Something You Should Know

Do you have any little rituals in your life? Humans historically love rituals. And it turns out that rituals can play an important role in giving your life meaning and in finding success. Chris Attwood, author Your Hidden Riches: Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose discusses how this works and reveals how people like Simon Cowell, Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, Warren Buffet and others use ritual to enhance their success – and how you can too. Also, have you ever wondered why some people become idiots when they drink alcohol? We’ll explore that and reveal the science behind moronic drunk behavior! And which is better after you’ve washed your hands in a public restroom – using a paper towel or a hot-air dryer to dry your hands. I’ll tell you what the handwashing experts say – and you probably didn’t even know there were handwashing experts. Please do me a small favor and subscribe rate and review this podcast on iTunes. It only takes a minute and it means a lot. Here is the link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/something-you-should-know/id1150124880

You can rest when you’re dead! When it comes to the American worth ethic, many people have bought into this idea. But working hard for long hours and not taking time off can actually be counterproductive. Alex Soojung-Kim Pong author of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less explains the science of resting if you really want to be productive and do good work. He also offers suggestions for those who can’t tear themselves away from working. Also…what is your favorite kind of music? Country? Classical? Pop? Well, your taste in music says some interesting things about your personality – and we will explore that on this episode of the podcast. If you are in or have been in a relationship you know it isn’t all roses and sunshine every single day. But so many relationships could be so much better according to Linda Bloom. She and her husband Charlie are author of the book Happily Ever After. In today’s podcast, Linda will discuss some of the 39 myths people often believe that end up hurting – and sometimes destroying their relationship. This is “must listening” for anyone who really wants their relationship to work. Finally today – how stores manipulate you to spend more money. Retailers use lots of little psychological tricks that keep you in the store longer and make you buy. You’ll discover what these tactics are and you can NOT fall victim to them.

Who knew going to the doctor or the hospital could be so dangerous? Sure there are a lot of sick people there so you could catch some weird disease but that’s not the big problem. It’s MEDICAL ERRORS. I was shocked when I heard the statistic that medical errors are the third biggest killer in the U.S. behind cancer and heart disease. Here to discuss this is my guest, Leslie Michelson who has been working hard to create a “culture of safety” in medicine and he needs all of us to help. He is the founder and chairman of Private Health Management, former CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation – and he is author of The Patients Playbook. Since all of us will be a patient in the hospital at some point – this is essential for you to hear. Also on the podcast, you’ll learn about The 40% Rule. It’s what Navy Seals use to be mentally tough – and you can use it as well. How organized are you? If you could use a little help, I’ve got just the person. Sue Crum spends her life helping people get more organized though her coaching and consulting as well as speaking. She is also author of the book Clear Your Clutter and discusses simple strategies to help you get more organized – and she has some freebies to give you as well. Finally, if you send text messages, you need to understand what adding punctuation does to change the meaning of what you are saying. It’s interesting – and it only applies to text messages. If you are a texter, this can keep you out of trouble.

If you need a spark for your next creative idea, there is a place in your town you can go get it no matter where you live. And it is probably open right now. I’ll tell you where it is. Also, why do we like what we like? Everyone has their own tastes and preferences – but why? And what influences those tastes and preferences? It is actually quite fascinating and to discuss that, I have Tom Vanderbilt author of You May Also Like. Ever wonder why your favorite color is your favorite color? Listen and find out. Plus, passive aggressive behavior can be maddening when you are on the receiving end of it. Why do people engage in passive-aggressive behavior? And what should you do when you are confronted with it? Listen to psychologist (and U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania) Dr. Tim Murphy author Overcoming Passive Aggression. It’s an enlightening conversation. And finally, if you ever find yourself in a game of Rock, Paper Scissors, you can dramatically improve your chances of winning. You see scientists have examined how people play – and it turns out people are very predictable. When you can predict what the other person is going to do – you almost always win. I’ll tell you how.

How do you cure a cough? Well there is a cure that has been floating around the internet – but I think has been around longer than that – and people swear it works. Yet it can’t possibly. We’ll explore this mystery. Also… gone are the days of working for a company for 50 years and getting the gold watch. And maybe that is a good thing. Today more and more people are taking the entrepreneurial route. So how do you make the most of that journey? How do you find success when so many fail with their ideas? Jay Samit has some very insightful and encouraging advice you should hear. Jay is a billionaire entrepreneur and author of the book Disrupt You! When you are done listening you will be inspired! Finally on the podcast today, if you get stressed out because people cut you off on the highway or take too long in line at the airport – there is a way to relieve yourself of getting all stressed out about it. And it doesn’t take more than a simple shift in how you think.

