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We all carry invisible weights. Some were handed to us by well-meaning parents, teachers, or peers. Others we quietly forged ourselves through failure, fear, or comparison. They are our limiting beliefs — quiet, persistent ideas that whisper, “You can’t,” “You shouldn’t,” or “You’ll never be enough.” But what if these beliefs are not truths, only […]

Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump declared that he and his supporters were “the party of common sense.” In his Inaugural Address on January 20, Trump returned to this theme. With his flurry of executive orders, he said, “We will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It’s all about […]

Many of us, myself included, have found that uncertainty is one of life’s great stressors. Few things make me more anxious than not knowing what comes next — whether it’s a relationship teetering on the edge, a career opportunity hanging in limbo, or the gnawing question of financial security. I, like so many others, crave […]

Building Your Power of Expression Reticent, adj. Pronunciation: ˈredəsənt Meaning: This word conveys a sense of hesitancy, of caution, or of being guarded in one’s expressions. To be reticent is to be reserved, or quiet, or reluctant to express oneself. A reticent person tends to avoid speaking freely or to reveal much about themselves. Such […]

In a culture that glamorizes hustle and grand achievements, it’s easy to feel like meaningful change has to be dramatic. We set lofty goals—“lose 30 pounds,” “write a book,” “meditate every morning”—only to burn out after the initial surge of motivation fades. But what if the real key to transformation isn’t in going big, but […]

Continuing with some things we do know about January 6th: In addition, we know that on the morning of January 6, 2021, tens of thousands of Trump supporters gathered for a rally on The Ellipse, a park south of the White House, to show support for the President and protest what they believed were irregularities […]

Let’s consider a serious subject: laughter. Laughter is one of those uniquely human quirks we often take for granted. But peel back the layers, and you’ll find that laughter is a fascinating window into the social and psychological wiring of the human brain. At its core, laughter isn’t just about jokes or humor—it’s a deep-rooted […]

Building Your Power of Expression Sentient, adj. Pronunciation: ˈsen(t)SH(ē)ənt Meaning: Coming from the Latin word sentire, which means “to feel,” this word refers to the ability to perceive or feel things. People who are conscious and aware could be said to be sentient. Further, a sentient being could be said to be one that can […]

We all have comfort zones—those familiar routines and habits that keep us feeling safe. While they provide security, they can also become invisible walls that limit personal growth. The problem? Staying in a comfort zone too long leads to stagnation. We stop learning, avoid challenges, and miss out on new opportunities. If you’ve ever felt […]

On January 22nd of this year, John Daniel Davidson, Senior Editor at The Federalist, delivered a talk on the topic of January 6th – the so-called insurrection that the media and the Left are still very much worked up about. Even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wasn’t even inside the main Capital building where the breach took […]

Several years ago I got hooked on the wisdom of a writer named Neil Postman. He was a college professor at New York University. A dear friend of mine, Ross Baron, who is brilliant in his own right, had alerted me to the value of Postman’s writings. That same summer, I read seven of Postman’s […]

Building Your Power of Expression Reciprocity, n. Pronunciation: ˌresəˈpräsədē Meaning: Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. Tit for tat. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. But it’s not a word that exclusively deals with things of a positive benefit. Think an eye for an eye. It could also […]

I was enrolled to begin my masters degree at Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University) in June 1996. Although I was very excited about the prospects of studying with the legendary Peter Drucker, I have to admit I was quite nervous. I was nervous because during my undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, I […]

People who know me know that I do not belong to a political party. I am not a Democrat. And I am not a Republican. My view of political parties is that while they can, in theory, do some good, they inevitably do more harm than good. Political parties go through different phases at different […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Most of us squander the most precious resource we have – our time. A lot of this is due to poor planning. Sometimes it is due to a lack of clarity around our sense of purpose. And both of those remain our own responsibility. Let’s focus on the second one: having a lack of clarity […]

Donald Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election fair and square. He won the popular vote, he won all of the swing states, he won the electoral college, the Republicans maintained control of the House, and the Republicans snatched the Senate away from the Democrats. Although many Democrats deny this, the election was a blood-bath for […]

Sharon Stone, who starred in such movies as “Basic Instinct,” “Casino,” “Silver,” and “Total Recall” isn’t all that active in the Hollywood movie scene these days. At age 66, it’s been more than a decade since she’s appeared in film, and while her net worth is said to be roughly $20 million, it may be […]

Building Your Power of Expression Illusory, adj. Pronunciation: iˈlo͞osərē, iˈlo͞ozərē Meaning: This word refers to things that are based on an illusion; things that are not real. Usage: “The past two weeks have been a reminder that refuge can be illusory.” “The concept of money might be the greatest illusory trick of all time.” “Some […]

I was delivering a seminar this morning. In my opening exercise, I had everyone share a management challenge they struggled with. One man stated that he struggles with managing his time effectively. I couldn’t address that in the seminar, but I will address it here. Remember those Russian Nesting Dolls? (You see them in the […]

Here’s a thought: Donald Trump was the most maligned person in politics ever since he announced his intent to run for high office on June 16, 2015. People lied about him, people deliberately tried to ruin his life, the media ganged up on him, people wanted him dead. It would be wholly understandable if Trump […]

There seems to be a lot of people wearing a mask of certitude. They claim expertise on matters and pontificate on things with an air of confidence that may or may not be warranted. Remember both James Carville and Bill Maher told the world, using different words, that Donald Trump would definitely, unequivocally, lose the […]

Building Your Power of Expression Parlay, v. Pronunciation: ˈpärˌlā, ˈpärˌlē Meaning: Although the initial usage of this word comes to us courtesy of the world of gambling, and conveyed the idea of turning one’s initial winnings from a previous bet into a greater amount by further gambling, it has taken on an additional meaning of […]

Two years ago, in Uncommon Sense Issue #298 (published on December 31, 2023) I wrote a piece in this very column titled “Explode to Greatness!” As we are now in a new year, I think some of the points I brought up two years ago bear repeating. Let’s review. First, you must regain control of […]

Most of you reading this won’t recognize the name of Debrina Kawam – that is, until I tell you a little about her. Often referred to informally as Debbie, she was a native of Toms River, New Jersey. You can see a photo of her from her high school years in the picture accompanying this […]