The Owners Manual for your most important piece of technology | Your Brain

Do you remember “The Greatest American Hero”?  The premise was that teacher Ralph Hinkley was given this amazing piece of technology, a flying super suit, with no instruction manual.  He slowly finds new things it could do throughout the series. Eventually, he got a hold of an Owner’s Manual and starts to tear it up (and subsequently jumps the shark).

iBrain is no iPhone

The iPhone works so well because it is simple, and not highly customizable (unlike the Android but I wont go there).  Your brain seems to be an amazing piece of machinery  is simple in use and straight forward and not very customizable.  That was the (incorrect) view until radical thinking around the 60s and still a common view until recently.

As “Your Brain at Work” discusses, your most vital piece of equipment is highly customizable (neuro plasticity) and very complex, absorbing millions of pieces of data.  The unfortunate part is it comes booted up with firmware for surviving in the Serengeti, not for an office or in an Information Revolution.

Complex Brain Processes and Neuroscience Terms : explained and fixed

Now, don’t get scared of this if you are not science minded.  There are some science terms and brain chemical processes discussed.  Terms such as Cortisol, Prefrontal Cortex and Oxytocin are simplified and put into context for anyone to use it.  What’s even better, the Author, David Rock,  addresses, through anecdotes, the misconceptions and traps we all fall into in our daily operating lives caused by these chemical workings and neural pathways.  I am a science buff and in the past few years, a neuroscience enthusiast, so it was a little slow for me on that edge.  For the average reader, it’s perfect, so don’t worry.

Rock then takes the problem after elaborating the cause and gives you a fix.  The simple and relatable anecdotes are fantastic.  ”Here’s what happened to Paul when he screwed up.  Now here is what happened to Paul when he understands how his brain works and adjusts for the situation.” Caveat: The Paul that screwed up is a novice.  The Paul that gets the situation right is a Black Belt in Brainworks.

Good for parents too

There are some instinctual things I see parents doing and I would also think they are the correct thing to do as well.  David Rock also addresses how parents brains work as well as children’s. The understanding of the brain’s structure as well as its evolution through childhood,  adolescence , and adulthood can help initiate change in the family unit when impasses and bad cycles of relationships occur.

A Multiple Read or A Go-To book

Just like reading the manual for your camera, you are not going to become an expert in one take.  Unlike reading a volume on how to operate your new remote control helicopter, “Your Brain At Work” is easy to read (or listen to, as I did) again and again in snippets because of the structure.  This Instruction Manual will improve your ability to not only cope in today’s Information Revolution based society, but excel.  There were several times were I was in crisis mode, picked this up, and was in a much better state after putting it down.

I took my first computer class in 1981 at 7 years old.  It was programming on an Apple IIe.  Thanks to Steve Jobs I learned I loved computers.

I learned that shipping things then fixing them is the best way.  Nothing will ever be perfected in the lab.

I learned to have a vision and stick with it, but be flexible enough to know it might now be the right time and keep the idea running.

I learned the more monumental the failure, the better chance of a monumental success the next time around.

College is not necessary for success, nor does it guarantee a job.

Showmanship is important for everyone, even nerds.

World domination is possible.

If you always try your hardest and demand the same from others, even those that hated you will remember you fondly.

Live each day like it’s your last.

Love what you do.

These last two things I think are the two most important lessons and the two things our society is repressing.  I have seen a lot of people talk about how much they are going to miss Steve Jobs, but I believe the greatest way we can celebrate his life and accomplishments is not waiting another moment to start living those last two tenants.

It’s scary, but like Jobs said

‎”Remembering you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

What to do when you get a bad review on Yelp, Google Places, or the Any Other Online Review Site

First of all. Don’t panic.  At least you are paying attention to it.

Did you deserve the  bad review?

Is it something you should address?  If so, do it.  Yelp allows you to address the issue directly with the Reviewer.

