He who walks with wise men will be wise. But the companion of fools will suffer harm – Proverbs  13:20

Birds of a feather flock together  is a metaphor for the modern herd instinct that is born out of fear. The fear of being different, of standing out from the crowds. Our entire education is pounding us into uniformity and we lose the essence of what makes us unique.

   Like seeks like and  cannot  grow. The truth is we need diversity in order to grow- a diversity not only of cultures, but of thought, of beliefs and differences in skills and experience. Too much likeness can cause stagnation.

And yet, we can become more than we thought we were possible of and fly higher than ever , if we carefully select the flock with whom we can fly happily into the sunrise or sunset. This applies to individual performance as well as to company performance. Here’s how… Read More→

Almost all people are hypnotics. The proper authority saw to it that the proper belief should be induced, and the people believed properly. -Charles Fort

Lets face it- we think we have a choice in all that we say and do. However we are not as free as we think we are.

If you have ever found yourself doing something you did not want to do, against your own will and inclination, and did it anyway – you have just been successfully manipulated. Just like a puppet on a string.

Regardless of how  we feel or think about the subject of manipulation, the truth is that all of us manipulate others  in some form at some time or another – even if we give it a fancy name like outcome engineering.

Unfortunately we are also manipulated by others and when we recognize it, we are dismayed and don’t really know what to do about it.

The choice is in our hands and the trick is to recognize the different types of manipulators and to beat them at their own game.  Here are some clues to help you recognize the different types of manipulative styles and how to deal with them. Read More→

If there is such a thing a s a good marriage , it is because it resembles friendship rather than love. – Michel de Montaigne

Every so often we are invited to share our experience of marriage , its joys and challenges, its frustrations and the warmth of a relationship that spells “home ” with young couples preparing for marriage. This weekend, was no different. And the common concern of all was how does one live happily ever after once the big wedding day has come and gone and there is nothing “grand” to look forward to.

That was a thought provoking question.  People seem to dread  the daily hum drum life that inevitably seems to follow after one has been reigning king and queen for a day.  We are living it, and yet enjoy the very comfort of  the little familiar rituals of happily married life after the Big day.  We recently gave a talk on this subject at a small group meeting at our church. Read More→