You've undoubtedly heard the well-known idea attributed to Rene Descartes that says "I think, therefore I exist" or "I think, therefore I am." But what if Decartes' famous dictum or equation doesn't provide a complete answer?

The book entitled "Descartes' Error" by Antonio Damasio takes on Descartes' famous pronouncement with the idea that our feelings and emotions are much more important than ever imagined. In other words, Damasio believes that it is wrong to think that only minds think. You may want to read that statement again: It is wrong to think that only minds think. What if our feelings and emotions play a key role in the way we think and what if our feelings and emotions are actually at the core of our thinking making them required for rational decision-making? I find his hypothesis extremely fascinating.

It's always interesting to take something that is considered an undeniable truth and then dig in deeper to see if what we've been told, or if what we've come to accept or believe, might require more analysis. Antonio Damasio's book might change the way you think about the mind as well as how you think about thinking itself. What if our feelings and emotions are actually the most important parts of who we are and how we live? What if they are more important than our thoughts and/or what if they somehow guide our thoughts? What if feelings and emotions are actually at the root of our thinking?

I personally believe that a great deal of what we think about comes from the questions that we ask ourselves on a daily basis. But what if even the questions we ask ourselves are bubbling to the surface based on our feelings and emotions? This is indeed an intriquing area of study.

So if you want to stretch your mind with some interesting concepts and ideas relative to thinking and the mind, I recommend reading "Descartes' Error." It might change the way you view yourself and the world around you.

Just for fun, think about this for the next 30 days and see if anything changes in your life:

"I FEEL, THEREFORE I AM."

It's more than just a philosophical mind bender. Giving your feelings and emotions more significance might lead you to a completely different life. In fact, what if your feelings and emotions are the most intelligent part of who you are? And what if they are trying to tell you how to live a better life but you're just not listening?

I was going to end by saying "it's worth thinking about" but maybe it would be more accurate to say "it's worth feeling."

What are you reading these days? If I had access to your house, would I find a stack of interesting books on your night stand?

Just for fun, I recently grabbed the books off of my wife's nightstand. She always seems to find great books to read so I selected four books from her stack to see what I might learn. What I like to do is try to pull one or two powerful ideas from every book that I read. So here is a glimpse into four books that you might want on your reading list.

* * * * *

DARKNESS VISIBLE
A Memoir of Madness
by William Styron

This is a book I would have never selected myself. Yet sometimes the books that can be most helpful to us are the ones that we might never select ourselves. I tend to like the more positive books that focus on success and achievement rather than the books that delve into the pain that can be experienced in life. But sometimes the most powerful lessons in life come from painful experiences. And luckily, I found that this book does have a happy ending.

If you've ever sufferred from depression or know someone close that has, you know how debilitating it can be. This book is Pulitzer Prize Winning author William Styron's memoir about his descent into depression, and the triumph of recovery.

I knew that this was going to be interesting, when I saw this opening quote:

For the thing which
I greatly feared is come upon me,
and that which I was afraid of
Is come unto me.
I was not in safety, neither
had I rest, neither was I quiet;
yet trouble came.
- Job 3:25-26

I never thought of this quote in relation to depression but I can now see the connection.

Styron also uses some quotes from Dante's THE DIVINE COMEDY:

In the middle of the journey of our life
I found myself in a dark wood,
Where the straight way was lost.

You'll need to read about his experiences yourself, but this book will give you a glimpse into very serious depression. The good news is that Styron finally ends the book with his own translation to the final line of Dante's Inferno section of THE DIVINE COMEDY:

And so we came forth, and once again beheld the stars.

Here's my major idea from the book:

Don't ever think that a problem cannot be overcome even if you don't fully understand it, and especially if no one else understands it. There are always answers and hope. Or to say it another way, it's always too soon to give up.

* * * * *

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL
A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
by Todd Burpo

If you wonder about what happens after death, you might find studying near death experiences to be something worthwhile. And if you study near death experiences, definitely don't miss this book. It's about a kid that goes to heaven while undergoing life-threatening surgery.

Here's my major idea from the book:

Near death experiences may be one of the best sources of information about what happens after death and what heaven is like. And since kids often have a closer connection with the spiritual realm, a kid that had a near death experience is really fascinating to study.

However, none of this seems to negate the fact that our current home on planet earth is caught up in the great war between good and evil which seems to put us in various battles where we must constantly choose how we are going to learn, because learning seems to be the name of the game.

