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Point of Diminishing Returns

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53891816 - an illustration of downward trend or diminishing return

The best and, in many cases, the most common Point of Diminishing Return happens as the evening gets later when you’re at a bar, party or club. We’ve all experienced this… we are out for an evening on the town having a great time, drinking and socializing. The music is loud, the drinks are flowing fast, but it’s getting later and you’re getting tired. You’ve had a few drinks at this point and you’re feeling good and have had a nice night with your friends (meeting new people, whatever). At some point as the evening goes on, the quality of the evening hits a peak, plateaus and then starts descending / deteriorating. The point at which the night starts getting worse is the exact Point of Diminishing Returns, where the ‘returns’ or ‘gains’ for the evening start evaporating.Read More »

A Simple Bottle of Wine

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WineBottleCompressed

When you’re invited to a party, dinner or similar, make it a rule to bring something. If you’re invited as a guest to somebody’s house, bring something. If you attend somebody’s birthday, bring something. Be gracious and go beyond the call of duty in these situations, even if you are not expected to bring anything. This applies even if you know the hosts of the event very well… (in that case, you really know what they need or like).  And, as often as possible, ask the host what you can bring or do to help prior to arriving. Asking this question alone suggests that you are appreciative of being invited and generally conscientious. Even if the thing you bring is very small, it will be well-appreciatedRead More »

Tattoo Remorse?

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The more I travel, particularly in South America and Europe, the more people with tattoos I see.   In addition, so many professional athletes, artists, actors and other celebrities have tattoos and tattoo parlors are popping up on city blocks everywhere.   With increasing popularity (and trendiness) tattoos are everywhere and they seem like a fantastic way to express our interests, dreams, religion, significant others, kids and more. Watch an NBA game or music video and pay attention to the ink.  It’s hard to miss. We become walking billboards of sorts and can ‘say’ a lot without saying a word.   Many tattoo artists are skilled and creative and much of the work is really impressive – I often admire good tattoo art. But, it’s my job as the Smarter Sooner guy to suggest that you think VERY SERIOUSLY about getting a Tattoo first. Here’s why…

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3 Things I Regret

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regrets

As I reflect on my college and high school years, I regret not doing three important things: 1) taking a semester or more abroad, 2) focusing on learning a second language, and 3) participating in some sort of drama or acting program. Here’s why and some things to think about to help you avoid regrets like these:

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Key to Success: Be an Expert

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expertSimply put, becoming a true expert in your field will increase your success. It’s a fact, but it’s something that I didn’t learn until much later.   No matter what you do, the more expertise you have, the more successful you will be.

Think about any successful people you know. Their success is most likely directly associated with their knowledge, familiarity and fluency with their line of work. The better your skills and the more knowledge you have, the more valuable you are in the workplace. Employers know the difference between those people who simply try to coast through versus those who are genuinely applying themselves. Just like in sports, you can be a player like everyone else, or you can be the MVP.

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Moderation & the 80/20 Rule

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moderationEpicurus (the philosopher) brilliantly once said, “Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.” What Epicurus is saying is that by doing things in moderation, we won’t (likely) ever have to exclude ourselves from things that give us joy.   If we stop for a minute and think, we all would agree that doing things in moderation (e.g. not “overdoing it”) is smarter and more sustainable in one’s life. The key is to remember this and apply the required discipline sooner than later.

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Three F-Words to Know

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DecisionMaking

In life, we make a lot of decisions. Sometimes they’re easy and many times they’re not so easy. About 10-years ago, I started using three “F” words as a filter to help me make a number of decisions. The three words are Fame, Fortune and Fun and I call this the “3-F” Rule. It’s really simple and I’ve used it a lot. I really wish I had used it sooner in life!

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Positive vs. Negative Thoughts

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This blog is a reminder of the impact of a very old principle: that Likes Attract. The person who is Smarter Sooner knows this especially as it applies to thinking and saying positive things. Simply put, the more you behave / think / speak in a positive way, the more positive things you will have in your life. It’s so simple.

Power-of-positive-thinking

Conversely, when you’re generally negative in your thinking and speaking, you are more likely to attract negative things in your life.   If it takes the same amount of energy to be positive as it does to be/think negatively, why would you not be more positive? This is a very simple concept and something that, unfortunately, many people don’t realize and apply.   If the simple act of being positive would bring more goodness into your life, why wouldn’t you simply think positively? It’s a reminder that all of us can use. I believe that more people would apply this if they actually thought about it. Test if for yourself and see what happens.

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Can Sadness Actually Make Us Happier?

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Happy_Sad_copyHow Periods of Unhappiness Can Actually Make You Happier…

I know this seems odd, but it’s actually true when you consider the following premise: Feeling unhappy from time to time helps us truly sense and appreciate the opposite — when we feel happy.   It’s the contrast that makes the difference. If we only felt one emotion (whatever it is) without any contrast or change in emotion, that emotion would be meaningless and mundane. In this example, if we never knew the feeling of being unhappy, how would we truly know what happiness is, and in the same sense, how would we truly appreciate being happy if being happy was all we felt? (The same applies with many other contrasting feelings or experiences we have in our lives.)

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Learn from “Close Calls”

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plane_CloseCallHave you ever had a close call and breathed a sigh of relief? These happen to all of us in many different situations. BUT, have you ever thought about paying closer attention to these events and perhaps considering that they’re sending a subtle (or even blunt) message that we can use to our advantage?   As I’ve aged, I’ve become more aware of how ‘close calls’ are usually good signs and reminders for us to ‘wake up’ and examine our behavior. Thinking about our behavior more often is a good rule and it makes us “Smarter”. Here’s how it applies to close calls…

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