by Stephen Mills on January 8, 2012
Here are some books I have read recently that I think are worth checking out.
Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When Words Don’t Work – This is an excellent book. If you communicate ideas to other people then you want to read this book. It is worth its weight in gold.
Smart Thinking: Three Essential Keys to Solve Problems, Innovate, and Get Things Done – This is simply a smart book.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
– I’m an introvert and I loved this book.
Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction
– A very insightful book on personal and professional life satisfaction.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
– A superb book on how our minds work by a giant in the field.
The following two books are short singles so get the kindle version which is much less expensive. They are both excellent.
Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way
Read This Before Our Next Meeting
Here are some other worthwhile books:
Innovation You: Four Steps to Becoming New and Improved
Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time
What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite
18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done
Mindhacker: 60 Tips, Tricks, and Games to Take Your Mind to the Next Level
Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything
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by Stephen Mills on January 1, 2012
Note from Stephen: This is a guest article from Dr. Sean Sullivan. Dr. Sullivan has a book and online course available called “The Mind Masters Silent Journey” which I am currently evaluating. I will be writing a review of them when I’m finished. The last part of this article is an excerpt from his material.
As a psychologist who spends his days focused on researching and teaching (and living) the characteristics of “peak performance,” studying the influence of the “unconscious” on our lives is a primary area of my work.
To properly honor www.ratracetrap.com with this year-end guest post I’m giving a nod to a most popular post from the beginning of this year. Not surprisingly, Stephen’s article Unconscious Influences on Our Behavior, and the 3 influences below in particular, attracted me…
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by Stephen Mills on December 30, 2011
This article is just a random rant.
It’s like a train wreck that you can’t look away from. Usually I go to Google news to scan the science section for interesting tidbits. I don’t read the other trash. However, today as I was scrolling down I saw a headline that I just had to read, something about Kelly Clarkson loosing fans over support of Ron Paul. Why would anyone stop listening to songs because the artist supported a politician you didn’t like?
I found this:
“I used to like Kelly Clarkson. But I can’t like anyone who is either ignorant enough or arrogant enough to endorse a candidate like Ron Paul,” Spafford Freeman told Fox411 on Thursday from her home in Minnesota. “I have listened to ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ for the last time.”
Singers are often a wacky bunch and often do a lot of things I wouldn’t do. But I don’t listen to them because of their politics or other antics. What is she a hero you worship who has now fallen? If you like “Since You’ve Been Gone” why the hell do you care anything about the what the person who sings it thinks about a politician who doesn’t have a chance in hell to win?
In any case did Kelly Clarkson say something wrong? Did she express racist or homophobic views? No she said she supported Ron Paul because of his limited government stance.
I like a lot of people who think a lot of things differently than I do and who are completely opposed to things I care about. So what. You are a shallow person if you can’t accept anyone who thinks differently than you do, much less someone who doesn’t know you from a clod of dirt.
Here’s a good one:
“Ew just found out Kelly Clarkson luvs Ron Paul lyk, 4eva and stuff. Soz Kelly, not your fan anymore.”
What the hell does that even say? My response is you’re a freaking idiot – 4eva.
Evidently Clarkson apologized because she didn’t mean to offend anyone. Now that is what I don’t like. We want people to be authentic but nobody of influence can say anything anymore without offending someone and being ripped to shreds over it. I wish she would have said F**K YOU, I don’t want any fans who would stop listening to my music over this. Now that is probably what she thinks but she can’t be authentic so her publicist likely helped her craft a politically acceptable apology.
I guess I’m just getting to be an old crank. Happy New Year anyway!
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by Stephen Mills on December 25, 2011
Even though the spirit of Christmas has turned into a consumer obsession, it is still a good time of the year to think about the spirit of giving a little something of yourself to make the world a better place. This article is about what you individually can do. It’s about accomplishing something worthwhile by yourself.
I’m not telling you to try and make a difference in anything or not to try and make a difference. That is a completely personal choice that each person makes for themselves. Frankly I’m tired of the constant demand for giving of time or money for this or that cause. It’s a turn off and in my mind counter-productive. I find myself less likely to give anything to anybody as a result. You can’t even go through a check out line now without the clerk asking you to donate to some effort. What follows is my advice on the most effective use of your personal resources should you choose to do something.
Movements
I am strongly anti-crusade, anti-mass movement, anti-group action, etc. I wrote an article last year on this topic and I encourage you to read it here: The Problem With Causes, Crusades, or Organized Movements. It rarely succeeds and even when it does the result is not necessarily what one had hoped for. For instance the Egyptian freedom movement, which did succeed in ousting the corrupt Egyptian government, looks like it is going to end up resulting in a strongly Islamist government. I’m pretty sure many of the young people and women of that movement aren’t going to be happy with the results. Some will be happy and some will have felt like they contributed to something worse.
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