Some of the most useful (and entertaining) professional development classes I’ve ever taken have been improv-comedy classes. Besides making me a little less unfunny at parties, I’ve learned some powerful and practical communication skills in these classes. One of them came from a brilliant teacher, Tim Whetham. (He was the teacher who pointed out on the first day of class that, “everyone is already good at improv, we do it 24 hours a day). In a class on performing an improvisational scene with a partner, Tim pointed out that your focus in the scene should be to validate the choices the other actor makes. In the heat of the moment it’s … [Read more...]
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Big Thought: The human mind is capable of astounding feats of memory when using specific memory tools. And examining memory is valuable because it leads us to questions of intelligence, identity, education, and personal development. Having a perfect memory and no memory are both pathological. If you can't forget information, it's impossible to focus because you can't determine what information is worth focusing on and which isn't relevant. If you have no memory, you can't develop a personality beyond the present moment. " Call it a soul, or a self, or an emergent byproduct of a neural network, but whatever you want it, that element of … [Read more...]
Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney
Big Thought Willpower has a physical component that can be managed and even enhanced. By creating awareness in your decision-making process and by learning how to effectively use your willpower, you can make better long-term decisions. Questions, Comments, Observations, and Quotes "Self-control is a vital strength and key to success in life." (13) And that's not a normative statement, it's one based on the research. We all know that some decisions have better outcomes than others - so the more we're able to choose the paths that lead to those outcomes the better off we'll be. It's fascinating that we have a sort of "self-control … [Read more...]
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