Day #279 - Have confidence in your ability.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

"If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it.  You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." --Rosalyn Carter

Day #279 - Have confidence in your ability.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.  This is one of six motivational quotations for Day #279.

Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

At what point do customers have choice overload?

When our family returned from a six-month sabbatical in Australia, our friends who met us for our “Welcome Home” celebration, offered us necklaces made from strings of Cheerios.  That present represented how much we missed that cereal treat while away.  But, even more important, it represented the limited choices Australians have when compared with those of Americans. While we have hundreds, they may have a dozen.  Their cereal of choice is Weet-bix, a whole grain breakfast biscuit they spread with vegemite (made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract, a by-product of beer). 

One lasting and riveting impression when we were there was entering their “super” markets, and being faced with such limited choices.  We recognized that many of the products to which our family had become accustomed in the U.S., were not available. 

There is something, of course, to simplicity.  It doesn’t really challenge your brain; it takes less time; and the results are, generally, predictable. 

Many people have solved the choice dilemma in the U.S.  They know exactly what they want, and they work carefully to just get in and get out of a store.  40 kinds of toothpaste?  They have stuck with one brand for over 25 years.   

One way for dealing with a large number of choices is not to deal with them at all. 

The U.S. supermarket, on the other hand, causes people to burn their brain choosing between 40 toothpastes, 75 iced teas, 175 salad dressings, and 285 brands of cookies.  

This isn’t the end of it.  There are 85 types of crackers, 285 types of cookies, and 80 pain relievers.  And this is a small percentage of the supermarket. 

There are thousands of mutual funds, hundreds of cell phones with dozens of calling plans, thousands of insurance policies, medical plans, and investment opportunities.  There are so many TV shows that people tape the ones they don’t have time to watch—and never have time to watch the ones they tape.  In every way we turn, we face mind-boggling choices. 

If you go out to buy a pair of jeans today—size 34-33—you are likely to face many decisions.  Do you want them slim fit, easy fit, relaxed fit, baggy or extra baggy?  Do you want them stone-washed, acid-washed, or distressed?  Do you want them button-fly or zipper-fly?  Faded or regular?  Sorry, there is no thing as regular jeans any more. 

People choose from 1,500 drawer pulls at The Great Indoors.  Amazon gives every town a bookstore with 2 million titles, and Netflix promises 35,000 different movies on DVD.  Choice is everywhere. 

“As the number of choices grows further,” writes Swarthmore psychologist Barry Schwartz in The Paradox of Choice, “the negatives escalate until we become overloaded.” 

At what point do we become a prisoner of too many choices?  Too many choices produce
paralysis, not liberation.  At this point, Schwartz writes, “It might even be said to tyrannize.” Americans are facing a crisis of choice. 

By creating many options, industries have done a favor for customers with varied tastes and body types.  Average Americans, for example, order nonfat decaf iced vanilla lattes at Starbucks.  For some customers, however, what was a very simple decision—buying a cup of coffee, for example—that required but a brief moment, has become a complex one in which they are forced to invest time, energy, no small amount of self-doubt in some cases, as well as anxiety and dread over the ordeal.  And this goes on with reference to numerous products in countless shopping experiences. 

The fact that some choice is good doesn’t necessarily mean that more choice is better.  For many of us, increased choice means decreased satisfaction. 

Does anyone have to wonder why there has been a 75 percent increase in Americans being treated for clinical depression over the last 25 years?  “[Americans] are increasingly unhappy, riddled with anxiety and regret, because we have so much freedom to decide what to do with our money and our lives,” writes Virginia Postrel in an online article entitled “Consumer Vertigo.” 

Choice produces paradoxical effects.  For example, people feel an enormous burden to get enough information to make good decisions.  Do they have the time to find the best digital camera, the best cell phone plan, the best 401(k), the best health insurance, the most economical automobile? 

Even when choices are relatively simple, getting the right information isn’t easy.  One problem is with the way options are presented or “framed.”  For example, we accept a “discount for paying cash” but reject a “surcharge for using credit cards,” even though the two mean the same thing.  We spring for a “bargain” sweater marked down from $200 to $100 when normally we never spend that much for a sweater.  We instantly turn against the inheritance tax when it is relabeled “death tax,” even though most of us will not be leaving enough behind to be affected. 

