Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Manage Your Expectations ... and raise the bar on your qu...

When I was a newbie in 'the game of life,' I wanted to succeed beyond my wildest dreams. I wanted to make it big and take on the world, all at once. My expectations were so high that not even Jack could reach them on his beanstalk. However, over time, after much frustration and burn out, I shifted to the other extreme by dropping my expectations, and dreams.The idea of lowering our expectati. . .

What Should You Be Committed To?

There are many dynamics that go into making a great team. Dynamics such as chemistry, talent, unity, and the list could go on and on. However, there is one dynamic that many teams, businesses, and leaders often overlook. That dynamic is commitment. Without each individual person in the organization, including yourself, being totally committed to the organization it will never reach its potentia. . .

Jekyll vs. Hyde, 2 Faces of Immortality!

Meet the most important person you will ever meet in your life. You better! For sometime during your life you will meet him. He could appear very suddenly with such shock that his recognition will change your life forever. When you finally do meet him he will reveal a great secret to you. The secret……that inside of you is the power that will attract everything in life you want. And, also repel . . .

Holiday Fun for Singles

Are you dreading the holidays because you are single? For those who are alone, this can be a difficult season -- especially if you know what it is like to be in a relationship during this time of year. This can, however, be your best time of the year if you follow this plan:1. Participate in Lots of Holiday GatheringsWho knows? You may meet Mr. or Ms. Right at that next party. Or you may meet s. . .

What Would You Do If You Could Change Your Life Right Now ?

Hello everybody and a good day (or night !) to you all.My name is Nicholas Dixon and I am in my early twenties and I reside on the beautiful island of Jamaica.I work full time in a public library, but in my spare time I design and market websites.I personally think that it is fun to help my fellow brother or sister to get what they want out of this life.Success.What a powerful word and so sough. . .

Material Girl

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 16, 2002I recently went on a date with this guy I met online. We had been emailing for a few weeks before we decided to go out together. We met at a restaurant, and he brought me a huge vase of flowers. He was sweet, polite and gentlemanly toward me and our conversation was good. But I felt embarrassed by all the attention given to me by the . . .

Not My Assignment ... If You Didn't Create It, Then It's ...

Life consists of lessons. Living is continual learning. Therefore, if you take on someone else's issues and responsibilities, or lessons, would that not be classified as cheating? Are you not cheating yourself out of your own life? Are you not cheating others out of their own lessons?At one time or another, we all get involved with someone else's issues. These issues can include family issu. . .

Lesson Learned

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 9, 2002I was involved with a man separated from his wife. We connected on an extremely emotional level and were in the process of building a future. His wife left him and their two children to accept a job in another state and to experience a more unencumbered life. Prior to leaving she cheated on him three times and was emotionally and physic. . .

The Personality of Leadership

Have you ever wondered what type of person or personality makes the best leader? Most would consider the answer to that question to be the person that has the greatest success, the largest organization, or the best staff. Conversely, have you ever wondered how it is that a person with little drive or entrepreneurial skills ends up in a leadership position? You know the type person I am writing . . .

Analytic Overlay ... Missing Out On What Truly Is!

Some time ago, I successfully completed a remote viewing course here in Nevada. Not only was I quite amazed at the technology, but also that I had the ability to remote view as I did manage to hit nine targets out of nine. But, the most interesting thing I found, about myself, is that I've been missing out on a lot in my life. This is not a whining article outlining regrets, but an actualiza. . .

Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of

There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it.What is it? The THANK YOU NOTE!Interview experts agree that EVERY job hunter MUST send thank-you notes after EVERY interview. They also point out that most people completely ignore this bit of wisdom.In order to have a huge advantage over the oth. . .

Put To The Sword

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 23, 2002My girlfriend has an aggressive sense of humor. She teases and likes to parry put-downs. She says it is all in fun, and it is very important that she can joke with her partner. She thinks I am thin-skinned and overly sensitive.Indeed I know I am sensitive, but this is a vicious circle which makes me more and more sensitive. No doubt t. . .

