What if you had to stare at dust, constantly, for years on end? What if that is what you are doing right now? In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the poet (c.1265-1321) portrays himself as the narrator on a tour of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. Set aside your theological issues: The epic is one of the world’s most important works. Dante’s story …
Decorative ninjas and the ability to pause
I came into the kitchen to this. My eldest had an idea to give her siblings (and herself) personalized ninja decorations. (Ninjas are a big deal around here. My generation had Storm Shadow and the other G.I. Joe ninjas. Her generation has Lego’s Ninjago. At least ninjas are still popular.) She wanted to represent each sibling’s hair style and to …
How is working with you better than working with AI?
We used to ask customer-facing team members, “How is working with you better than going online?” Now the question for everyone is, “How is working with you better than working with AI?” Mark taunts our future AI overlords. Mike has further treasures to reveal from his experiments with AI. It’s impressive–and scary. Are all of our jobs in danger? In …
Two alternatives to New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s has come and gone … so what if resolutions don’t work for you? Mike has learned from his clients about two alternatives that will help you take action on your goals. Questions? Comments? Ideas for future episodes? Email Mike and Mark. Listen here … subscribe on Spotify, Amazon or Apple … or watch below.
Bing Crosby’s ability to look in the mirror
You can probably tell we take Christmas pretty seriously around here at Hip Socket. Frequent celebrations mean infrequent posts. To illustrate: My wife’s birthday is around Halloween. When that’s over, it’s Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas and New Year’s. And … within a 30-day window … every single child’s birthday. Every. Single. Child. Which explains our annual Christmas trip to Cincinnati. (Pro …
This Cuban has some perspective for you
If you haven’t seen it yet, you should: A Cuban immigrant receives his first paycheck, working hourly for UPS. The quote: I prefer that [the taxes taken out] than Fidel Castro. Fidel took everything. Communism took everything. … You know what? This is my first hourly paycheck. That I feel that every hour of work counts. That every hour is important in …
Workplace sins: Flattery is worse than adultery and murder
Do you ever flatter? Perhaps a boss or coworker? You’re worse than an adulterer or murder. Don’t take my word for it. Ask Dante. Swimming in poop When Dante Alighieri wrote his Divine Comedy, he imagined an orderly hell. The damned are categorized into nine downward circles: garden-variety non-Christians at the top all the way down to Satan at the …
MARK’S CRINGY WEIGHT LOSS: A S.M.A.RT. FABLE
Mark’s alleged weight loss journey is a great way to illustrate all five items you must include in your goal. If you actually want to accomplish something, that is. Seriously: SMART goals can change your life. Questions? Comments? Ideas for future episodes? Email Mike and Mark. Listen here … subscribe on Spotify, Amazon or Apple … or watch below.
Is Work You replacing Real You?
Last week I lamented what we miss when we work remotely and don’t get the chance to work together. The journal First Things approached it from the opposite perspective: How hard it is to prevent “work you” from taking over “personal you.” In a review of the Apple TV+ series Severance, the author states a truth: Severing our work lives …
Common fallacies: Seeing through what’s not true (part 4–Assumptions)
Some informative new episodes related to our series on “Crucial Conversations:” This latest series focuses on “common fallacies,” arguments we make that, if you stop to think about them, just can’t be true. Identifying and naming these statements can keep you from losing focus on what truly matters. We encourage our listeners (both of you) to use these fallacies to evaluate …