If you’re a person who wants the very best, you’re likely to be disappointed.  You check out all the alternatives to feel you got the best.  But, in a world of 80 pain relievers and thousands of mutual funds, it’s just not possible.  So, even after you’ve made a decision, you end up miserable.  Why?  Because you’re absolutely convinced that had you looked longer, you would have done better. 

Older people have learned two important lessons from life’s experiences.  They are less likely to seek out the very best.  The “tried-and-true,” even if only “good enough,” is good enough. 

Also, older people know that limited options can be liberating.  Forced to wear a seat belt, or sustain the idiotic, droning of a high-pitched, piercing noise, they wear the seat belt and seldom rebel.   Although it may seem like they’re in a rut, making the same old decisions on products over-and-over again simply means they don’t have to settle the same issue again and again.   

Settled issues save the time and energy that are needed to make the intelligent choices when they are required. 

Studies have proven that when customers are given a narrow-range of choices, they are more likely to make a purchase.  In one study, significantly fewer choices increased purchasing propensity by ten times. 

It is true that without any freedom of choice, life would not be worth living.  But, it is also true that more choice does not necessarily mean greater happiness.  You do wonder, at what point customers have choice overload?  

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At the website, CustomerInnovations, Frank Capek has written a long article entitled, “Optimizing the Most Critical Elements of the Customer Experience: Customer Choices.”
The best part of it is the section, “Understanding how customers make decisions.”  Capek ends his article saying: “In summary, from a business perspective, the most critical elements of the customer experience involve the choices that customers make:  the choice to buy; the choice to recommend; the choice to continue as a customer.” 

Another long article at The Conference Board, in an article by Sol Hurwitz, “Making Things Simple: The marketing of complexity.,” suggests that the key to “choice overload” is to make things simple, and in the article Hurwitz makes a number of interesting and valuable alternatives.  This is another useful and worthwhile article that pertains to the world of business. 

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Copyright December, 2010, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC
    
   

Say #226 - Maintain your enthusiasm.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

If you want to be happy,
          Begin where you are,
Don't wait for some rapture
          That's future and far.
Begin to be joyous, begin to be glad
          And soon you'll forget
That you ever were sad. 
                        --Anonymous

Day #226 - Maintain your enthusiasm.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

Choice Overload Essay Preview

And Then Some Publishing News

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "At what point do customers have choice overload?"  Choice produces paradoxical effects.  For example, people feel an enormous burden to get enough information to make good decisions.  Do they have the time to find the best digital camera, the best cell phone plan, the best 401(k), the best health insurance, the most economical automobile?

At what point do customers have choice overload?
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
Studies have proven that when customers are given a narrow-range of choices, they are more likely to make a purchase.  In one study, significantly fewer choices increased purchasing propensity by ten times. It is true that without any freedom of choice, life would not be worth living.  But, it is also true that more choice does not necessarily mean greater happiness.  You do wonder, at what point customers have choice overload?

And Then Some Works!

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe

Book Club... And Then Some!

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe   
        

by Greg M. Epstein



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Greg M. Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard University, writes in his introduction, “If you identify as an atheist, agnostic, freethinker, rationalist, skeptic, cynic, secular humanist, naturalist, or deist; as spiritual, apathetic, nonreligious, ‘nothing’; or any other irreligious descriptive, you could probably caount yourself what I call a Humanist” (p. xii).  If you are any one of these, or, perhaps, call yourself a Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or Jew, and enjoy a challenging, interesting, well-written book, then I recommend this one.

The reason this book is such a refreshing read is because Epstein is not at all concerned with whether or not there is a god.  Many other authors have attempted to answer that question.  David K. Chivers writes in his review, “Refreshingly, Greg Epstein starts a step further down along the line of debate. His premise, stated simply, is this; However they got there, there is now a significant portion of the population who simply do not believe in God. And yet most of them (including himself) live what would be thought of by most as perfectly "good" lives, raising their children, taking care of their parents, helping out in the community, and the like. They are people you would like to have as neighbors. So if they don't believe in God, why do they act in this way? Why aren't they all out marauding, looting and pillaging? If not God, what do they believe in?”

Epstein adds, “The point is that as a Humanist, you’d be in distinguished company, along with Thomas Jefferson, John Lennon, Winston Churchill, Margaret Sanger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Voltaire, David Hume, Salman Rushie, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Confucius, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Wole Soyinka, Kurt Vonnegut, Zora Neale Hurston, Mark Twain, Margaret Meade, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Einstein, Darwin, and more than a billion people worldwide” (pp. Xii-xiii).