The question is whether we will choose to learn through pleasure or pain, and even if the pain comes, will we choose to allow it to overcome us or allow it to transform us into something better?

Of course, not just believing but actually KNOWING that heaven is for real, can change your entire experience of life. Temporary pain is much more bearable if you remember that you are spiritual traveler heading to a place without such pain.

* * * * *

FAILURE TO CONNECT
How Computers Affect Our Children's Minds — and What We Can Do About It
by Jane M. Healy, Ph.D.

I can certainly see why my wife is reading this one. We have a son who is almost a teenager now, and he is obsessed with computer and video games which which means he needs to be monitored.

Here's my major idea from this book as written by the author:

Just because children — particularly young ones — are performing tasks that look technologically sophisticated does not mean they are learning anything important.

* * * * *

SWAY
The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior
by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman

This book is over-the-top interesting. If you wonder about human nature and why people do what they do, don't miss this book.

The authors present some fascinating hidden psychological undercurrents that affect us all:

Loss Aversion - our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid possible losses.

Value Attribution - our inclination to imbue a person or thing with certain qualities based on initial perceived value.

Diagnosis Bias - our blindness to all evidence that contradicts our initial assessment of a person or situation.

They talk a lot about the challenges resulting from blind commitment to anything in life.

Here are a few major ideas from this book:

How to Conquer "Loss Aversion" …
"Having a long-term plan — and not casting it aside — is the key to dealing with our fear of loss."

Don't chase losses trying to unlose what you've already lost.

Also, don't get swayed by the hidden forces of commitment to a current course of action. Don't always try to cover your losses. Let some losses stand as what they really are in the overall grand scheme of things. Pretend you are starting from scratch based on where you are now without the memory of the past and then decide! (In business, some people talk about the mental game of pretending that you are going to move your business across the street, and then asking yourself what you would do differently. What's so powerful about this idea is that it can help you see things that you would do differently if you weren't so engrossed in your current challenges.)

How to Conquer "Value Attribution" …
Learn to discern the real or intrinsic value rather than someone else's opinion or the price society puts on something.

How to Conquer "Diagnosis Bias" …
Observe things the way they really are, not the way you initially saw them.

* * * * *

Now that I've read some of my wife's books, I'd better get back to work on my own list. Here's a quote that may help give you some reading motivation:

You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.
- Charles Jones

Of course, I would add audio programs to Charlie's list because it can sometimes be really powerful to hear an author deliver his or her work with all of the emotion that goes along with the ideas being presented. I guess that's why I love listening to authors in addition to reading what they have to say. Sometimes that added emotion can make all of the difference in bringing an idea to life.

Last year I did a special merger with Success.com and Success Magazine that I wrote about here:

Success.com Merges with Success Magazine

I am happy to report that my relationship with them has continued to grow and expand.

Here is a link to my latest article that will be published in the April 2009 edition of Success Magazine:

Top of Your Game: How to Be the Best

While you are at the Success Magazine site, check out some of my other articles that they have published.

Here is one entitled "Developing Everyday Leadership" which I think you will find useful:

Developing Everyday Leadership

And here is another entitled "Improving Your Most Important Relationship" which is based on a blog entry that I made here last year:

Improving Your Most Important Relationship in Life

While you are at the site, I'd love it if you would rate the articles. Of course, I expect nothing less than 5 stars!

:-)

Enjoy!

You are probably aware by now that I recently struck a deal to merge the domain name "success.com" with Success Magazine. I can't tell you how thrilled I am with this deal.

Success Magazine was originally founded way back in 1891 by Orison Swett Marden. It has been led over the years by such renowned authors as Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone, and Og Mandino. As a part of this transition, I have taken a stake in the future of Success Magazine, and I am going to begin working with them and contributing many articles and features. I am hoping to help make the magazine even more successful in its second 100 years of publication.

My personal mission in life has always been to help others experience more success in every area of their lives, and this new merger will allow me to amplify my efforts.

As far as everything on the website is concerned, nothing changes except the domain name. The new domain name is "success.bz." So starting immediately, the old Success.com will become the new Success.bz.

Everyone knows .com but very few have heard about .bz.

So what's the difference? Nothing really.