Breaking Through Resistance

Why is it that every time you start something new, a million and one things get in the way?You make a goal to lose weight and all of a sudden every time you go to the store you seem to notice the chocolate you've been craving.Or you decide to start a writing project but every time you sit down to write - you're stuck, you don't have any inspiration. You can't seem to get moving forward.Resistan. . .

Fashionably Late

Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 6, 2003What can a couple say and do when they have been late in getting wedding thank yous out to people? We have been married two years, with two separations among other serious challenges, and finally want to send cards.At the same time we are embarrassed about our difficulties in marriage and getting out the cards. One of the problems is my w. . .

Without Love

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 30, 2002Kendra and I have been dating almost six years. For the past three years I have constantly asked myself if she is the one. I can never come up with the answer.I fantasize about being with other women, and it is not because Kendra lacks beauty. I feel disinterested in intimacy with her, but it was not like that in the beginning. If you. . .

Words, Ignorance, And Casper The Friendly Ghost!

Words, Ignorance, and Casper The Friendly Ghost!Do your best to accept this or do your best to fight it: but, "You are a mind with a body". Because you are, you have spiritual powers. And, the Spirit man (person) inside you contains powers known and unknown. Discover what they are!Ignorance, who me? Anything that seems logical to a person, who is ignorant of the facts, may seem stupid to the pe. . .

You Need A Miracle? Build One, Everyday!

Henry Ford, after he had achieved great success, was the subject of much public criticism. Many people thought that he was very lucky, some thought he was a genius, some thought he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, some thought that powerful friends and influential people were the "secret" of his great success. Why some people even thought he was so mean, that once he found out there w. . .

The Path of Appreciation

Without appreciation, any success you have will be in vain and worthless. Yes, you would have accomplished your goals but it would be an empty win.How do you start on the path of appreciation? Acknowledge and give thanks for what you already have, the good and the bad alike. For the bad things and situations in your life reveal contrasts and life lessons that you were meant to learn.Where do. . .

Mother Of Invention Or Dummy? You Decide!

What would you say to yourself if when faced with a severe problem that could potentially devastate your lifestyle? What would happen if you "did" the first thing that came into your mind? Would you be proud of yourself? Analyze what Jim did and see how you would measure up. Jim had worked hard all his life and had become very wealthy. He had achieved what most people could only dream about. At. . .

Maternal Instincts

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 14, 2002I am a woman in her mid-60s whose husband passed away, and I do not want to enter into a relationship with another man. I have no family in town other than my daughter.I always counted on the fact she would be around for me in my older years. However, I recently discovered she may be moving eight hours away to live with her boyfriend. H. . .

Wake-Up Call

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 7, 2002In the first half of May, I went through two remarkable changes. One was physical and the other involved emotional recall.The physical one was what I thought was flu and a heavy dose of it. It was accompanied by a surreal shivering never experienced before or since. The recall was of a family I knew in my school days more than 20 years a. . .

A Plan Of Attack

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 28, 2002I feel I am at the breaking point. I work at a small school and run the office. I do all the financials, secretarial work, and reception duties. While staffing has increased in the classroom, it has not in administration.I shared my feeling with the principal on Monday and clearly stated things must change. Teachers need to take more r. . .

Playing With Fire

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 21, 2002I am a stay-at-home mom, 24, married to my husband, 26, for six years. He has a problem chatting with young girls online.I have "caught" him numerous times, and it's always the same thing. He's sorry and says it's only a game to him, but he continues to do it. He works with a high school program and knows these girls in real life. I've. . .

Top Ten methods for never achieving your Goals

Top Ten methods to never achieve your goals:1. Be really vague about it. Do not get specific about what you want to achieve.2. Keep it a secret. Never tell a soul about your dreams for the future - not even yourself.3. Hang around people who also aren't going for their goals. Success is contagious, so stay away from anyone who has clear goals and a plan to achieve them.4. Never, EVER write down. . .

Single During the Holidays

Mistletoe. Holiday parties. New Years kiss at midnight. This time of year can be challenging for singles. With such an emphasis on family togetherness and couples exchanging heart-felt gifts, it’s hard not to hear the message – the holidays are not for me. At family get-togethers you get grilled about what’s going on in the “romance department.” In-laws, whose company you cherished all year lon. . .