Epstein defines humanism as “being good without God.  It is above all,” he writes, “an affirmation of the greatest common value we human beings have: the desire to live with dignity, to be ‘good.’  But Humanism is also a warning that we cannot afford to wait until tomorrow or until the next life to be good, because today—the short journey we get from birth to death, womb to tomb—is all we have.  Humanism rejects dependence on faith, the supernatural, divine texts, resurrection, reincarnation, or anything else for which we have no evidence.  To put it another way, Humanists believe in life before death” (p. xiii).  Now, that is something to celebrate!

So, where does Epstein go from here?  There are 225 pages and six chapters; thus, chapters average about 37 pages each.  Here are the chapter titles:

    Chapter 1: Can We Be Good Without God?
        2: A Brief History of Goodness Without God
        3: Why Be Good Without a God?  Purpose and The Plague
        4: Good Without God: A How-To Guide to the Ethics of Humanism
        5: Pluralism: Can You Be Good with God?
        6: Good Without God in Community: The Heart of Humanism

The book flows well, the ideas are sound, the explanations clear, and challenges to your thinking occur often.  If you enjoy a book of substance and strength that offers clear, well-structured arguments this is an excellent choice.

Barbara L. Warren, at Amazon.com, writes, “This is a well-articulated, thought-out, and respectful (of religious people) book. I have read it twice and gained new insights both times. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in my beliefs, while feeling encouraged to act in meaningful ways. The author is a Humanist without animosity or the kind of hatred I so often feel toward those of us who no longer belive in a supernatural, all-powerful being.”

Another reviewer with whom I totally agree, Ryan Rabac, of Orlando, FL, writes,  “Epstein provides a refreshing approach to living a nonreligious lifestyle that doesn't target or simply try to defend other beliefs. I especially appreciated his broad cultural and literary knowledge, including that of Camus, my favorite writer. His writing style is clear and emotionally truthful. He is a real inspiration.”

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. 

Friday's Laugh . . . And Then Some!

While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old.  Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?"

"Yes," I answered and continued writing the report.

"My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police.  Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," I told her.

"Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet

From our upcoming book compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
Laugh is setup with just over 4 jokes a day, all 365 days, and can be read in any order!
Expected Release Date: Fall 2010

Women have superior leadership traits

One of the lectures I gave toward the end of my career as a basic-course director had to do with leadership in which I provided some of the latest findings regarding gender differences and leadership styles.  At that time — more than fifteen years ago now — the research regarding gender differences was in its infancy; thus, it was more difficult to make the case that Dee Dee Myers makes in her book, Why women should rule the world  (HarperCollins, 2008).  Although her conclusion resides in the title of the book, in this essay I am more interested in the research that supports her conclusion.   

Look at some of the research Myers offers in her book, then you can make up your own mind regarding the strength of female leadership.  Scientists have found structural, chemical, genetic, hormonal, and functional differences in male and female brains, but it is the way these differences affect the way they process language, solve problems, and remember emotional events that, in the end, affect the way they lead. (p. 63) 

From her own experience, Myers commented on the sixteen women in the Senate.  From her observation she states, “Women do seem more interested in consensus.  They do seem less consumed by the constant who’s-up-and-who’s-down score-keeping aspect of the political game.  They do seem more willing to listen to other people’s opinions” (p. 8).  Myers offers one caveat, however, when she says, “That’s not to say that all women fit this model; they don’t” (p. 8). 

“According to studies,” Myers writes later in her book, “men’s self-esteem derives more from their ability to maintain independence from others while women’s self-esteem is maintained, in part, by the ability to sustain intimate relationships” (p. 76). 

The problem that women have — despite the limited amount of progress they are making — is the double standard.  “Male attitudes, ideas, interests, views, values, and voices are the norm.  And since females don’t necessarily share them, it’s still too often seen as proof positive that they don’t quite get it” (p. 41).  Why does this double standard exist?  Because for several millennia women were responsible for raising children and managing domestic matters.  “Public life,” says Myers, “was the province of men, created by and for men.  When women started moving into this traditionally male bastion, they had to take that world as they found it” (p. 41). 

Visit the Catalyst Press Room web site, to read the essay, “Damned or Doomed — Catalyst Study on Gender Stereotyping at Work Uncovers Doublebind Dillemmas for Women.”  The Catalyst research reports that women are viewed by both men and women as better at team building and encouraging others while men are perceived better at influencing superiors, solving problems, and making decisions. 