If you've never heard of .bz, you should know that it is another top level domain exactly like .com. It works the very same way. If fact, there are literally hundreds of top level domains, or TLD's as they are known — i.e., .net, .org, .edu, .tv, .us, etc. It's interesting that .com has become the most popular; however, who knows what will happen over time as the Internet is still in its infancy.

I've heard more and more people talk about the fact that you can't find any more good "dot coms" because they are all taken. And as so often happens when people start to think that something is scarce, the price begins to escalate. People have paid some amazing sums just to have a "dot com" of their choice. In fact, I've had many people call me to ask if I accepted an outrageous sum for "success.com" from Success Magazine; however, my agreement with Success Magazine prevents me from disclosing any particulars. I can say that I believe it was a win-win deal, and I'm looking forward to working with Success Magazine as they re-launch the publication. In fact, as I mentioned, I'll be writing many new articles and columns for the magazine.

I just want you to know that I'm not going anywhere as far as this site is concerned, and I'm as committed as ever to helping you achieve your goals. So rest assured that it's business as usual with everything that currently exists on the website, and the many new features we have planned for the future.

At this point, all you need to do is change your bookmarks to now point to Success.bz and get ready for more exciting announcements because we have a long list of exciting developments that are going to help you to accelerate your progress in 2008 and beyond.

I remember one of my early mentors telling me that if I wanted to be financial independent, I needed to start spending the majority of my time with people who were already financial independent. I'm sad to say that this mentor was the only person in my life at that time who qualified as financially independent. But I took his words to heart and started to develop associations and friendships with people who had the means to live the kind of lifestyle that I wanted for myself. And it was these associations along with this early mentor that made my goal of financial independence a reality.

So associating with the right people really does make a difference and not just to your net worth. Have you ever noticed how people who are drowning in problems are surrounded by others in the same situation? People naturally become molded by the people they are around. It's just a natural human tendency to become a part of our environment. So the bottomline is that we need to choose our environment very carefully.

And while it's sometimes difficult to free yourself from a bad situation, it's always possible. You just need the desire mixed with some dogged determination. In fact, what can make it so hard to climb out of a bad situation is the people who unknowingly want to hold you back. Since they are fearful of anything different than what they know, they want to protect you by keeping you exactly where you are.

I like to call this the "crabs in a bucket" phenomena. When you have a bucket full of crabs, all of the crabs are reasonably happy until one of them decides to try and climb out of the bucket. The other crabs become quite angry and do everything they can to pull that climbing crab right back to the bottom.

So don't let other peoples' fears hold you back. Once you've decided on a goal, pursue it with everything you've got.

Have you ever thought about publishing your ideas or sharing your wisdom with the world? Or, have you already published a work of some kind but you need greater distribution?

At Success.com, we decided to kick off the fall season with a new and revolutionary feature. We have created a system that allows anyone in the world to submit a product to be sold on Success.com. The only requirement is that the product must be digital — i.e., an MP3 file or a PDF file for ease of electronic distribution. Oh, and the product must also be outstanding! (But, of course, that goes without saying!) Our product submission specialists only select the best works for distribution but you’ll never know if you have something extraordinary unless you let us review it. Also, you may not have a program yourself, but perhaps you know of a program you would like to see us offer.

Over the years, our focus has never changed. We market and distribute the finest personal development programs available anywhere. If you have a product you would like us to consider distributing, simply log into Success.com and go to the My Account area online. Then click on the products tab and follow the online instructions to submit your product. It’s as simple as that.

The Internet has changed the world in ways that most people find hard to comprehend but I believe it’s still in its infancy. Digital delivery of information is spreading knowledge at a rate that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. But the best is yet to come!

So if you have a product that you think fits into the Success.com library, submit it today. Or if you know of a product that you think we need to be distributing, get in touch with the author and send them our way immediately.

At Success.com, you are a critical partner in the world’s fastest growing and most powerful library of information dealing with all aspects of success, wealth, and happiness.

Let’s continue to make the future better than the past!

When I was just starting out in the world of business, my first mentor taught me something that I’ve used with great success over the years. In fact, I would have to say that learning this idea was one of those watershed moments when you know that you’ve just received an insight that will make your life infinitely better if you’ll only apply it.

I can still remember the context of the lesson. I was talking with my mentor about the fact that most of the people I was managing were not getting the results that I wanted. What I was mainly talking with him about was the fact that many of these individuals had fallen way short of my expectations and yet they were under the impression that they were doing outstanding work and were asking for more money.

