Stick to your words, but don’t be stuck with your words
Intelligence means to know when to stick to our words and when to not stay stuck with our words. Our trustworthiness is determined, in the [...]
Is fear a character defect
Suppose we have a fracture in our hand; we don't consider it a character defect but a functional challenge. We deal with it by first [...]
When is a fear real & when unreal?
Fear accelerates our imagination and blurs our perception of what is real and what isn't. When we are being swept away by the power of [...]
The difference between anxiety and fear
The difference between anxiety and fear is that anxiety is more generalized and associated with the tendencies of the mind. Fear is often specific and [...]
Anxiety – constructive vs destructive
Anxiety is constructive when it alerts us to the presence of danger, but it becomes destructive when it decreases or deletes our capacity to differentiate [...]
Two ways to look at emotions
Emotions are helpful when we see them as information, but they are harmful when we see them as instruction. Whenever we feel an emotion, say [...]
Choose silence in these 3 situations
Three situations when silence is our best friend, summarized by the acronym NOT: First is N when we have a negative opinion or attitude or [...]
Four ways people look at problems
Four ways people look at problems: When we are in the mode of ignorance, whenever we are faced with problems, we go into self-pity and [...]
The discipline of mind that leads to happiness
To know what things are of value is good, to have the things of value is better and to value the things of value that [...]
How to maintain humility while also having ability
Humility is the ability to remember that our ability is not actually our ability. When people have some extraordinary ability, it is very easy for [...]
Does urgency steal our manners?
Just because we do not have a minute to lose does not mean that we have to lose our manners; we can be both polite [...]
Verbal restraint and verbal candour
If we sweep too many things under the rug, then what we end up with is not a rug but a lumpy path that only [...]
Playing it safe with silence
Speaking what everyone is thinking but no one is speaking doesn't always make us fearless. It can make us headless and mannerless. When something inappropriate [...]
A warning about giving others a warning
Some people see warnings as a sign to stop what they are doing and others see the same warnings as signs that they should keep [...]
How NOT to respond to mistakes
Pondering our mistakes is helpful if the focus is on how we can learn, but pondering our mistakes can be harmful if the focus is [...]
How to identify insecure people
When a candid evaluation of others is seen simply as a series of compliments and insults, then that person is seen as unreliable and not [...]
Proving point or improving viewpoint
Proving our point is counterproductive if we are not improving our viewpoint. Sometimes when we know that someone else is wrong and we go about [...]
When people behave strangely…
Just because some actions are inconsiderate does not necessarily mean that they are unwarranted or inappropriate. When someone behaves in a way that does not [...]
Why people think we are disrespectful
Just because something is obvious to us doesn't mean that it has to be obvious to everyone else. To use the word 'obviously' can come [...]
See beyond harsh language
Just because we don't endorse someone's language doesn't mean that we can't empathize with their feelings. Sometimes some people express their concerns in language that [...]
Enthusiasm vs over-enthusiasm
When we find that our enthusiasm is overriding our manners, that is when our enthusiasm is becoming over-enthusiasm. We all are enthusiastic about certain things; [...]