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Conversation can bring us together, but there is a major faux pas that can tear us apart. Allow me to explain. Just the other day, while sitting at my work station, I overheard two men speaking to each other. I’m not entirely certain what the topic of their conversation entailed, but they seemed to be […]

“May you live in interesting times.”     The quote above is said to be a bit of ancient Chinese wisdom. We certainly do seem to be living in interesting times, especially on the political front given that we are in an election season. And as we’ve heard in all of the presidential elections of […]

Life is very daunting for many people. If we keep our ears and our eyes open, we may find that many people need some encouragement; some need empathy; others, sympathy. I vividly recall a conversation with a man a few short months ago. Almost the entire conversation involved him telling me of his various physical […]

Building Your Power of Expression Ancillary,  adj., n. Pronunciation: ˈansəˌlerē Meaning: As a noun, this word refers to something which functions in a supplementary or supporting role. As an adjective, it is the quality of providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, institution, industry, or system. Usage: I need you […]

Strategy is crucial, not only to the viability of a business or an army, but even to the survival of the same. Strategy is a term rich with deep historical meaning. While the word came from earlier words that reach back centuries, our word strategy has only found coinage since the early 1800s. The word […]

Of all the factions that claim marginalized status in our culture today, the LGBT crowd is a fascinating case study in both self-fulfilling prophecy and projection. LGBT activists (which are distinct from the average LGBT person) have a vested interest in seeing themselves as victims – perpetually. They walk around with the deep-seated need to […]

One of the loveliest of pop songs from the 70s comes to us courtesy of Barbra Streisand. The song, written by Marvin Hamlisch, is titled “The Way We Were” and was used in the film of the same name starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. The lyrics are at once evocative of melancholy and nostalgia: […]

Building Your Power of Expression Coif,  v. Pronunciation: kwäf Meaning: As a noun, this word refers to a woman’s close-fitting cap, now only worn under a veil by nuns. But I use the word in its verb form, which refers to the style or arrangement of, say, someone’s hair, typically in an elaborate way. Usage: […]

High achievers usually attain great heights because they approach their craft strategically. For those of you who shudder at my use of that over-used word, I sympathize with you. The words strategy, strategic, and strategically are indeed overused, especially in business circles, and often by people who seem not to understand much about the word […]

It is an undeniable phenomenon that when it comes to Gay Pride Month – or anything concerning the LGBTQIA2S+ movement – that if you utter a word, if you articulate so much as a single syllable that involves anything other than total acceptance and partiality, you will be on the receiving end of some vicious […]

Having recently finished reading Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life I find myself reflecting on many of his thought-provoking themes. His book carries the subtitle An Antidote to Chaos, a theme that permeates many of its 368 pages of challenging prose. In pointing out that the scientific world view is a mere 500 years old, […]

Building Your Power of Expression Embodiment,  n. Pronunciation: əmˈbädēmənt Meaning: This word suggests a tangible or visible form of an intangible (an idea, for example, or a quality of some type, or even a feeling). Usage: She seemed to be a living embodiment of vitality. It was in Germany alone that his hope seemed capable […]

In reference to one of my clients, my largest client – a Fortune 100 corporation – I recently described my working environment in this column earlier this month (See Issue #307), touching on how my workstation is outfitted. No one is presently assigned to the cubicle on my left, right next to my cubicle. A […]

I am, among other things, a college professor. As a result of that part of my professional life, I tend to pay attention to how college students comport themselves – not only in my own classes, but at other colleges and universities around the country (and even globally to a degree). It’s a fascinating undertaking. […]

Fans of Jimi Hendrix are sometimes astonished to learn that the popular Hendrix tune “All Along the Watchtower” is actually a cover tune of a song originally composed by Bob Dylan. For those not clear on what I mean by the term “cover,” periodically some artist or band will record a song that is a […]