In another Catalyst study, researchers looked at Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women on their boards.  When compared with companies with the fewest women in the board room, these companies performed better financially, had a higher return on equity, a higher return on sales, and a higher return on invested capital as well.   

Myers delineates some of the specific differences researchers have found.  “Research shows there is no gender difference in general intelligence. [but]...Men are better at mathematical problem solving; women are better at mathematical calculation,” Myers writes.  “Men are better at mentally rotating shapes; women are better at visual memory....men and women are exactly the same in terms of average intelligence, and most cluster around the middle of the curve.  But...men show more variation; there are more men at both extremes of the curve; there are more boneheads and more geniuses,” Myers writes on pages 68-69. 

Citing research from Dr. Louann Brizendine’s book, The Female Brain, (Broadway, 2006) Myers notes that at eight weeks following conception, the dose of testosterone that male babies receive “kills off cells in the communication, observation and emotion processing centers of the brain — and growing cells in the sex and aggression centers” (pp. 70-71).  “The areas of men’s brains that control action and aggression are predictably larger....men devote two and a half times the brain space to their sex drives!” (p. 74) 

“According to Brizendine,” Myers writes, “women have ‘outstanding verbal agility, the ability to connect deeply in friendship, a nearly psychic capacity to read faces and tone of voice for emotions and states of mind, the ability to defuse conflict.  All of this is hardwired into the brains of women’” (p. 81). 

With respect to the number of neurons men and women have in their brains, they are the same, however, in the areas important to leadership qualities — those in the areas that control language and hearing — “women have on average 11 percent more neurons than men” (p. 71). 

The way these differences reveal themselves make an important difference.  As noted in a wide variety of research studies, men are more competitive and “according to one study, an astonishing fifty times more competitive,” and women are more cooperative.  Women, Myers notes, are “much more likely to seek consensus and be more concerned with fairness, rather than competition.  Studies show,” Myers writes, “that they take turns twenty times more often than boys.  The relationship — not winning — is the goal” (pp. 71-71). 

An important study at UCLA by Dr. Laura Cousino Klein and Dr. Shelley Taylor on the way men and women manage stress revealed that, “When men are stressed, they get in someone’s face — or retreat into their proverbial caves....Women were more likely to respond to stress in their own way: by hanging out with their kids or talking things over with a friend or family member” (pp. 86-87).  It is a “fight-or-flight” versus a “tend and befriend” set of responses. 

Later in her book, Myers cites studies that show women are better at creating and keeping the peace by “ratcheting down the violence, creating opportunities for reconciliation, and beginning the process of rebuilding” (pp. 110-111).  With respect to violence, men are the primary perpetrators of murder, forcible rape, armed robbery, aggravated assault, fraud, theft, vandalization, arson, and drug use. (p. 120). 

Whether liked or not, stereotypical males are “aggressive, ambitious, assertive, forceful, [and] self-confident” whereas stereotypical females are “helpful, kind, friendly, sympathetic, and affectionate” (p. 149).  Perhaps the key now is to redefine leadership and redefine power.  In the information age in which we are living, fortunately, that is already happening. 

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At the Deccan Herald website, the essay is entitled, “Women paving way for superior leadership roles: KPMG study.”  The opening says: “Organizations are increasingly recognizing that women do bring substantive diversity to company boards in terms of their composition, skill sets and experiences.”  It is an excellent essay reporting important survey results.  Here is one comment from the essay: “KPMG Executive Director Human Resource in India, Sangeeta Singh, said, “Our research evidence reveals that women leaders are self-critical of their own strengths and weaknesses and tend to rebound gracefully from setbacks. They tend to be intuitive crisis managers enabling fair and sound judgment. Further, they drive a democratic and inclusive approach by building an ecosystem and nurturing talent.” 

“As leaders, women rule,” is an essay published at the businessweek.com website,  Rochelle Sharpe in Boston reports, in this excellent essay, that, ''Women are scoring higher on almost everything we look at,'' says Shirley Ross, an industrial psychologist who helped oversee a study performed by Hagberg Consulting Group in Foster City, Calif. Hagberg conducts in-depth performance evaluations of senior managers for its diverse clients, including technology, health care, financial-service, and consumer-goods companies. Of the 425 high-level executives evaluated, each by about 25 people, women execs won higher ratings on 42 of the 52 skills measured.”  This essay is valuable, specific, and definitely worth a read. 

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Copyright December, 2010, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.

