Posts by Robert Ringer
Knowledge Redeployment
My first love is learning, which is why I keep my brain on autopilot when it comes to absorbing everything around me and extracting lessons from what I see and hear. It borders on an addiction. Extracting knowledge, however, is not enough. You must be able to apply what you’ve learned to other situations –…
Read MoreThe Comedy and Tragedy of Spontaneity
My approach to life is to plan carefully, then relentlessly focus on execution. I don’t mean to sound stuffy, but to me impulsiveness is a sign of irresponsible behavior. That’s why those who know me best would lay 100-to-1 odds that I would never make a spur-of-the-moment decision to hop on a train and head…
Read MoreMaking Every Day Thanksgiving
Like most people, I love the festive atmosphere of Thanksgiving. The spirit of this special day seems to put everyone in a good mood. But, like so many of our national holidays, I doubt that many people reflect on its purpose. In this regard, I’d like to share with you something personal that has become…
Read MoreIt’s Not in My Job Description!
Whenever I speak at a conference, I arrange with my publisher to have copies of my latest book available for attendees to buy.
Usually, it’s no problem. I show up at the event and the books are there.
This time, however, he delegated the job to “Ms. Uptite,” his in-house PR person. Having already had one too many experiences with Ms. Uptite’s attitude, I was a bit apprehensive about her handling the matter, but my publisher felt confident that everything would be fine.
Read MoreBe Relentlessness in Pursuit of Your Dreams
Although virtually everyone agrees that “time is money,” I’m convinced most people only pay lip service to this truism. If you’re really serious about it, you need to come to grips with the reality that the key ingredient for converting time into money is self-discipline.
Read MoreUnderstanding Self-Respect
I see a great deal of self-contempt in many people I encounter. It isn’t necessary for a person to tell me he lacks self-respect. You can see it in his facial expressions and body language. You can hear it in his words and in the tone of his voice. People who lack self-respect leave clues.…
Read MoreIrrational and Rational Faith
In Erich Fromm’s 1956 classic, The Art of Loving, he provides unique insights into the subject of faith. Fromm did not believe faith is in opposition to reason or rational thinking. On the contrary, he simply made a distinction between rational faith and irrational faith. He believed that irrational faith is based on submission to…
Read MoreConstant change
David Carradine. Ed McMahon. Farrah Fawcett. Michael Jackson. Billy Mays. Karl Malden. Steve McNair. The Grim Reaper is on a roll. What might the deaths of these high-profile people have in common with the likes of Gary Hart, Gary Condit, Jim McGreevey, Mark Sanford, and John Edwards, among others? Or how about Lyndon Johnson, Spiro…
Read MoreBeware of Melting Butter
When yet another politician bit the dust not long ago, I couldn’t help but think of Henry Kissinger’s all-too-true observation that “power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” I don’t have a lot to say about Governor Mark Sanford’s situation, except that I think the whole thing is very sad. I don’t know Sanford personally, but he…
Read MoreOn Thinking Before Acting
What a tragedy that Farrah Fawcett not only is suffering from terminal cancer, but that her 24-year-old son, Redmond O’Neal, was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into a jail to give to a friend. (How comforting it must be to know that your son has buddies in the slammer.) Then there’s Sarah Palin’s…
Read MoreThe Impossible Dream
A reader recently sent me an e-mail in which he griped about his “impossible situation.” I guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder, because to me it appeared that his was an impossible situation with a lot of possibilities. So what, exactly, is an “impossible situation”? More specifically, what does “impossible” really mean?…
Read MoreWord From the Top
Here’s an excerpt from a book I’m reading that you should pay close attention to:
Read More