Building Your Power of Expression Indomitable,  adj. Pronunciation: inˈdämədəb(ə)l Meaning: Impossible to subdue or defeat. Usage: Forget it; you cannot stop him for he is of an indomitable disposition. If we defeat last season’s champion, it is safe to say we will be, for all intents and purposes, indomitable. I’m not the least bit worried […]

In case you hadn’t noticed, we live in complex times. Possibly not as complex as will be the case in, say, the year 2047, but much more complex than was the case in 1847. Many people find it difficult to stay productive. Many people are spinning their wheels. Many people go through the motions in […]

I recently listened to an eye-opening and very disturbing speech by a man named Charles Stimson. Stimson is the deputy director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Here are some of the eye-opening things I learned from Mr. Stimson. Roughly 90% of criminal cases in our country are handled by […]

There is a passage in the Hebrew Bible, located within what is referred to as the Wisdom Literature, that has always caught my attention. It’s found in the book of Proverbs, 23rd chapter, 7th verse. In the King James vernacular, it reads as follows: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It […]

Building Your Power of Expression Suffuse v. Pronunciation: səˈfyo͞oz Meaning: To gradually spread through or over. . . I often prefer to use this verb in the past tense. Usage: Her cheeks were suffused with color. The first half of the poem was suffused with idealism. The darkness suffused him, seized him, and enveloped him […]

To this day, one of my favorite rock band is The Who. Pete Townshend, the guitarist and primary composer (he wrote almost all of their songs) churned out an impressive body of work over the decades. Who can forget hits like Pinball Wizard, Baba O’Reilly, Slip Kid, or Join Together? But even some of his […]

National Public Radio was in the news this month. One of their senior editors, a man named Uri Berliner, who had been employed by NPR for 25 years, had seen some troubling things at the media outlet. Now, I should say that Uri Berliner is no Conservative. He’s been a Democrat-voting liberal all of his […]

Two issues ago, in Uncommon Sense #304, I wrote about the ethical issues surrounding the Biden Administration’s open border policy. One of the comments I made in that article read as follows: “In Denver, it has gotten so out of control that citizens of Denver are now being asked to open their homes to the […]

I recently posted something fairly innocuous on social media. I was commenting on the beauty and the virtue of a certain edifice of sacred significance, a place of profound meaning and enlightenment. There shouldn’t have been anything controversial about what I said. And yet, a certain small but deeply troubled demographic that lurks among us […]

Building Your Power of Expression Acrid adj. Pronunciation: ˈakrəd Meaning: Originally, acrid referred to anything having a repugnant taste or smell. It has come to be applied to anything that can be said to be angry or bitter. Usage: She posted many things with an acrid, near-hysterical shrillness that was very off-putting. Try to calm […]

I credit one of my very first mentors, a man named Donald W. Atkinson, for introducing me to success literature. This took place back in about 1978 or 1979. Don was a powerhouse speaker and it was he that introduced me to the National Speakers Association, which let to my becoming their youngest ever member […]

Life can be tough. Very tough. There is much human suffering that is brought about by what seem to be normal occurrences of life: disease, injuries, even the incapacitations that come from life-enhancing medical procedures such as surgeries, as the patient needs patience as she heals, slowly, burdened every day by immobility until the healing […]

It feels good to laugh. Laughter is a real “high” as endorphins are released into the bloodstream, providing an emotional sensation that is almost euphoric. Sometimes we get to laugh at ourselves, and it is good if we do so. We shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. Other times we get to laugh with others (notice […]

Building Your Power of Expression Preen v. Pronunciation: prēn Meaning: While this word is often found in the field of ornithology (the study of birds – i.e., when a bird cleans its feathers with its beak, it is preening itself) the word also pertains to people who are busy making themselves look attractive and/or admiring […]

In both my professional work, and as a college professor in the School of Business where I teach, I often help individuals and organizations get clarity around matters that pertain to culture. I help clients work on getting clear on things like their governing values, the personal or corporate mission statement, perhaps their vision statement, […]