Day #225 - Make every moment of your life count.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment.  And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.  Right now."  --Anonymous

Day #225 - Make every moment of your life count.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

New SMOERs Video and Women are Superior Essay Preview

And Then Some Publishing News


We've been talking about the SMOERs book and now the video interview is here! Watch the video and find the book at SMOERs.com.


Author Richard L. Weaver II talks about his book of quotations, "SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement, Rules".  Discover this tasty treat of quotations based from his delicious book. From the famous, the infamous, and quotes you have never heard before. Listen as Dr. Weaver shares quotes from the book and answers questions about the inspiration for his books, the setup, plus the reasoning behind the concept. Think of the delicious S'Mores... just spelled funny: S M O E R s





Watch the video and find the book at SMOERs.com. 

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Women have superior leadership traits."  Although I cannot make the complete case that Dee Dee Myers makes in her book, Why women should rule the world (HarperCollins, 2008), and although her conclusion resides in the title of her book, in this essay I am interested in the research that supports her conclusion.   

Women have superior leadership traits
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:

Whether liked or not, stereotypical males are “aggressive, ambitious, assertive, forceful, [and] self-confident” whereas stereotypical females are “helpful, kind, friendly, sympathetic, and affectionate” (p. 149).  Perhaps the key now is to redefine leadership and redefine power.  In the information age in which we are living, fortunately, that is already happening. 

And Then Some Works!

The male factor: The unwritten rules, misperceptions, and secret beliefs of men in the workplace

Book Club... And Then Some!

The male factor: The unwritten rules, misperceptions, and secret beliefs of men in the workplace   
        

by Shaunti Feldhahn



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

The bottom line of Feldhahn’s 308-page book is: be aware of your workplace behavior and how it might be perceived.  

Feldhahn is a bestselling author (her books have sold two million copies and have been translated into fifteen different languages copies).  Two of her other books are called For Women Only and For Men Only. She is a nationally syndicated columnist and holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University (from the back flyleaf).

Since I am not a woman in the workplace, I wanted to see how women perceive Feldhahn’s book.  Here is what I came up with:

V. Blankenship writes, “As a woman living in a house full of men, husband and 5 sons, and just entering the workforce for the first time in 20 years, I was completely enthralled by this book. Shaunti Feldhahn definitely gets into the male psyche and reveals things that all women need to know, especially women in the workforce today. Its an eye opening, thought provoking read that really makes you think twice about the male/female relationship in the public work place today.”

Kimberly Martinez, of Seattle, WA, writes the following: “This book is not just terrific, it was incredibly needed. Most of us want to be the best we can be at what God has called us to - sometimes we need new tools. Many years ago, there was a book - Mars and Venus in the Workplace. It kind of did what this book does, but it was written by a man.

“Shaunti has done so much empirical research in order to put this book together. If you ever wanted to know what men really think, this book will tell you. Better than that, this book will give you the tools to help men hear what you are really trying to say without any male/female cultural noise messing up the communication loop. “

Connie Y. Mishali, writes, “Shaunti Feldhahn has done a lot of research to get inside the male psyche to figure out what men think and feel in the workplace, what unwritten codes of conduct they live by, how they perceive women in general and their actions in the workplace, and what women can and should do in order to succeed in their careers.

“The information Shaunti has compiled is sometimes surprising, sometimes almost unbelievable, and always helpful! This book is a must-read for every career or business-minded woman. Incidentally, its insights will also help you with your marriage and friendships because you will have a greater understanding of what men experience at work.”

J. Guyer writes, “This is a valuable book for woman in the workplace. Based on surveys and interviews with men about the unwritten rules and expectations that rule the business world, it gives women a tool to better navigate what can seem like a foreign culture. The insights learned from this book can also be eye opening and helpful for women in general in understanding how men think and view women and the world. The Christian version offers a chapter on applying these findings with a Biblical world view toward interacting with others.”

Most of the Amazon.com reviews were favorable.  A number of reviewers pointed out the length of the book (said it could be shorter), and some noted, too, that it read like a textbook and was difficult to get through.  I found it a bit long, but the research used is interesting, the insights were useful (especially for those new in the business world or for those planning to go into the business world), and the viewpoints are valuable for both males and females.  I became a bit tired of reading this book, but that is why I chose to quote so many reviews above — since I am not in business, have never been in business, and have no plans to go into business.  Those facts can make a difference in how easy this book is to navigate.
 
