The Keynote Speech

I received a phone call last week. A meeting planner I have known for some time informed me that their closing keynote speaker who was slated to deliver a speech in about a week had been involved in a terrible car accident and had received injuries that would prevent him from delivering the speech. He […]

There are two voices within each of us. One of the voices beckons us towards stillness, calm, rest, repose, quietude. This voice accepts current reality. This voice is content. The other voice lights a fire within and spurs us on to reject current circumstances and to strive for something more. This voice represents ill-content. The […]

Building Your Power of Expression Racy, adj. Pronunciation: ˈrāsē Meaning: This word can be used in several ways. If the context has to do with speech, or writing, or behavior, the word refers to qualities such as liveliness, entertaining, and even mildly provocative or titillating in a sort of sexual manner. Conversely, if the context […]

Great to welcome you all back for another round of Uncommon Sense! And a hearty welcome to all of the new subscribers! Here is what we have in store for you with this issue. Although the year is still new, eventually we may find ourselves feeling burned out. I’d like to have you circumvent that […]

Burnout can manifest subtly, draining your energy, diminishing motivation, and impeding productivity. To safeguard your well-being, consider these effective strategies: Establish Boundaries – Preserve your personal time by delineating clear work-life limits. Resist the urge to respond to emails after hours and incorporate structured breaks into your routine. Prioritize Self-Care – A well-nourished body and […]

Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am going to use a term that many would consider a pejorative towards innocent people that don’t deserve it. Some of my readers will consider what I am going to say in this column to be unnecessarily mean, cruel, and rude. The offending word is zombie and I […]

As a fine food connoisseur, I am no huge fan of fast food. In fact, every time I eat a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese at McDonalds, I end up regretting it. I look in the mirror afterwards and berate myself: “What in God’s name is wrong with you, Norwood?! Have you no shame?! Have […]

It’s a fact that there is a great deal of unevenness in this world. We hear about the “haves” and the “have nots.” Much of that is due to things like effort, timing, who you know, and even luck. Yet it is the extremes that catch my attention. In May 2024, Forbes magazine published a […]

Building Your Power of Expression Steely, adj. Pronunciation: stēlē Meaning: Although this word can be used in the sense of resembling steel in color or brightness or strength (as in “a steely blue”), I prefer to use the term in the sense of a human trait that is coldly determined and unyielding, and/or very hard […]

Great to welcome you all back for another round of Uncommon Sense! And a hearty welcome to all of the new subscribers! Here is what we have in store for you with this issue. Some months ago a Fortune 100 firm invited several of their star performers and a few of their consultants to deliver […]