It’s easy to blow off your flu shot and not worry about it. That is until you or someone in the family get the flu. The flu is nothing to mess around with in my opinion. My father died from complications of getting the flu – so to me getting a flu shot is critical.  What you may not realize is that there are some things you can do to increase the effectiveness of the your flu shot – in terms of what time of day you get it and what you do right after.  We’ll discuss that in this episode. Also, why does everyone always seem so busy? Or is it that everyone just talks more about being busy and overwhelmed? Time management expert Sam Bennett author of Start Right Now Where You Are reveals how talking and fretting about being overwhelmed does nothing to help you get more done. You will appreciate what she has to say and afterwards, you are likely to feel better and a little calmer about getting all the things done in your day. Finally, the problem of loneliness. You have no doubt felt lonely at some point in your life – so you know how bad it feels. But the pain of loneliness turns out to be a good thing once you realize what it is and how to use it to stop feeling so lonely.

I’m sure you have, at some point in your life, relied on your “gut instinct.” You made a decision that just felt right at that moment.  And while that may be fine for small decisions – is it really smart to use your gut to make the big decisions? After all – what exactly is your gut? Well, Mary Ellen O’Toole, author of Dangerous Instincts, is a former FBI profiler who has seen plenty of people get in trouble because the “went with their gut.” If you want to keep you and your family safe – you should hear what she has to say. Also, can you be addicted to cheese? It’s more common than you might realize – and maybe one of the reasons everyone loves pizza. Sound is all around you. So what is it doing to your health? Probably more than you realize. My guest, Alex Doman is co-author of Healing at the Speed of Sound and he will explain what impact sound and noise have on you and how to protect yourself. And the next time your “Check Engine” light comes on, you may not want to rush up to your mechanic as a first course of action. You can easily figure out what’s wrong yourself. I’ll explain how to di it – and why it is such a good idea that can save you time, money and a lot of hassle.

Have an idea – or an invention? Then you have GOT to listen to this podcast. My first guest is Jeremy Gutsche founder of TrendHunter.com and author of Better and Faster. Jeremy explains how having an idea is fine it is what you do next that really matters and he really has some great advice for anyone who want to move their idea or invention forward. Also, does visualizing yourself making the perfect putt on the golf course actually help you make it? We’ll look at the research to discover if visualizing yourself doing something first is really helpful or a complete waste of time. Then, imagine starting off poor and on welfare – continually having life knock you down but eventually ending up a partner at Microsoft! That’s the story of perseverance that you need to hear from George Santino author of Get Back Up. It will leave you inspired. And, does listening to music while you work make you more productive? You will be surprised to hear the answer. So come along and listen to this episode of the podcast.

What do you think of when you think about making commitment? To me, commitment means hard work and sacrifice with a hope of something good happening later. But maybe that’s not the best way to look at it. Commitment is necessary, so maybe we need a better way of thinking about it – or a better way to make peace with the idea of commitment. Listen to my conversation with Heidi Reeder author of Commit to Win and I think you will come away a fresh view of commitment. Also, how healthy are you? It’s an important question to ask – because you are probably right whatever your answer is. Also on the podcast today, the science of making a good first impression. And, if you are like me, you didn’t love math in school. But we are going to talk with Professor Arthur Benjamin author of The Magic of Math who is going to convince you – or try to anyway – that math is fun and as an adult, you do use a lot of what you learned in school.

Keeping your family, yourself and your home safe is probably something you think about – a lot.  Besides the common sense things , what else can you do? Listen to former CIA Officer (spy) Jason Hanson, author of Spy Secrets that Can Save Your Life. He has some really ingenious and practical tips to keep you safe. Do you perform well under pressure? Some people claim they do their best work that way. Really?  I know one guy who really doubts that. Dr. Hendrie Weisinger is one of the leading authorities on the subject of   “performance under pressure”  and is the author of Performing Under Pressure. He has some great advice on how to handle their pressure situations when a lot is riding on how you perform. Also, should you tip when you pick up takeout food? We’ll explore the proper etiquette of that . And if you’ve ever got mad at another driver – so mad that maybe you even surprised yourself – then you need to hear what I am going to tell you in this episode of the podcast.