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This book is available from Amazon.com: The male factor: The unwritten rules, misperceptions, and secret beliefs of men in the workplace. 

Friday's Laugh . . . And Then Some!

The artist tried to concentrate on his work, but the attraction he felt for his model finally became irresistible.  He threw down his palette, took her in his arms and kissed her.

She pushed him away.  "Maybe your other models let you kiss them," she said.

"I've never tried to kiss a model before," he swore.

"Really," she said, softening.  "How many models have there been?"

"Four," he replied.  "A jug, two apples, and a vase."

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet

From our upcoming book compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
Laugh is setup with just over 4 jokes a day, all 365 days, and can be read in any order!
Expected Release Date: Fall 2010

Celebrating daily life

Richard Bach is quoted as saying, “Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished.  If you're alive, it isn't.”  “To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else,” said Emily Dickinson.  Grandma Moses said, “Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.”  “To live remains an art which everyone must learn, and which no one can teach.,“ said Havelock Ellis.  Gioacchino Rossini said, “Eating, loving, singing and digesting are, in truth, the four acts of the comic opera known as life, and they pass like bubbles of a bottle of champagne.  Whoever lets them break without having enjoyed them is a complete fool.”   

I find these quotations inspiring, and I end this essay with my own.  But, I must add at this point—an unabashedly blatant commercial—that if you enjoy great quotations, please see my complete collection of over 1600 motivational quotations: SMOERs—Self Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules: Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living (And Then Some Publishing, 2009).  You won’t be disappointed. 

Most often when we think of celebrating, it is just at those special times (e.g., birthdays, Christmas, New Years, athletic victories, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, etc.), and we seldom believe (or think) about celebrating on a daily basis.  What do most of us have to be thankful for?  A brief list may stimulate your thoughts: parents, family, children, health, abundance of resources, liberty and freedom, friends and neighbors, independence, self-sufficiency, and life itself, to name a few. 

So often we overlook what we have to celebrate.  At the web site, The List, it says, “We live in a country where we are free. We are free to participate in the political process without fear. We are free to practice our religion, whatever it may be.  Every child has the opportunity to go to school. And although the economy is bad, we are still living a life that many people in this world can only dream of. We are blessed.”  For most people in this country, this is what we have to celebrate, and, too, is exactly what we overlook. 

At the web site, nwfdailynews.com  and at the end of his essay, “During the holidays, be thankful for what we have,” Buddy Duncan writes: “Each night as I tuck my little girl in I am thankful for the soft cozy bed, the electricity to heat our home, the job and the health with which I can afford the electricity and other needs and comforts. I believe we have so much to be thankful for it is a waste of precious time bemoaning our lacks.” 

We don’t need to wait for tomorrow and the success, affluence, wealth, or riches it may bring. All you need to do is survey your life for your own personal stories, experiences, and joys—the way your life has purpose, the needs that have been satisfied, and the beauties of nature that surround you.  You have a wealth of wonderful stories, experiences, and joys—even if there may be no major successes, affluence, wealth, or riches in your life thus far. 

At the USA Today web site, Gladys Edmunds has written an essay, “Entrepreneurial Tightrope: Things to be thankful for,” in which she lists things anyone in business has to be thankful for (I have condensed her thoughts and used them verbatim here without quotation marks): 1) Be eternally grateful for having a sense of purpose, the guiding light that keeps you motivated to keep on keeping on no matter how rough the road.  2) Be thankful you know that an easy way to reach your larger goals is to set the smaller goals that you can more easily see.  3) Be thankful for keeping negative thoughts out of the way.  4) Be thankful for all of the wonderful books, CDs and articles that help you to keep a positive, upbeat attitude toward life and living and being in business.  5) Be thankful for recognizing that self-confidence like self-esteem is not a steady state; it comes and goes depending on the situation you find yourself in.  6) Be thankful that you recognize the tell-tale signs of imbalance—lack of energy, irritability, over—or under—eating to name a few—and you have scheduled quiet time for yourself to evaluate your situation and implemented the necessary things to get your life back in order.   

There are three more items in the list.  7) Be thankful for the ability to bring people into your life that will lead you to success: mentors, advocates, a coach when needed, good employees and of course the necessary subcontractors to help you have time to yourself.  8) Be thankful you recognize that success depends on consistent learning. And, when you stop learning, you stop living.  9) Be thankful that when opportunities show up you recognize them and seize the opportunity to your advantage. More important, be thankful that even when opportunity seems to have hidden itself from you, you have the good sense to use your creativity to create an opportunity for yourself. 