Do you have other reviews that are good? Great Reviews? If so, there is a balance.  If not, you need an Online Reputation Management Campaign, and to Facilitate getting people to review your business and viewing your reviews in other places.

The Blessings of Bad Reviews

If the review is an outlier or as in most cases,  irrational, and you are providing a great service, the people you WANT to come in will.  The biggest blessing is it may weed out some of the people you don’t want to come in.

In the end, people that complain irrationally as well as the people that listen to them drain our businesses.  They take away your time, money and happiness. While they might fill a seat, a chair or a court spot, Complainers also will take away energy that could be put forth rewarding a customer/client/patient that is making you business better with referrals and a great attitude.

One Way To Take Irrational Bad Reviews

If you read a restaurant had 5 stars across the board and then one 1 Star review because they recommended a wine the person didn’t like, you probably would still go.  You might even feel the other reviews are more “authentic”.

So, if you have all of your Ducks in a Row (Good Reviews, Online Reputation Management, Facilitating More Reviews), irrational bad reviews should not cause you to lose sleep.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Abraham Lincoln

Birthdays are great milestones to help us get a bearing on what we have done and what we hope to do.
Today is my birthday and although I feel I have lived a good life.
I feel the truest measurements of accomplishment and a person are those that care and love for them.
To all of you in my life, I say thank you for putting the life in my years.

“God, Give us the grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed, Courage
to change the things which should be changed,
And the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”- Elizabeth Sifton

We are bombarded with information all day. Some of it news. Some of it entertainment. We need to be able to distinguish what is important to us, absorb it and ignore the rest. What ever your system for doing this, I think you need a conscious one.

The Casey Anthony trial highlights a perfect example of this. Sensational news sells because we allow it too.
Was it a tragedy that this girl died? Yes.
Was this an indictment of poor police work? Possibly
Was this an indictment of the American Justice System or even Florida’s? Absolutely not. More likely, it showed that the American Justice system actually works to protect us from mobs.

The True Outrage in The Casey Anthony Trial

I f you were admittedly watching the Casey Anthony trial for entertainment, fine.  It was a live courtroom drama.  But if you were watching it because you felt it was some sort of moral obligation, shame on you.  We each have limited mental resources and limited ire.  There are plenty of injustices occurring everyday.  Many of these injustices did affect you indirectly, some more indirectly, but in the long run.

Are you worried about your children?  I think the oil spills in Yellowstone will have a greater impact on their futures.

The true outrage, the true tragedy of the Casey Anthony trial lies in the fact that we all have been distracted from real world problems, under the guise of discussing something important.  Many walk away from the Casey Anthony trial discsussions feeling self important and righteous.   If you want to fight, and get on your soapbox, choose something that affects you.  Choose an argument that you feel can improve you.  If you want to become magnanimous, choose an argument that can actually helps those around you.

The Real Winner of The Casey Anthony Trial

Much much bigger villains are getting away with more dastardly deeds everyday. When you allow yourself to be distracted, much much bigger villains are getting away with truly dastardly deeds and immense injustices. Don’t let them win by providing a shell game.

Decide what information is important.

Decide what information is entertainment.

Ask why each is separate and keep them apart.

“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

-Benjamin Franklin

Freedom is a blessing we take for granted far too often, especially as we are granted greater freedoms for a greater duration.  It becomes easy to give up freedom for comfort, for seeming ease of mind.

Let’s make a commitment to truly honor those that have blessed us with the greatest gift, liberty.

Think about all of those that have fought and died so all of us in the United States of America can have the opportunity to have incredible lives.  We have the right to go where we want.  We can say what we want. We can hop on Yelp, or Twitter or Facebook or a blog and express our opinion any time. You can work and do whatever you want. This is true now more then ever that information is becoming free.

I take for granted my freedom all of the time

I am sure you do to.  So let’s take some time this weekend to pay more then lip service to those that have insured our liberty throughot the history of this great nation.