Either Tame The Bull, Or, You'll Eat The Crow!

A man can stand a lot… as long as he can stand himself. Success is never Final and Failure is never fatal. Only failure to get back up is. The bull is lying to you and leading you down the trail of the pied-piper.If you want to achieve anything worthwhile in life it is imperative that you approach your bull with an optimistic frame of mind. A positive attitude is the generator that brings all s. . .

Hey CyberJunkie, Clean that Booger off Your Nose!

Well....., I got some good news and I got some bad news. It's come to my attention that some of you want to be cyberjunkies. Which do you want first? I’ll give you the good news first. YOU can!! It’s very simple. The bad news is: It’s not easy and it could be messy.Let’s take a look at both. Simple is as simple does. Most everyone reading this is somewhat computer savvy. At least you know how t. . .

Neither A Borrower…

Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 4, 2002I moved from Los Angeles to Europe with my husband and children. My sister's husband left her with three children. She sent an e-mail today asking me to "give" her $1000 so her lawyer will continue representing her.My sister already owes her lawyer $9000. She owes my other sister $5000, and she never talks about paying it back. She is . . .

A Guide To Keeping New Year's Resolutions

The New Year is quickly creeping up on us. Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Well, if you’re like most Americans (88 percent in 2001 according to a General Nutrition Centers poll), you have at least one resolution. And, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably related to health and fitness. In 2001 (according to GNC), 55 percent promised to eat health. . .

Community After Tragedy

One Friday in November, I began a journey from New Jersey to downtown New York City to visit old work friends. It was my first visit since the tragic September 11th attack. Although I've traveled this same route--the commuter train to the Hoboken station from 1996-2000--there were now, of course, changes in the environment when I got to Hoboken. For one thing, it was the first time I had to ask. . .

Life's Curveballs

Do you realize how good you have it? Yes, everyone has problems, but it could be worse than what it is now. Yes, everyone has a bad day or two, but it could be worse. Life can throw some serious curveballs at us sometimes. Be thankful for the problems you have now and for those bad days when they come. They are there for a reason - to help you learn to pull through and to help you realize what . . .

You At A Dead End? Look Deeply Into My Eyes!

The president of a large North Eastern company, doing business internationally, was visiting his California division. While he was there, he saw a very large photograph of, of all people, himself, hanging on the wall.He was in the office of his Vice President's private secretary. He said to her, Linda, that's a very large picture you have of my mug for this size room isn't it? Linda said you k. . .

No Class

Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 18, 2002The manager of a very posh store in New York City has this weird habit of touching her employees' lunches. She has picked up sandwiches and taken bites out of them without permission. She even sticks her finger into their donuts or muffins while they are eating them.She laughs and thinks it is funny. I find it disgusting and rude. Wha. . .

A Pickup Line

Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 11, 2002I just started a wonderful new job. The atmosphere is laid-back, and the people alone make the place fantastic. The best of them all is my boss. She is 29, a month my elder, and very comely in appearance.At first I was merely attracted to her, but as time went on, I fell hard. I couldn't put my finger on it, but she has such a sweet a. . .

A Preexisting Condition

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 2, 2002I am 25 and have been married for two years. This past August I began an affair with my husband's younger brother. I feel just terrible and want to end the relationship, but I feel I am in a hopeless situation.The guilt is overwhelming, and I feel I need to come clean with my husband before I can get past what I've done and move on. How. . .

Pride Goeth…

Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 25, 2002My boyfriend's daughter (I'll call her Mary) got married six months ago. She is 19 and pregnant. My boyfriend (I'll call him John) didn't go to the wedding because he disapproved of her husband and the marriage.The reason he gave for not attending was it would make him a hypocrite in front of his other children if he went. This caused . . .

The Egoistic Friend

What are friends for and how can a friendship be tested? By behaving altruistically, would be the most common answer and by sacrificing one's interests in favour of one's friends. Friendship implies the converse of egoism, both psychologically and ethically. But then we say that the dog is "man's best friend". After all, it is characterized by unconditional love, by unselfish behaviour, by sacr. . .