I have often advocated the need for quiet time, and I have often written about the time I have to myself when I am jogging early in the morning.  These are not just some of the most creative times I experience, but they are times, too, to celebrate what I have learned, appreciate my place in life, and to plan for the day, next week, or even next year.  To carve out just a few moments each day to clear our minds and to think about all that we have to be thankful for are moments of quiet celebration—quiet joy.  Celebration need not be loud, boisterous, animated, exuberant, and noisy.  It is just as purposeful and meaningful when it is restrained, low-key, peaceful—and private. 

And I want to close this essay on celebrating daily life with my own quotation: The beauty of celebrating everyday life is the joy of having a carnival of the spirit, a festival for our frame of mind, and a tribute to our way of thinking that boosts our morale and provides an ongoing force that drives our daily espirit de corps.  Celebrating our daily life may not seem that important; however, it gives each of us a chance to show our appreciation for those things that really matter to us, and daily celebrations remind us of how fortunate, privileged, or simply lucky we are. 

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At PR Log: Free Press Release, the essay is entitled, “Give Thanks! The Gratitude Collection Celebrates I Am So Thankful Month,” and the point of the essay is given in the subheading: “The Gratitude Collection is celebrating National I Am So Thankful Month by offering suggestions on how you can show your gratitude and thankfulness to others.”  There are three great suggestions that allow us all to celebrate everyday thankfulness. 

Marelisa Fabrega, on her Abundance Blog, has an essay, “50 Ways to Celebrate Life Every Day,” in which she wants readers to “establish a goal to celebrate life in some way, however small, every day. Below,” she writes, “you will find a list of 50 simple joys to help remind you to slow down, celebrate life, and enjoy the moment!”  Some are small and trivial, others aren’t, but they are fun suggestions designed for everyday celebrations. 

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Copyright November, 2010, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.

Day #224 - Think before you speak.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

"Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts.  I wonder why we think faster than we speak.  Probably so we can think twice."  --Bill Watterson

Day #224 - Think before you speak.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

S'Mores and Celebrating Daily Life Preview

And Then Some Publishing News

How do you turn a unsavory situation and make it tasty again? Sometimes you have to throw it all away and start again. That is not the situation we are in. Richard L. Weaver II and Anthony Weaver filmed numerous videos on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 and they turned out fantastic! We were hoping to release the first video today, however due to technical difficulties the first release has been delayed. 


The first video we are releasing is all about S'Mores... wait... no SMOERs. What is SMOERs? It's a tasty book quotes compiled by Richard L. Weaver II. In the video he explains the inspiration for the book... and then some!

We will continue to try and figure out what the problem is and will let you know when the video is available in the next couple of days.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Celebrating daily life."  Most often when we think of celebrating, it is just at those special times (e.g., birthdays, Christmas, New Years, athletic victories, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, etc.), and we seldom believe (or think) about celebrating on a daily basis.  What do most of us have to be thankful for?  A brief list may stimulate your thoughts: parents, family, children, health, abundance of resources, liberty and freedom, friends and neighbors, independence, self-sufficiency, and life itself, to name a few.

Celebrating daily life
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:

And I want to close this essay on celebrating daily life with my own quotation: The beauty of celebrating everyday life is the joy of having a carnival of the spirit, a festival for our frame of mind, and a tribute to our way of thinking that boosts our morale and provides an ongoing force that drives our daily espirit de corps.  Celebrating our daily life may not seem that important; however, it gives each of us a chance to show our appreciation for those things that really matter to us, and daily celebrations remind us of how fortunate, privileged, or simply lucky we are.

And Then Some Works!

The genius in all of us: Why everything you’ve been told about genetics, talent, and IQ is wrong

Book Club... And Then Some!

The genius in all of us: Why everything you’ve been told about genetics, talent, and IQ is wrong 
        

by David Shenk


Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

For a 302-page book, this is an amazingly short one, and here’s why.  The “Sources and Notes, Clarifications and Amplifications” section is 140-pages long!  140 pages!!!  Then there is a 20-page “Bibliography,” and there is no index.  So, the book ends with a 1 1/2-page “Epilogue,” on page 134!  There are ten chapters; thus, average chapter length is about 13 pages.

Despite its brevity, this is an amazingly interesting, very well written, captivating through stories and anecdotes, seemingly accurately explained and described, and thoroughly documented book. 