As information becomes more fluid, there are many that want it to be locked down. There are many that have made their livelihood by controlling information about themselves or information about the rest of the world.  These people claim that information must be controlled for reasons such as national security

There are many that would invade our privacy in the name of security.  There are many that would not want everyone to have the right to entrepreneurship or education because of their background.

Let’s honor the gift of freedom with action

Think about something that your freedom has given you.  The right to own a house, which is just now being granted in Cuba. This is a country which is closer to me then the capital of the U.S..  Think about the right to information.  Think about the right to free speech.  Now consider the ways this is being challenged in the US everyday.

My Challenge To You

I challenge you to find one story about those wanting to infringe others rights in this great nation of ours.   Some US state governemt want to be able to stop ANYONE to check their documetntation to “protect us” for illegal immigrants.  Some organizations want to be able to invade our homes and detain us without warrant to “protect us” from terrorism. There are plenty of these stories out there.

Action to honor your Freedom

Go to a site such as

http://www.change.org/

http://www.npr.org/sections/us/

http://www.aclu.org/

and find a story where our rights are being challenged and discuss them at your 4th of July party.  Propose some actions anyone can take, like writing a senator or telling 10 others about these stories. Do this instead of watching the Casey Anthony trial.  Please.

So many gave their lives so we can be free.  The least you can do is give up the security and comfort of not disturbing anyone for a few monents. Flex your right to read and say what you want.  Challenge those that would challenge our rights.

Remember this.  Even even one American’s right to freedom and liberty is taken away, you and your family is losing theirs as well.

-

I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.
-Warren Buffet

We are bombarded by the stories of large victories and monumental failures.  It’s the small victories we need to target and win to keep up momentum and motivation.  It’s the small victories, that seem easy yet add up to monumental wins.

Imagine if you could add just one client evangelist per month.  Just one person that raves about your business. If you focused on that at the end of the year not only would you have 12 new clients, but also twelve walking billboards for your business.

It might seem daunting at first, but if you do it right, by the end of 90 days you would start to see the exponential benefits.  If you enabled them to tell just 1 other person about your business per month, you would have 93 new clients at the end of the year.

Sure, we can target 93 new clients, but the 1 foot bar is just one new client evangelist per month.  30 days to make one person love your business.  If you love it, and are filled with enthusiasm, it shouldn’t be a problem.

“If not now, when?”
— Eckhart Tolle

This simple question is deep with meaning.  I see 3 messages here

Avoid Procrastination by scheduling

It’s easy to procrastinate.  The problem with procrastination is the thing we put off is usually the most important things and they build up in our head to something bigger then before.  If something is important enough to think about, schedule its completion.  If it is a new idea, schedule a time to revisit it.

Avoid Hesitation in Growth

The other aspect of this question is about taking the leap.  Is it the best time for the new office?  Is it the best time for the new website? Is it time to hire more people?

These are not so much procrastinations as hesitations.  You need a stake in the ground for everything that is going to help you grow as a business.  Doing things that are natural parts of growth should be a little scary and should be done with thought.  If you do your research and listen to your instinct (which is not the same as fear) go for it.

I will tell you this.  There is no better time then the present for growth.  There is an abundance of opportunity and everyday you miss it, it becomes more expensive.

Is it worth thinking about?

The final answer to this question is “Never”.  There are plenty of things out there that just feel “wrong” but people tell us we should do.

Giving in to take a job you despise.

Spending time with negative people because of this reason or that.

Giving in to go against your moral compass for a seemingly large benefit..

There are plenty of times the answer should be “Never”.

“The best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap” Randy Pausch

Being an entrepreneur is tough.  It is a constant mix of changes, solving issues along with innovation.  If you are getting in it just for the money, don’t.  However, if you are in it you must remember that success is just around a corner and you have to keep turning them.

No matter what you do, when striking out on your own the difference between so-so to good to great is obvious from the outside.  The difference between great and remarkable is paradoxically  miniscule but monumental.  You just have to put your head down and  keep pushing.