Power of After Show

In the past decades, we wouldn't consider most professional photos without some touching up or without or with no filters taken on a camera. Going back to the 1800's, photographers and artists would hand-color monochrome photos. This process lasted through mid 19th century. As technology developed, changes could be airbrushed, taking away blemishes, modifying colors and even changing body shapes....

I liked one of the travel tips shared with me by a cousin I had not seen in a long while so much that I applied it for an upcoming trip Greg and I were making to Italy. She had prepared a PowerPoint document and put it on her iPad with a day-by-day itinerary, train routes, walking distances to different locations and hotel information. I set about creating the same sort of document, even though pa...

The great pretender takes on many shapes as to the extent and meaning. Pretending is actually an important part of growing up. My grandmother, we called her Mimi, let my sisters and I get in her closet to play dress-up. Of course, she was much larger than we were, but she had some fancy clothes, probably purchased at a second-hand store as she lived through the great depression in the early twenti...

To choose to soar is a choice, and a deliberate one that Annie Meehan has made multiple times in her life. The middle child of seven, raised in extreme poverty by a single mom struggling with undiagnosed mental illness resulted in Annie spending twenty years facing depression. She was starving in many ways not only for food, but also for love, attention, focus and calm, crying herself to sleep eve...

Many people that are risk-averse are very cautious about taking calculated risks . But those calculated risks can bring benefits in many different areas of life. The fear of making a change, exploring new relationships, or even the overanalyzing of decisions can easily lead one to be frozen with an unmovable fixed mindset. Taking calculated risks involves careful consideration and analysis of pote...

Both self-focus and self-confidence involve a focus on oneself. Both may have strong internal beliefs about themselves. Whenever starting a new business or through a time of transition, it becomes fairly easy to spend time with self-focus . There are bills to pay and customers to serve. Much of this may sound like just self-focus, but a certain amount of focus to develop self-confidence is necessa...

Saying no is not easy for many Type A personalities, including myself, but to just say no helps us focus on saying yes to what is more important. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with demands, commitments, and opportunities, the power of a simple two-letter word often goes unnoticed - "no." Yet, behind those two letters lies a remarkable force that can shape the course of our lives. To...

Peter Wright has had much experience in building a new chapter in his life as he's had to do it multiple times. He has both obtained wealth and he has lost wealth. He has lived safely and he has had his life threatened at gunpoint. Yet adapting a mindset that is thankful and grateful has kept him moving forward to create new chapters in life with his business and for him personally. Peter lived in...

The new workplac e is rapidly evolving with the integration of AI technologies, with exciting opportunities and transformations. AI, or artificial intelligence, is revolutionizing how we work, collaborate, and make decisions. By leveraging AI algorithms and tools, organizations are enhancing productivity, efficiency, and innovation across various industries. But behind even the most impressive AI...

Many who are at mid-career or the halftime of life find themselves at the stage of life where kids or grown and starting their own families and are now embracing the role of a grandparent . The role of a parent has now expanded into a grandparent. Since most of us limped along in our parenting skills, wondering how our kids would survive a world that looked different than when we grew up, we wonde...

Many of the same principles apply for evaluating trustworthy AI as evaluating trustworthy sources for authors and educational research. I have found that most blog posts we find online don't substantiate accurate sources, thus their claims may or may not be reliable. The developing field of AI is one that is moving quickly, though what feels like uncharted territory can still be guided with some b...

Machine learning is a specific subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In my interview with Christopher Penn, who is an IBM Watson Machine Learning Professional, among many other industries, we (barely!) dipped into a bit of his expertise to uncover not only terminology but scale and possibilities of machine learning and AI. AI is a broad term that encompasses the teaching of computers to perform...

While the story of American Independence began before the date we now commemorate as Independence Day, it was on July 4, 1776, that the Second Continental Congress, acting on behalf of the thirteen American colonies, formally adopted the Declaration of Independence—an important document authored by Thomas Jefferson. This momentous occasion marked the formal separation of the colonies from British...

Proactively asking for valuable feedback can be intimidating but the benefits are numerous with enhanced possibilities for personal growth, increased performance, deeper relationships, insightful decision-making and valuable insights. But how do we ask for and receive that type of valuable feedback? In this episode, we cover some guidelines that will hopefully help to stimulate conversation and pr...

If you asked yourself the question, "What could I do?" instead of "What should I do?" how would you answer? There are many realms of exploration where we could ask that question such as for problem-solving, personal development, career exploration, relationship dynamics and even personal goals and aspirations. When we focus on the question of "What could I do?" it stimulates one's imagination and...

The first celebration of Father's Day was in the Spokane, Washington YMCA on June 19, 1910. It had been founded by Sonora Smart Dodd who thought after hearing a sermon about Mother's Day that there should also be a similar day for fathers. Her own father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran and was a single parent who raised she and her five siblings. The celebration didn't catch on imm...

When approaching mid-life or mid-career, some start considering making a change, asking themselves the question on how to change careers. The prompt for this inquiry could stem from a lack of fulfillment, limited growth or advancement opportunities in their current situation, job dissatisfaction, change in personal circumstances or simply restlessness and the desire for a different career path. Th...

If a god is defined as a type of superhuman being with power over nature or fortune, I propose we define a digital god as a controlling influence in our current society including media and other sources. I am using the term god in lower case, not referring to the almighty God of Christianity. We can see the manifestation of this digital god in many areas of today's world. Controlling influences of...

Many find themselves facing the issue of what to talk about as the years go by. Topics can easily digress to sharing personal health issues including way too many details, updates on who has recently died or is incapacitated, or other depressing topics. Since according to Harvard Public Health, a growing body of evidence suggests those with stronger social ties live longer and are more satisfied w...

At mid-career or the halftime of life, many start thinking about constructing meaningful work that provides a sense of purpose, fulfillment, significance and satisfaction. Napoleon Hill (1883-1970), author of Think and Grow Rich said, "The soul of man is embodied in his work." French philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960) said that "Without work, all life goes rotten. But when work is soulless, life...

If you asked yourself, "What if?" how would you answer? Where would your imagination take you? Jim Palmer asked that question and started looking at his life. He looked closely at the sand, flowing freely through an hourglass and knew it would eventually run out. That's when he started asking "What if?" of his own life. His answer led to him selling his home and living on a thirty-foot boat. Explo...

I wanted to approach the subject of Mother's Day history not only as a matter of interest, but as a reminder for our listeners to appreciate their mom or even a friend's mom. I appreciate the women who have spent a great amount of energy and time raising families, many times while balancing a career and other responsibilities. As I think about Mother's Day , I am remembering my own mother who made...

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines common sense as sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of a situation or facts. Part of the challenge of applying that definition of common sense is determining how a situation is perceived. In the past several years, the distortion of facts and distrust of what is claimed to be real and true has pushed many toward pessimism and disillusionment....

Many may not want to ask yourself the question, What does discouragement mean? as it could spur discouraging thoughts and emotions! It can bring on feelings of waning confidence or lost hope. Or disheartening notions of resignation or frustration, giving up. But discouragement is important to acknowledge, especially for the sake of mental health and well-being. Life doesn't stop just because you'r...

To never give up doesn't mean one will never change her mind. Tenacity and fortuitousness includes the flexibility to evaluate and shift focus if needed. However, many people quit too soon. One of the phrases Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was known best for during World War II was to "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give...