In the presence of greatness
Yes, I’m still taking a break from my blog but I just had to make this quick post. Last night my family and I saw Bill Cosby perform here at that San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. It was the first time I’ve ever seen him perform live and it was nothing less than spectacular. Just before Mr. Cosby stepped onto the stage, my father pointed to the little folding chair in the center and said something like, “Look at that. A single chair. That’s all he needs to put on his show. No walls of amplifiers, lasers and smoke bombs. Just himself and a chair.” I think that observation really framed the whole show for me. My father was right. At 68 years old and the target of some ugly allegations, Mr. Cosby stepped up onto the stage and quickly demonstrated why he is a legend. No dirty words. No degrading jokes. And not a trace of concern for any personal troubles. Just a man and a chair. That may not sound like much, but when that man is Bill Cosby, it’s a recipe for greatness.
Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2005 at 10:05 AM
(1) Comments • Permalink • Printer friendly
Share Blair:
Taking a break
I’m taking a much needed break from the online world for a little while. Hope to be back soon. In the meantime, feel free to dig through the archives - there’s quite a bit here.
Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 at 11:00 PM
(0) Comments • Permalink • Printer friendly
Share Blair:
How to avoid being a hypocrite
The best way to avoid being called a hypocrite is to never take a strong stand on any issue. Unfortunately, this is also a great way to ensure you will never amount to much.
Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 at 10:04 AM
(0) Comments • Permalink • Printer friendly
Share Blair:
The fastest way to persuasive power
One of the fastest, most reliable ways to experience more persuasive power is to place chemistry above strategy. That is, focus on those with whom you have a natural chemistry and forget those with whom you do not as soon as possible. In other words, stop trying to “push a rope” when it comes to persuasion.
The truth is there are going to be some people - maybe even many people - with whom we cannot build a deep level of rapport. I don’t care how hard we try to pace or lead, amaze or delight, or simply charm our way into their good graces, these people are simply out of reach for us. Sure, we may be able to snag one of these people with tremendous time and effort, but to do so is more often than not a terrific waste of time. Instead, identify these people as early as possible, then forget about persuading them as soon as possible.
This strategy may seem useless when we’re faced with a specific individual we must persuade, but it’s not. When we spend less time trying to persuade the unpersuadable, we have more time to spend on the “must have” relationships in our life. And as a result, even these “must have” relationships often take on a new feel. They become less “imperative” and more cooperative - but not if we’re wasting our time on the unreachable.
Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 at 12:10 PM
(0) Comments • Permalink • Printer friendly
Share Blair:
Lost in the land of secrets
Want to get better at something? You need to know the secrets. Want to succeed in business as fast as possible? You need to know the secrets. Want to simply be happier or have more fulfilling relationsips? Well, you need to know the secrets. And luckily there are plenty of people who are willing to share them with you - for a price. And even better, these people will even discover more secrets for you once you’ve grown tired of the first ones. And should you tire of the new ones? There are always more where those came from.
The truth is, the importance of secrets in life is greatly exagerrated. Sure, there are some secrets that would probably be helpful, but not many that are essential. Even then, the ones that ultimately matter are rarely secrets you can buy, but secrets you must discover. You may know these secrets by their proper name. They’re called insights. And the best ones cannot be bought. They can only be obtained through effort.
Secrets, on the other hand, can be bought on a credit card and are available for instant download. This is why most people prefer to be lost in the land of secrets. It’s fast. It’s filled with hope. It’s available for a price. And, it’s a cycle that never ends.
But don’t tell anyone this. It’s apparently a secret.
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at 10:51 AM
(0) Comments • Permalink • Printer friendly
Share Blair:
