Many people spend considerable amounts of time following the news of the day, and subsequently become angry over the state of world affairs.  Most people who see problems around them are infused with a natural desire to resolve them.  Ironically, this desire to solve problems is a constant thread across both left-leaning and right-leaning people.
To many of the left-leaning persuasion, daily news brings a perpetual onslaught of human suffering that is being allowed to go unchecked and unchanged by society.  Their desire is for somebody to do something to ease …

Contemporary business theory places great amounts of emphasis on strategy and long-term thinking. A These concepts are most definitely of great importance, but there is one critical aspect of successful long-term strategy that many theories and systems fail to comprehend. A That critical insight is how all strategies, regardless of how large or small ultimately distill down to steps that must be acted upon in the present tense. A Furthermore, these action steps frequently break down into smaller steps.
Thus, it becomes true that the largest, most grand, and most complex strategies all come …

The current economic and political environment is one that has become increasingly polarized.  News continues to come in about a building US government debt spiral that is running a very real risk of destroying the international prominence of US dollars in the global marketplace.  There are serious problems on the horizon if large efforts are not made soon.
In response to this situation, people react predictably according to their political persuasion.  Those of a left-leaning persuasion exhibit a noted tendency to blame all economic problems on President Bush, high-income earners, and …

Most people are aware of great deals and tremendous opportunities that people they know have seen or experienced throughout their lifetime.  All of these phenomenal deals share one key characteristic in common . . . somebody took action so that the opportunity could be turned into reality.  This willingness to act is what separates great achievers from the average person.
Conversely, a psychological paralysis grips many people and freezes them into stalling, waiting, and preparing until the opportunity to act has passed.  At this point, many people will begin to create …

The world that we live in is not short on information.  In fact, the preponderance of information that we are constantly bombarded with can create a state of constant confusion that scares us into inaction.  In the martial arts, this phenomenon is referred to as the “chattering monkey mind.”A  The key to success lies in filtering down to the useful information and then decisively taking action.
This is especially important to remember since the preponderance of success and financial literature revolves around ‘systems’ and ‘strategy.’A  This is especially true if you …

One of the characteristics of humanity that never seems to change is that we are concerned.  Concerned about the economy, concerned about unemployment, concerned about global warming, concerned about global cooling, concerned about foreign wars, concerned that kids are growing up too fast, and concerned that kids aren’t growing up fast enough.  In some cases, people grow so concerned about the state of the world that they require therapy or medication.
The implicit problem with carrying so much concern around with us is the fact that many of the large problems …

In the tenacity of life and living, there is a constant interplay between efficiency and effectiveness.  These traits are demonstrated by the metaphors of a clock and a compass.  Efficiency is the art of conducting current activities more quickly.  The pursuit of efficiency inevitably results in ‘working against the clock.’A  On the other hand, the pursuit of effectiveness is more concerned with ensuring that the endeavor is moving in the direction of its goal.
The next level of this interplay is determining when to pursue efficiency, when to pursue effectiveness, and …

When life becomes difficult, it can become very easy to believe that we are the victims of circumstance.  It is comforting to blame the economy, or whichever political party happens to be in power.  (Ironically, the political party in power typically blames the people that were in power beforehand as a way to try and absolve themselves of responsibility)
However, as individuals there is only a narrow scope of things that we can really control.  I do not have the ability to directly influence the political system since my one vote …

Most people are very familiar with the traditional investing axiom of ‘buying low’ and ‘selling high’ that is rooted in experience with the stock market.  Because of this, many equity market investors choose to hold their capital on the sidelines waiting for prices to hit a cyclical bottom before buying-in.  We understand this sentiment in regards to stock market investments, due to the increasing volatility of market values in recent years.  The orthodoxy of ‘buy and hold’ worked very well for stocks through the 1990’s, but has subjected investors to …

There is a popular belief that knowledge is power.  This sentiment is the motivation behind most programs of education that endeavors to create a more knowledgeable workforce.  It is certainly true that knowledge creates vast potential and opportunity.  But it is also true that there is one major piece that still needs to be added in order for opportunities to be realized.  Knowledge must be accompanied by intelligent action to produce results. This insight is extremely important for the emerging workforce of the twenty first century.  The reasons for …