Stop Trying to Fix the Mirror

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I don’t know what world you live in. I mean that literally. I don’t know what business you’re in, what your customers think of you, how people treat you–I don’t know any of those things. I don’t know what world you live in. But one thing that I do know, with certainty, is this:

Your world is a mirror that reflects who you are.

Motivational Speaker Bill Stainton

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Are You Playing Music…or Just Notes?

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award winning performance
See that guy on the left? The one at the Steinway? That’s Andras Schiff, one of the greatest concert pianists alive today. Andras and I have a few things in common: 1) we both play the piano; 2) we both play Steinways (although his preferred instrument is a Bosendorfer); 3) we’ve both had dinner with my sister (but not ...

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Are You an Award-Winning Performer?

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You don’t need an award to have award-winning performance.

A couple of friends and I went to a little jazz club in Seattle on Saturday night. The quartet, led by vocalist Greta Matassa, was outstanding. My friends and I had a wonderful time, but here’s the thing that really struck me:

Towards the end of the last set, late into the night, there were only about fifteen to twenty people left in the club. Yet the band ...

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Who Moved My Peas?

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First, a status report. My cheese is fine. Nobody’s moved my cheese; my cheese is right where it’s always been.

Cheese, you see, is the reward you get for making it through the maze. It’s the fun stuff. Cheese is:

  • the glass of wine at the end of the day
  • the weekend movie
  • the summer trip to Italy

Cheese is the fun stuff. I’m not going to lose track of my cheese. It’s front-of-mind, and I know exactly where it is.

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The REAL Reason to Do Great Work

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award-winning performanceIt’s that time of year again—time for my annual “Let’s try to see as many Oscar nominated movies as possible” drive. So last night I saw Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which is not exactly the front runner for Best Picture. Still, it’s nominated, as is co-star Max von Sydow for Best Supporting Actor. Conspicuously missing from the nominations, however, is ...

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What Decision Will You Make Today?

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What decision will you make today?

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Every movement—forward, backward, or sideways—begins with a decision. The quality of that movement is determined, to a large degree, by the quality of the decision. Making a decision is like putting your car in “drive.” You’re not going to go anywhere until you step on the gas, but by shifting into “drive,” you’re making ...

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A Great Business Lesson From the Grammys

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award winning performance

Back in my Seattle TV days, I used to hang out occasionally with a guy named Dave Grohl, who was the drummer for a little trio called Nirvana. Last night, he and his current band, Foo Fighters, picked up five Grammy awards. While accepting the award for Best Rock Album, Dave said something that really struck a chord (pun intended, ...

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Don’t Be Like Netflix!

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award-winning performanceSo I got a Roku for Christmas. Now, I know that “a Roku” sounds like one of those yappy little dogs that Paris Hilton would carry around in a purse, but it’s not. It’s actually a very cool little device that sits near your TV and lets you stream movies and TV shows from sources like Hulu and Netflix. And the ...

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Do What You Hate

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I just got back from the gym. Perhaps not the earth-shattering news you’ve come to expect from this blog, but to get the full impact you have to know two things:

  1. I hate going to the gym (even though I go virtually every day); and,
  2. I really hate going to the gym in the morning!

But, because of some scheduling conflicts, it turns out that 7:30 this morning was the only time today I could go. Yes, I could have opted to simply ...

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When to Walk Away

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On September 4, 1962, the Beatles recorded what was to be their very first single—a song called How Do You Do It?, written by a songwriter named Mitch Murray. If you’re of a certain age, you’ve probably heard this song. But the version you’ve heard isn’t the Beatles version; it’s by another Liverpool band called Gerry and the Pacemakers. The Beatles begged their producer, George Martin, not to release their version because they wanted their singles to be Beatles originals—songs ...

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