When you go on an airplane, you can’t take liquids or knives or box cutters because, well, those are the rules. But are those rules making us safer? Or have we gone overboard with the whole idea of safety. Check the number of safety and warning labels on a step ladder. Are they all really necessary? Tracey Browne author of Playing By the Rules shares her findings – and what she claims is that all this safety is actually putting us more at risk. Also, simple acts of kindness can make a huge difference. That is the beautiful message from Laura Schroff author of Angels on Earth. Listen to discover how you can make a difference in your corner of the world. You will feel better when you hear this conversation. And, paying your dues is important in some careers but not in others. Sometimes it is better to be an inexperienced “newbie” than an experienced worker. Finally, the problem of unruly airline passengers. It seems more of them show up on the news today than ever before. Are they dangerous? How are airline crews trained to handle them? Listen and find out. It’s really interesting.

Remember sitting in school and the teacher said, “Let me tell you a story…” You’d put your pencil down, lean back and listen. That’s because everyone loves a good story. Humans have passed down knowledge and wisdom through stories forever. We are wired to enjoy stories. That is why telling stories is so important in business and in life – if you really want to connect with people and get them to listen to what you have to say. Carmine Gallo, author of The Storyteller’s Secret explains why this is so important and how to do it well. Also in today’s episode, Patti Johnson, author of Making Waves discusses the importance being courageous and initiating change in your life. Often we accept things as they are even when we don’t really like it. Why? There is usually a way to do something about it if you are willing to try. Patti reveals the right way to initiate change to get what YOU want. Plus, how to complain. If you feel you didn’t get what you paid for, you should complain. But how you complain will determine whether you really get the problem resolved or not. And did you know there are 12 basic skills in the workplace? Some you are probably good at, some you are so-so at and some you probably suck at. Listen and find out which are which – for you.

You don’t have to look very hard to find success gurus who claim to know exactly what you need to do to be successful. I am pretty careful about which success experts I let on my podcast – but one I welcome with open arms is Alan Weiss author of Million Dollar Maverick. Alan has a fairly straight forward, a no-nonsense approach to finding success – however you define it for yourself. I think you will really enjoy listening to him and will find his words very motivating. Also in this episode, you’ll hear a fascinating discussion on why we live where we live. Melody Warnick author of This is Where You Belong discusses the importance of liking where you live – no matter where you live. And if you don’t like it, find out how to change your perception of your community so that you develop “place attachment.”  Whether you still live in the town you grew up or you have moved around a lot, you’ll find some wisdom in what Melody has to say. Then, there is a little negotiating strategy that works really well when you want to buy something. It’s all in how you state the price you are willing to pay. Listen to find out how. And an interesting look at the problem of childhood obesity. It has long been thought that because kids are less active today that is why they are fatter. But what if it is the other way around? This is really important for parents – and I’ll explain.

What separates good entrepreneurs from GREAT entrepreneurs? One thing is the ability to create an new market category rather than compete for market share in an existing category. That is the message of Christopher Lochhead co-author of the best-selling book Think Big. In our discussion, Christopher explains how this has been done successfully and offers up some great examples of who has succeeded and who has failed. He also explains how anyone can do it – and how “market category design” is becoming the new way to succeed. Also, have you ever gotten that email from the Nigerian prince or princess telling you they are going to give millions of dollars if you would just help them out? Is it possible people are still falling for it? You bet - and in a big way. I’ll explain how it is still scamming people out of a lot of money- and what you can do to help if you are so inclined. And the advice your mom gave you of – “Just be yourself…” It may actually be lousy advice if you are trying to make an impression, get a new job and otherwise get ahead. Listen to discover what works much better than “Just be yourself.”    

Are you a good negotiator or would you prefer to avoid it like the plague? Well, the fact is we all negotiate every single day – and a big part of the problem with negotiation is how we approach it. My guest, Dan Shapiro is going to give a fresh and rather positive outlook on negotiation and help you become much better at it. Dan is one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of negotiation. He is the founder and director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, associate professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital and author of the book Negotiating the Nonnegotiable. Also, why is Siri female? In fact why are most digital voices like GPS almost always female? We’ll take a look at the reasons why. Plus, what is your purpose in life? Maybe you have multiple purposes. If so that is a good thing according to Victor Strecher author of Life On Purpose. Victor explains the importance of having a purpose and living a life in harmony with that purpose. It turns out when you do, amazing things can happen. And also on today’s episode, why you should stop telling people how busy you are. You could really be pushing people away and losing friends by always using the excuse, “I’ve been so busy.”  I’ll reveal what you should say instead.