenders — adopt the power affect well before they attain significant organizational power. Unfortunately for their colleagues, and for their organizations, power pretenders can attain organizational power out of proportion to their merit or abilities. Understanding the power affect is therefore important for anyone who aims to attain power, or anyone who works with power pretenders. Read more about this program.

• A recording of a program presented 6:00 PM June 29 (Eastern Time), Monthly Webinar, Technobility Webinar Series. You can earn 1.0 Category 'A' PDU by viewing this program. View this program now.