Rhetoric, Ethos and A Life of Influence

In yesterday's post I made the point that internal changes modify that which emanates from you and as a result others see you in a new light. How they perceive you is related to ethos, for ethos belongs not to you but to your audience.

The Ass and his Purchaser: A valuable life lesson from Aesop

"The Ass and his Purchaser" by Aesop A man wished to purchase an Ass, and agreed with its owner that he should try out the animal before he bought him. He took the Ass home and put him in the straw-yard with his other Asses, upon which the new animal left all the others and at …

Continue reading The Ass and his Purchaser: A valuable life lesson from Aesop

The Creative Mystery: Genius, Creativity and You

Whether you feel it important or necessary to change your view on the nature of the source of creativity, the important lesson I believe is that you never stop allowing yourself to be a source of creative inspiration. Whether to your family, to your friends, to co-workers or clients, in private or in public, keep the "channels open" and the "creative juices flowing."

Common Sense: Voltaire said it best.

If you inadvertantly brushed up against a thorny bush while walking on a path in the woods - whether you put the bush there or not - you would probably move swiftly to extract yourself from the bush and move on. You think that people would do the same with the emotional and mental thorns encountered in the path of life, but do they? In my observation the greater tendency is to wrestle with the bush, roll around in it, jump in it, jump on it, walk away and leap back onto it just when it looked like they were clear of it...anything but get away from it! It just doesn't make any sense.

Masters of the Air

To be sure, letting your view of the world around you become stale or static is unnecessary and unfortunate. Be open and willing to see what you've see a million times - whether person, place or thing - in a new light, starting now.

Leadership Lessons: Sir Ernest Shackleton and The Endurance

One value of recounting the great achievements wrought by our fellows throughout history is that their stories help to put our current worries, fears or concerns into perspective. Did you really let traffic "ruin your day," the wrong item in your take-out order "piss you off" or an unfriendly glare or comment "cause you to blow up?" Try dealing with being stranded in the middle of nowhere for two years, incommunicado and with 27 people you've only just met.

Your Relationship with Language

I had a friend many years ago who swore she recalled her first minutes out of the womb.  The bright lights, the movement, the suddenly unmuted sounds and the large creatures who made rhythmic noises to one another and in her direction all formed her first memories!  From the moment you emerged from the warmth and relative  safety of the womb, you likely encountered similar stimuli, …

Continue reading Your Relationship with Language

Hymn to the Night

Thank you for your comments and attention over the last week.  It has been a remarkable one on many fronts, and I appreciate your willingness to take steps to improve your ability to interact with the world around you.  I leave you tonight with a few words from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Hymn to the Night I …

Continue reading Hymn to the Night

Word Salad or Le Mot Juste?: How to Speak and Write Better by Gregg Hake

Grammar, vocabulary and articulation tend to imprison more than they liberate. Far too many people feel inadequate and embarrassed or even ashamed of their lack of ability in this area. Some blame a lack of proper education, others accuse themselves of not having listened while being given a good education, but the truth of the matter is that you can start where you are, always!

The Dignified Life – The Choice is Yours by Gregg Hake

Every thought, word or deed you express either carries in it the compelling tone of dignity or the disquieting sound of lowliness. The choice is yours. Remember. The choice is always yours.