Month: November 2011

It was the imperfect/perfect wedding ring — a grand, romantic gesture. So, naturally, she broke up with him. Smith wanted to be rid of the ring, so he sold it on eBay. But the money remained in his PayPal account, a nagging reminder of this agonizing experience. He knew that he needed to get rid of the money in a meaningful way. A Master Chief armor set was, of course, that way:

I’d wanted the suit for so long, and after such epic heartbreak, receiving each piece of armor—arriving in seven shipments, over the course of eight months—became an unintentionally cathartic process. As the shoulders, forearms, chest-piece, and helmet arrived slowly, one section at a time… well, with each part I got a small piece of myself back.

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It’s called a wish sandwich. You open it up and wish there was something inside.

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Creating a better life is hard work! It takes little effort to maintain the status quo, but if you have a dream of making more money, getting a promotion, starting a business, becoming healthier or improving your relationships, you’re going to need as much support as you can get. Strike these seven deadly words/phrases from your vocabulary today:

1. When. This is a filthy word when it comes to improving your life. It sounds like this: “When I lose 10 pounds, I’ll start dating again. When I’m a little older, I’ll go for that promotion. When I complete my degree, I’ll start that side-business.” Most of the time, our “whens” just don’t happen, or if they do, they take so long that we’ve forgotten what it was we wanted in the first place. “When” is rarely necessary, but just to be sure, ask yourself this: “Would it be illegal, unethical or immoral to start now?” If the answer is no, don’t wait for when.

2. Someday. There’s nothing wrong with having a “someday” list of things you want to do and places you want to go, but when you find your “today” list empty, you’d best start moving some of your future goals into the present. “Someday” is such a deceptive word. It makes you feel good by proclaiming you’ll achieve something one day; however, months, years and even decades can pass, and you may find that your someday is still a long way away.

3. Willpower. Behavior change expert Dr. BJ Fogg of the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab says, “Imagine willpower doesn’t exist. That’s step number one to a better future.” The problem with willpower is that most people either think they have it or they don’t. They’ll say, “Well, of course I ordered the double-fudge sundae. What did you expect from someone who doesn’t have any willpower?” Your genes determine the color of your eyes, NOT whether or not you order dessert.

4. Want/Wish/Hope. Don’t be a wimp! Stop wanting, wishing and hoping to do something or that something happens. If you want more control over your fate, you must take more responsibility for your actions and their outcomes. Don’t sit around expecting change to arrive in your mailbox. It takes a decision and it takes action, not just wishful thinking.

5. Not good enough. How can a phrase with “good” in it be so bad? These simple words will keep you from hitting the publish button, from making that important phone call or from trying out for the audition. The solution? Flip it around. Instead of, “this isn’t good enough,” change it to, “it’s not perfect, but it’s good enough.” Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Just put it out there and see what happens. For more insight into this, listen to my interview on RicherLife.com with Peter Sims as we discuss his book, “Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge From Small Discoveries.”

6. I don’t have the time. The same guy who doesn’t have time to go to the gym with you after work will miraculously be able to free up an entire evening if you present him with free Lakers basketball tickets. It may feel like you don’t have time, but with some focus and pruning of non-essential commitments (e.g. TV), you can free up 20 minutes to two hours every night to work on those actions that will help you create a better life.

7. It’s not the right time. If not now, when? No, really? If you are waiting for the stars to align, it’s not going to happen. Instead of waiting for the right time, shift your thinking and look for the least worst time to get started.

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This year forget buying your tech in the post-Christmas sales. Because a 20 per cent increase in Chinese minimum wage is gonna hike up electronics prices come January.

In fact, the increase is only hitting the Guangdong province of China. Doesn’t sound too big a deal, right?

Wrong. Because that one province has been the making of China. As a result, it’s filled with big electronics firms and state-owned companies, as well as plenty of smaller and medium-sized private firms. That means it accounts for a huge share of Chinese industrial output. It also makes it hugely influential, and means the rest of China is sure to follow suit and raise wages across the board.

The knock-on effect is that anything made in China is going to get more expensive — and that means most of the gadgets you’re planning on buying are gonna get pricier, too.

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Aptly – given its national anthem is about the flag – the Stars and Stripes is a key part of America’s identity. It hangs in classrooms and in courtrooms, on state buildings and suburban porches.

It has been the national flag since 1777. And the flag that inspired the anthem was enormous. Measuring 30 by 42 feet (9 x 12.8m), it was raised over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Its 15 broad stripes and 15 bright stars inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner, the song that became the national anthem.

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