Your Attitude Determines Your Response
Mark Rapier CMAS, ALC
Trusted Guide | Author | Lifelong Learner | Corporate Diplomat | Certified M&A Specialist | Certified Life Coach
Today's second topic is a review of A modest book about how to make an adequate speech .
Word Count: About 1,200 words, with an approximate reading time of 5 to 7 minutes. ?Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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The relationship between happiness and positive attitude has been a common theme in my feed over the last few weeks.? The idea has been a common theme of books and articles ever since Norman Vincent Peale published The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952.? The idea endures because it is true
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Intentionally choosing a positive view reframes a tense situation and opens up possibilities that a negative or defensive stance would not. Combining Occam's Razor and Hanlon's Razor is an effective way to reframe your thinking to a positive outlook.
Occam's Razor – "Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected." Albert Einstein said something similar – "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
Hanlon's Razor – "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by neglect." You can substitute 'error or 'stupidity.'
If you intentionally reframe situations in this way, you will be in a position to make better decisions.? Do not dismiss the possibility of malice. ?Rather, be sure not to look for it first.? Challenging situations offer opportunities to learn, change, and grow.
This is a personal story. ?I worked for a firm that received VC funding. ?When the first tranche of money was spent, we went to secure the next round.? We were denied because the CEO could not show value or progress for the money spent.? The company closed.? I took a job that was not what I would not have described as ideal; it paid the bills.? In retrospect, that job proved to be a major turning point.? The velocity of my career progress accelerated dramatically.? Life, in many ways, is a random walk.? Embrace the possibilities.
Related Articles
Book Review: A modest book about how to make an adequate speech by John-Paul Flintoff
We all make presentations from time to time. ?For many, these are terrifying times. ?Sometimes, it is because the audience is large. ?Other times, the fear comes from who is in the audience. ?I still remember how nervous I was the first time I presented to a Board of Directors
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Flintoff's book offers several ways to prepare for a speech.? Some of them are:
Write down what you want to achieve in a single sentence with specifics.? If you don't know what your call to action is, they will never take action.
Know your audience.? Understanding their expectations is the only way you can focus your message.
Find your stories.? Stories help the audience internalize the message.
Ruthlessly edit.? If a piece of information, no matter how interesting, does not help you achieve your objective, it does not belong.
Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse some more.? Get comfortable with the material without memorizing a script.? This allows you to adapt to the audience's response.
Don't worry about being perfect.? If things don't go as planned, take a breath, refocus, and move ahead.? No one expects perfection.? The audience does not have baskets of rotten tomatoes they want to throw at you.
Another book to consider is Good Arguments – How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard by Bo Seo.
What I'm Up To
We are traveling to Pennsylvania to visit my father-in-law.? He lives in a memory care home.
We attended a Texas Rangers game; they lost.? The 2024 Rangers have difficulty hitting this year.
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Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
Many years ago, I owned a second-generation Microsoft Zune.? When that product was discontinued, I switched to an Apple iPod, which also no longer exists.? (I like the Zune store better than Apple’s.)? I preferred MP3 players over my phone when listening to music.? When I am at the gym or out walking, I do not want my listening interrupted by calls or texts.? I prefer my Kindle for the same reason.
This is a long and interesting essay on our dominant role in how the world works.
Less is more.
There is a fundamental difference between work friends and personal friends.? It is essential to develop both.? Long-term happiness and mental health require both.
The keys to a good conversation are simple.? Listen to understand.? Ask questions.? Make it about the other person.? Be present.
As drones become more prevalent, privacy concerns will become more evident.? This article focuses on how police are using drones for public safety.? What happens to the information gathered by delivery drones as they fly over neighborhoods?
It is easy to procrastinate.? It is also easy not to procrastinate.? It is a choice.
I do not have an opinion on this one.? At least it's not goggles.
Every central bank has a mandate to do what is best for their country.? Part of that equation is what is happening in the global economy.? At any point in time, one country may appear to be out of sync with others.
This is an excellent article on how AI is changing views on the future of work.? It is a bit long but a worthwhile read.
The best personal organization tool to choose is the one you will use.
The economics of streaming have proven more difficult than anyone imagined.? What this article does not mention is the quality of leadership.? At Max and Paramount+, I see leadership focusing on short-term financial metrics rather than long-term strategic planning.? Why else would they produce shows and shelve them for tax write-offs?
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I miss wired headphones.? Because I wear glasses, I never found over-the-ear models comfortable.? My challenges with earbuds are 1) if the battery goes dead, they are useless, and 2) they are too easy to lose.? My favorite pair was the Bose Quiet Comfort.
Quotes
“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
- Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)?
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.”
- Helen Keller
“Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall.”
- Katherine May
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You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible. ?Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement. ?If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.