GREAT ADVICE IN THE MOST ABSURD POLITICAL TIME OF OUR LIVES

"Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices."

Voltaire 17th century French author/historian/philosopher

Listen very carefully to what others say is truth.

Sometimes it is, often it's not.

Which you believe is and is not will have much to do with the course of your life. 

WE ARE ALL SALESPEOPLE

"You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get people interested in you."

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) American writer.

This isn't just good advice for those selling goods and services.

It's for us all.

Regardless of what we do we all must sell. 

Our ideas, suggestions, thinking, in other words, us.

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

"Own more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest."

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) British poet and playwright.

The less you say about what you believe you know, the more you say about what you do know.

YOUR MIND, NOT EASILY MADE UP NOR CHANGED

"Reason is a very light rider, and easily shook off."

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) Irish-born English satirist.

Do not easily be dissuaded.

Believe what you believe for good reason, only, and always, allowing your mind to change for even better reason.

YOU DO AGREE WITH ME DON'T YOU?

"We think very few people sensible, except those who are of our opinion."

François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French writer.

The trouble with this is our opinions become inbred when they are mostly or only our opinions.

I SAY A, YOU HEAR a

"Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people."

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) Irish poet/playwright.

Mr. Yeats is recommending that the words we choose to communicate be understood by those with which we wish to communicate.

I understand that.

THE REALLY WISE ALREADY KNOW THIS

"Wisdom hath her excesses, and no less need of moderation than folly."

Montaigne (1533-1592) French philosopher/essayist.

All the wisdom in the world won't help if you can't convince others to believe your beliefs.

You won't always be able to do that by simply being right.

I'M REASONABLY CERTAIN THIS IS TRUE

"The true triumph of reason is that it enables us to get along with those who do not possess it."

Voltaire

18th century French writer/historian

Well, not always (enables), but even having the ability to attempt to reason with an unreasonable person is an advantage.

IN YOU I SEE ME

"I thought how unpleasant it is to be locked out; and I thought how it is worse, perhaps, to be locked in."

Virginia Woolf

Late 19th/early 20th century British novelist, essayist

You reflect and ultimately become the attitudes and values of those with whom you associate.

Choose who that is carefully.

YOU ARE THEM

"The person who lives with cripples will soon learn to limp."

Italian proverb

Just as you are what you eat, you become the friends you keep.

What Are You Selling?

"Everyone lives by selling something."

R L Stevenson
19th century Scottish novelist

Have you ever said you are not a salesperson, glad you are not a salesperson and/or criticized, berated, made fun of salespeople?

No matter what you do for a living, you sell. Whether it be your ideas, proposals, concepts, suggestions, you have to sell them to someone even when you are the one giving orders.

And when you look for a job, guess what. You are absolutely selling . . . you.

Now who's the salesperson?

Leadership: True North

"Leadership is intentional influence."

Michael McKinney
Thinker

Well said Michael.

Leadership is leading and the more you can do that without being obvious, which is what influence does, the better.

Are you influential?