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10 Things I Learned from Andrew DeYoung, award-winning author of “The Exo Project” (Persuasion Play Podcast episode 002)

Andrew DeYoung has wanted to be a writer since he started reading Chapter Books in grade school.

And while Andrew’s been a writer for decades, his first published novel has made a splash.

The Exo Project was the winner of the 2017 Minnesota Book Awards for Young Adult Literature! Congratulations Andrew!

exoproject

I am lucky enough to live across the street from Andrew. We spent an evening together drinking whiskey, chatting about his writing, and discussing the need for validation that comes with the creative process.

Check it out! Continue reading “10 Things I Learned from Andrew DeYoung, award-winning author of “The Exo Project” (Persuasion Play Podcast episode 002)”

10 Things You’ll Learn in “Win Bigly” by Scott Adams

Way back in 2012, my wife and I traveled by Amtrak train to Chicago to visit some friends. Between card games in the bar car and beautiful scenery out the window, I read a book about Negotiation.

I was interested in making more money. I wasn’t sure how to ask or even if I was in the right profession. Continue reading “10 Things You’ll Learn in “Win Bigly” by Scott Adams”

The Problem with Positivity (Negative Embedded Commands)

Imagine you’re at a party. You stop in the kitchen to refill your beverage. You find yourself drawn into a conversation. As the evening (and the conversation) progresses, the kitchen fills with more and more people.

Soon it seems as though the rest of the house must be empty! Everyone is in the kitchen!

People gather where there is food. "Cake!" by Kate Russel, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
People gather where there is food and warmth. “Cake!” by Kate Russel, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

I’m sure you’ve noticed — people love to gather in the kitchen at parties. The hearth is the symbolic center of the home, where food and warmth are found. Continue reading “The Problem with Positivity (Negative Embedded Commands)”

10 Things I Learned from “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive” by Patrick Lencioni

My interest in Persuasion and getting people moving, getting them working and improving, overlaps with business and leadership.

I follow a number of successful entrepreneurs on Twitter. Many of them know that reality is flexible, that we create (and live by) our own limits.

Image "Put your hands up in the air" by Thomas Leuthard, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
Image “Put your hands up in the air” by Thomas Leuthard, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

Inspiring people to push past those self-inflicted limits is one view of Persuasion, and important for any self-starter like yourself.

Another aspect of persuasion, especially in larger businesses, is change management. Continue reading “10 Things I Learned from “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive” by Patrick Lencioni”

Making a Change for the New Year

Last week we discussed Luck. Is an event that happens to us Good Luck or Bad Luck?

The Yin and the Yang are opposing forces in the universe, in balance regardless of how Humans perceive things.
The Yin and the Yang are opposing forces in the universe, in balance regardless of how Humans perceive things.

In the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a film filled with references to the balance of the universe (tao), a character is asked that exact question.

Was this event good luck or bad luck?

Continue reading “Making a Change for the New Year”

Persuasion Articles of the Week

Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who knows?

How we frame the world makes all the difference in how we perceive events in our lives.

 

How can I make myself irresistible to everyone?

11 habits that make you good company. That’s a persuasive place to be.

 

Millennials are Screwed

This article paints a bleak picture that’s not wrong. If you’re stuck in the rat race… maybe it’s time to work on escaping that race? Online learning opportunities abound, and the ability to sell products online (your own or someone else’s) has never been easier. I aim to expand my income streams in 2018, how about you?

Have a Merry Christmas!

 

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Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who knows?

Once there was a farmer whose frail old horse ran away. The farmer was unable to plow his fields without that old horse. All the people in town were concerned for the old man and his family, asking how he’d be able to handle his bad luck.

The farmer responded, “Bad Luck? Good Luck? Who knows?”

Later in the week, that horse returned with a pack of wild horses. The townspeople were excited for the old man’s fortune.

The farmer responded, “Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who knows?”

The following month was spent breaking the wild horses to work the farm and to sell. During this time, the farmer’s son fell off a horse and broke his leg.

By then everyone knew the farmer’s answer. “Bad Luck? Good Luck? Who knows?”

While the son was healing, the nation went to war. Every able-bodied male was conscripted to fight. The son with the broken leg was allowed to stay home while the neighbors’ sons went off to war.

Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who knows?

Is a flat tire Good luck or Bad luck? Photo "Changing a Tire" by Don O'Brien, Flick, CC-By-2.0
Is a flat tire Good luck or Bad luck?
Photo “Changing a Tire” by Don O’Brien, Flick, CC-By-2.0

We often see life’s events in terms of Good or Bad (or maybe even Good vs. Evil). Continue reading “Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who knows?”