On Achievement

If a comatose person were to earn an interest of 1 million USD annually on the sum paid to him as compensatory damages – would this be considered an achievement of his? To succeed to earn 1 million USD is universally judged to be an achievement. But to do so while comatose will almost as universally not be counted as one. It would seem that a person has to be both conscious and intelligent. . .

Traumas as Social Interactions

("He" in this text - to mean "He" or "She"). We react to serious mishaps, life altering setbacks, disasters, abuse, and death by going through the phases of grieving. Traumas are the complex outcomes of psychodynamic and biochemical processes. But the particulars of traumas depend heavily on the interaction between the victim and his social milieu. It would seem that while the victim progress. . .

The Happiness of Others

Is there any necessary connection between our actions and the happiness of others? Disregarding for a moment the murkiness of the definitions of "actions" in philosophical literature - two types of answers were hitherto provided. Sentient Beings (referred to, in this essay, as "Humans" or "persons") seem either to limit each other - or to enhance each other's actions. Mutual limitation is, for. . .

Break And Move Beyond The Length Of The Chains

"Never let fear, procrastination or the longing for approval from others to take possession of your mind, they become self-forged chains." ~ Ty HowardHave you ever experienced a moment in your life where you wondered "What to do next?"Have you ever had a bolt of confidence spring into your being just as you were going to start working towards a new goal, but your comfort zon. . .

Prioritize Your Life for Success

Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a website, or an offline magazine and not see someone talking up the importance of time management. The time management gurus are going out of their way to teach us how to set priorities in our work week, how to organize those priorities, and then finally stick to our priorities to get more done. I applaud their efforts.Yet in all of the dozens of. . .

Managing Time to Accomplish More

Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in believing, it will NOT magically expand to accommodate all we have to do. So, in order to maximize the time we have available, we have to spend it wisely.Here's how to do that.STRUCTURE YOUR TIMEThe very first thing to do is understand the structure of your time. If you think of the time you have available as some amorphous dimension, you wi. . .

Guidelines For Choosing A Guru, Coach Or Mentor

The following tips are meant as a guide for those of you who wish to enter into a coaching or mentoring relationship with a Guru, Coach or Mentor.If you are not going to work with the individual you are paying, don't do it. You need to work with the individual who's charging you, so you can have accountability from him/her.Take a very close look at the cost/benefit ratio of the relationship. Is. . .

On Uniqueness

Is being special or unique a property of an object (let us say, a human being), independent of the existence or the actions of observers - or is this a product of a common judgement of a group of people? In the first case - every human being is "special", "one of a kind, sui generis, unique". This property of being unique is context-independent, a Ding am Sich. It is the derivative of a unique. . .

Overcoming Procrastination

What are the reasons that YOU procrastinate? Are you a perfectionist? Do you procrastinate on projects that you dislike? Do you over schedule yourself? Do you have fear of failure? Or maybe fear of success? Perhaps you dislike or disagree with the person delegating the job? Do you lack clear goals?There are many reasons for procrastination, but only one result. Stress, anxiety, and a great amou. . .

Step Out

Living your successful life requires you to step out. I remember as a teenager, right out of high school, learning this valuable lesson. Now - 15 years later - my life is the result of habitually stepping out. The scene is Naval Recruit Training Center in San Diego, Ca. There I am, standing poker-straight in a line with some 15 other recruits as the Southern California sun tans our young faces.. . .

How To Become A Polished Public Speaker In Just One (1) Day

The fear of speaking in public ranks right up there with the fear of death. I had the same fear myself until I was chosen to be an electronics trainer for the Air Force. It was only then I realized just how afraid and lousy at speaking I really was. I went to my first day of the 8 week training course excited and looking forward to learning a skill that many have never mastered. I soon found ou. . .

Are You A Procrastinator?

What is the dictionary definition of a procrastinator? It is one who delays, defers action, puts off until another day. At some point in our lives all of us have probably procrastinated over something we needed to do. This is human nature. And...it is especially true if the task to be done is disagreeable. Have you ever noticed that we somehow find time to do those things which we enjoy much . . .

10 Passion Principles to Creating the Rest of Your Life

1. Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. Without it, passion is void. 2. Commit to yourself as well as those you love to create powerfully a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. Be amazed as the transformation begins.. . .