It’s infuriating, right? Somebody makes a promise to you, and then they break it. Or they agree to do something but then blow it off like it doesn’t even matter.
I’m not talking about an occasional can’t-be-helped situation beyond reasonable control, like late air flights, or a wreck tying up traffic. I’m talking about serial agreement [...]

Here’s a story I think you’re going to like.
What do you do when someone you love is sliding rapidly toward death? You want the doctors to take the measures that’ll save their life, but nearly everyone else is convinced it’s hopeless, so they won’t agree to the procedure.
What DO you do?
Just shrug your [...]

When tempers flare, logic, reason and self-control are the first victims. Getting angry is a non-reasoning way to defend your safety, your position or your sense of self worth.A person who gets angry more than most people is demonstrating to the world that they feel uncommonly insecure, weak and inadequate. They think they need to [...]

Anger causes a lot of problems. But the underlying motivation for anger is the urge to break through real or perceived communication blocks.Flaring tempers are a sign that we don’t think we’re getting through to someone else. So anger doesn’t necessarily CAUSE problems, but it is a sure indicator that there ARE problems, and it [...]

You’re standing in a group, talking, and one of the members starts shooting verbal “zingers” at you. Everybody gets a hearty laugh at your expense. Everybody but you.
Light (and not-so-light) insult humor has become almost a national pastime. When you’re the butt of the jokes, you may try to shrug it off as harmless, but [...]

Getting ahead in the world is a team effort. We all need mentors and people who will help us on the journey. But what does it take to attract the right people into our lives?
You’ve no doubt heard the old proverb about finding a love partner: to attract a wonderful person, you must become a [...]

We see them everywhere - on billboards, magazine covers and tv shows - and they always seem to sparkle. I guess that’s why we call them stars.
According to peak performance expert Peter Murphy, however, you also can learn the skills that the beautiful people use to stand out in any crowd and to charm everyone [...]

Do you gossip? You know — talking about others behind their back? The chances are, even if you do gossip, you may not realize it.
This negative practice causes untold harm to others — but even worse is the damage it does to oneself through the deadening of compassion and empathy for others.
Today, guest columnist Peter [...]

Some of us don’t find it easy to talk with others.
Now, if you find it easy to chat with anybody, anywhere, anytime, this may seem unthinkable. But it’s true… there are folks who’d rather crawl over broken glass than have to stand and chat at a party or other social function. For them, it’s torture.
It [...]

So why are most people terrified to speak in public? Well, let’s face it — they know they don’t know what they’re doing, and they fully expect high-visibility failure.
But some people DO know.
Patricia Fripp is one of those people. Here, she explains how she coaches awkward, fearful speakers to pro-level in mere hours. Pay close [...]

Here’s an easy little tip that can make the things you say more persuasive, memorable and believable.
For some reason, when we package ideas together in sets of three, our listeners (or readers) tend to accept them more readily. They somehow seem more comfortable in three-packs.
In this guest article, Patricia Fripp explains how you can use [...]

Ever feel manipulated by others and not sure how to defend yourself from people who are only out for themselves? Wish you could learn a little of what they know, so you could use it to do some good in the world?
Here’s an excellent chance to do that — and more.