All those who might be interested in purchasing this book should be advised to read the reviews at Amazon.com.  Todd Stark’s (from Philadelphia, PA), writes (as part of his review): “In deconstructing talent, Shenk leaves no room to think about what little the scandalously politically incorrect Galton, Spearman, and Terman might have somehow gotten right, what stable developmental trajectories genes might actually provide us under a wide range of environments, and what sorts of things the people Shenk cites favorably might actually disagree with him about.”  Be sure to look at Stark’s list of additional readings while you are there. 

Then, there is Kevin Currie-Knight from Newark, Delaware, who writes (as part of his review), “WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! It is true, of course, that studies deal with groups and averages, not individuals and specifics. But, this does not mean that studies can't be generalized, as that is the whole point of studies with controls on variables, sufficient sample sizes, etc.”

M. A. Glenn, of Santa Cruz Mountains, CA, writes: “Shenk's premise is that there are no geniuses, there are no exceptional people, we just have to work at developing the talent that is latent in all of us. He relies on a marginal branch of genetics that holds that genes don't have much to do with our natural endowments. We are all mostly the same and factors other than our genes shape us. Hence, no need to discuss nature vs. nurture because it's all nurture. 

"No doubt, hard work and drive are important, but Shenk never addresses the source of this hard work and drive. Could it be part of one's genetic makeup? No, Shenk is convinced that genes have little to do with talent and achievement. He uses this premise to attack IQ, the Bell Curve, genius, talent, and even Ayn Rand. Incredible! Of course, if there are no exceptions, then we, as individuals, are not only equal under the law, but equal in all ways. The subtext is that individuality and merit are old notions that we must move beyond. How democratic! I hated it at summer camp when everyone was a winner. Competition drives us and pushes us to our inherited limits. 

"Most troubling is the logical inconsistency in Shenk's argument: if genes play little role in achievement, then what about natural selection. His handling of the Kenyan runners is laughable. After centuries of natural selection to run faster, Shenk concludes that we don't know that genes have anything to do with it. Unanswered, of course, is how this idea relates to such hot topics as homosexuality. If this is gene determined,w hy the exception? If this is part of Shenk's theory, then is he really saying that homosexuality is learned? He's stays far away from any unpopular implication of his premise. This is a shallow, PC argument for mediocrity and a not so subtle attack on individual achievement, written by a popularizer with little, if any, education in the subject. 

"If we just work hard enough, and follow Shenk's suggestions, we might become a mid-life Mozart. Wrong. There is greatness and, yes, you have to inherit the basic stuff for greatness, such as long legs for jumping, before you can practice your way to stardom. If Shenk had been born with talent, it would not have taken him three years to write this thin polemic. Footnoted, but, so what? A waste of time.”

Brazen999, from Florida, writes: “This book sells hope to those that don't measure up genetically and those that wish everyone did measure up genetically. The book can be summed up as "You can do it!", said in the style of Rob Schneider. But he makes a whole mess of oxymoronic and contradictory claims to push that message through though.”

R. M. Smith, another reviewer of the book at Amazon.com, writes, “Sometimes journalists can make sense of complex scientific topics and sometimes they can't. Unfortunately, in this book, David Shenk falls into the latter category. "The Genius in All of Us" is another example of the romantic fantasy that is gripping some realms of popular psychology and all of public education at the moment (think No Child Left Behind). Yes, human nature is plastic, but it is not as yielding as Shenk would like us to believe. In the real world, our genomes impose tighter constraints. For instance, I doubt that David Shenk has an IQ of 85 which he has re-worked through 10,000 hours of writing practice culminating in the publication of a book.”

Now, I don’t want to suggest that all the reviews of this book at Amazon.com are negative as the above selections would indicate.  There are a total (at this writing) of 34 reviews with an average customer rating of four stars out of five.  But, what these reviews indicate is significant.  Some of the positive reviews are rather superficial and don’t look below the surface.  I feel, when you read the complete reviews of those who give the book a negative review (and I have been incredibly selective in the portions I have quoted above), they have some serious—and some quite in-depth—concerns.

If you want a quick-read motivational book, this is a good one to choose, after all, David Shenk’s bottom line is a simple one: all people can do better by working harder.  Who can deny that? — scientific evidence or not!
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This book is available from Amazon.com: The genius in all of us: Why everything you’ve been told about genetics, talent, and IQ is wrong.