I’ll never forget what he told me. He said, “Robert, all problems between people are the result of expectation gaps. The bigger the gap, the bigger the problem.” At the time, I don’t think I fully understood what he had just said but I wrote it down in my journal because it sounded like something I should remember and maybe even file away for future reference.

Through the years, I have to admit that every single problem I have had in any kind of dealing with any sort of person can always be traced back to this simple concept. “All problems between people are the result of expectation gaps.”

I quickly learned that the reason I was not getting the results I wanted was because I hadn’t communicated the results I wanted clearly in a way that could be easily understood.

Have you ever had a situation where someone is telling you how great a job he or she has done and you’re thinking about how far they missed the mark. Here’s the most important question: “Did you specify exactly what you wanted?”

Here’s another important question: “Did the person you gave the goal to understand your expectations?”

It’s only through clear communication that expectation gaps become eliminated. You have to ask for exactly what you want and you have to make sure that the person you are dealing with understands what you want.

Think of some areas where you might be experiencing expectation gaps. The most important thing is to identify the gaps and then begin thinking about ways to close them.

So what if you’ve clearly communicated your expectations to someone who clearly understands what you want and you still don’t get the results you’re after? Well, that’s the subject for a whole other blog post I think.

Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, I learned early about the now legendary investor, Warren Buffett. I’m incredibly grateful for all of the wisdom he has shared over the years. In fact, each year I look forward with great anticipation to reading his annual report which always contains some of the best personal advice and business philosophy you will find anywhere. Warren Buffett is a remarkable human being who has made the most of his unique talents.

I just discovered a new series of videos on YouTube.com that you may enjoy. It’s a collection of interviews with Warren Buffett and CNBC’s Liz Clayman.

Enjoy!

Part One:
Watch the clip at YouTube

Part Two:
Watch the clip at YouTube

Part Three:
Watch the clip at YouTube

Part Four:
Watch the clip at YouTube

Part Five:
Watch the clip at YouTube

I had an interesting conversation with a client recently that reminded me of the movie “The Perfect Storm” starring George Clooney. Have you watched that movie?

It’s about a struggling fishing boat captain played by George Clooney. In the movie, George is desperately trying to stay in business after a string of bad luck and not being able to find great fishing spots. Unfortunately, he is so intent on finding fish at any cost, he ignores his better judgment and years of experience to steer his ship right in the middle of a massive storm.

As I was listening to my client describe his current situation, it brought to mind parallels with the movie. My client thought he was under extreme pressure to make a decision to change the nature of his business and because he didn’t think things through clearly, he had just steered his once prosperous business into the perfect storm. Rather than take the time and make the effort necessary to carefully think through his many options, my client was so intent on pushing his business forward that he took some extremely large risks — the kind of risks that he would normally steer clear of. What’s even more interesting is that he chose to ignore many critical indicators in his business that would have confirmed that this was indeed not the time for such a risky move.

In the movie, George Clooney as the fishing boat captain had all of the instruments necessary to see the weather patterns and to predict the course of the storm but he chose to ignore everything out of desperation to catch some fish. Unfortunately, this decision cost him and his crew their lives as their small boat and all of their skills on the sea were no match for the storm.

Luckily, my client is not facing such a perilous end. However, his decision will cost him a great deal of money, and it will force him to lay off some extremely talented people. But with some clear thinking and strategic planning, the business will prosper again. Storms don’t last forever and the sun will indeed shine again.

Just keep in mind that the best course to take is the one where you maneuver your ship around the storms of life. True, you can’t avoid all storms or adversity but you can avoid more than you might imagine with proper planning. Sometimes, the only thing you need to do is take a deep breathe and ask yourself if the course you are on is going where you really want to go. Are you steering yourself into any storms that you could avoid? And if you are thinking seriously about heading into a storm, have you asked yourself if it’s really worth the risk? There are an abundance of fish throughout the ocean so why not find a calm, sunny spot and then cast your line?

Over the years I've noticed that many people never bother to set goals for themselves. Nevertheless, these same people often want a better job. They want a better family life. They want more money. They want better health. They want to travel. They have a seemingly endless list of "wants," but unfortunately, they have no clearly defined goals or plans to get what they want.

During my business career, I've interviewed hundreds of prospective employees for a wide variety of positions. In the course of a typical interview, I ask a lot of questions, but two of my favorites are: "What do you see yourself doing 3 to 5 years from now?" and, "If you could have any job in the world, what would be the perfect job for you?"

You might be surprised to know how many candidates have trouble with those questions. I don't mean them to be trick questions or attempts to stump the applicants, but simply to find out how they're thinking about the future. Actually, I'm thoroughly delighted when occasionally someone responds by saying that in five years they'd like to be running the company.

But regrettably, that's the exception, because too many job-seekers, I've found, haven't projected themselves into the future with their goals. Not many people willingly give up control of their future, but that's exactly what happens when we don't set goals for ourselves. You see, without goals it isn't possible to realistically imagine what you'll be doing five years from now. And without goals, I don't think anyone can even imagine the perfect job for themselves. And without goals they could never imagine getting such a job.

What so many people don't realize — and never learn — is that we all have the power to mold and design our lives to fit our desires. You can even say we have the power to predict our future. That power lies in our ability to choose — choosing to set goals for our lives.

I recognize we all are obliged to live life one day at a time, but we shortchange ourselves when we live only in the present. Much of life's joy comes from anticipating what we've made the future hold for us. The simple matter of a vacation trip, for example, is a worthy goal that requires advance planning, often months in advance. The old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day," not only suggests the virtue of patience, but the benefits of advance planning as well. The goals we set are our tools for planning and anticipating our future. Little of importance can be accomplished — or enjoyed — in life without looking ahead with goals.

I've worked with many top business executives who had enviable records for successfully setting and achieving goals for their companies. What I've found, too often, unfortunately, is that these same executives have incomplete lives off the job. They steer their companies but not their own lives. They focus so completely on the demands of their careers that they neglect to set and pursue goals for a life outside the office, often with unhappy consequences.

From time to time I've heard my aircraft pilot friends talking about "staying ahead of the power curve," or "keeping ahead of the airplane." I learned by asking that this is the happy state good pilots strive for by planning every flight thoroughly in advance. They keep ahead of the airplane by anticipating every power setting, every altitude and heading, every radio setting before the plane gets to the point where the adjustment is needed.

I think that's a perfect analogy for goal-setting. It seems to me that we're simply making a flight plan for our life when we conscientiously set our goals for what we want. Unfortunately, the choice so many people make is not to set goals. They are deciding — by default — to drift along, to fly blind and hope everything will turn out OK. It shouldn't be a surprise when things never work out the way they want them to and they always find themselves behind the power curve.

The hard truth everyone must learn is that the only way we get what we want in life — that is, the only chance we have of getting to our destination — is by setting goals and then preparing, planning and acting with determination.

Now, we know that in life, everything worthwhile has its price. And we should also understand that the price for setting goals is the investment of a certain amount of time and effort. But when all is said and done, this amounts to far less than the cost of frustration that comes from not setting goals.

Someone very wise has observed that it's easier to win than to lose, and believe it or not, that's true. We have a choice. The costs of winning are much less than the costs of losing. We can choose to pay the price for success — or automatically pay the price for failure.

This is another way of saying that life actually becomes easier when we have goals to reach for. A life not governed by goals has greater chances for getting off course. Again, we have a choice. We either stretch and grow by our own specifications, our goals — or we let life's capricious challenges, by default, dictate our future.

On the other hand, I'm sure you know of people, as I do, who are remarkably successful, but who seem to get along, apparently without setting goals. Instead, they are so moved by a consuming passion for what they do that their work and careers appear to flow effortlessly from one triumph to another. The world's great scientists, for example, as well as artists — musicians, writers, painters and the like, fall into this category.

I mention this only because in such cases appearances can be deceiving. The passion of genius is often so great that goal-setting is a built-in process and is carried out automatically or intuitively to move these individuals forward in their lives and careers. For the most part, they are constantly setting new goals for themselves without having to think about it very much.

Well, just because they make it look easy, the rest of us can't be deterred from investing the time and effort that we require to set the goals we need to move us ahead. But I will add this good news: The more we work at goal-setting, the better we get at it — even to the point of it becoming so routine, it almost seems automatic.

I believe you'll also discover, as I have, that the goal setting process is an exciting experience that actually gives you the ability to take charge of your life — to mold your life for success — to experience the best that life has to offer.