Ted Tuesday: The Key to Success: Grit

“Grit is sticking with your future — day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years — and working really hard to make that future a reality.”

Good Morning Folks,

Every Tuesday we bring you one of my favorite TED talks. TED.com is a treasure trove of inspiration, and I promise you whenever you are feeling down, you can go there and find a few smart words that will cheer you right up.

Today though the message is "Never give up! It's more than just a platitude.

Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.

Assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Angela Lee Duckworth studies intangible concepts such as self-control and grit to determine how they might predict both academic and professional success.

In her extensive research, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth found that more than IQ or talent or any other factor, the #1 predictor of a person's success is their unflagging commitment to a long-term goal... in other words, their grit.

Find out why... WATCH: The Surprising Trait That's MUCH More Important Than IQ

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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“The secret to happiness is low expectations.” 
— Barry Schwartz 
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Ted Tuesday: "You've Got To Find What You Love,"Jobs says

"Hands down the best career talk ever given. EVER! Jobs urged the Stanford graduating class of 2005 to courageously follow their heart and intuition, just as he did. He encouraged them to give their inner voice a chance and not suppress it by giving in to others' opinions."

Good Morning Folks,

Today we revisit one of the most memorable and classic speeches ever— one that Steve Jobs gave to a group of graduating young students from the University of Stanford beginning a new journey of their lives: How to Live Before You Die (& not spend your life hating what you do)

I believe this is hands down the best career talk ever given. Ever. I’ve watched it over a dozen times. Not originally a TED talk, but now one of their top videos. This commencement speech garnered over 8 million views in a single day on YouTube, the day after Jobs' death. As I write this post, the speech now has over 15 million views.

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks -- including death itself -- at the university's 114th Commencement on June 12, 2005.

"You've  got to find what you love," Jobs says

What was so special about Steve Jobs' words that day which made a lasting impression on many? It was straight from the man's heart. And secondly, there was much to reflect upon in terms of the embedded message encouraging youngsters even today to achieve their best.

In his three part speech, Jobs talked about how one's past can influence one's future, stumbling upon both love and loss and coming face-to-face with death. Jobs shared many personal moments from his life right from when he started as a college student till the day he discovered he had cancer. 

Jobs narrated his experiences when he had dropped out of college and so didn't have a dorm room. He slept on the floor of friends' rooms, returned coke bottles for 5 cent deposits to buy food and walked 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. He wanted to convey that the past had an important role to play in his present.

Jobs continued to talk about how he was fired from Apple, which was the biggest turning point of his career. Being jobless for a few months, Jobs thought it was all over until his perspective changed and he began to see this as an opportunity. He went on to start NeXT and Pixar, and during this time Jobs also fell in love with Laurene, whom he eventually married. In turn of events, Apple bought NeXt and Jobs returned to Apple, a move he never thought would've been possible.

Jobs urged the Stanford graduating class of 2005 to courageously follow their heart and intuition, just as he did. He encouraged them to give their inner voice a chance and not suppress it by giving in to others' opinions.

Here's Steve:

Full  of Steve Jobs' address

The sprit of Steve Jobs is very much alive today at FSO as we consistently strive to help our clients discover and (re)imagine new and better ways of doing business.

Every day, people search for something that motivates them. Things to get them out of bed, things to get them pumped up, things to help them make it through the day and so much more! What a great thing to be able to say about your job!

As in the locations that I am lucky enough to visit this week, each site employee, YOU, are the FSO difference! You're commitment to service, to exceed the client’s expectations, to notice that detail, to have that SKIP, FIRE, TWINKLE is uniquely FSO.  

The employee and client lovefest could not be stronger and I could not be more fired up!!

Thanks to NDTV for their inspiration putting this together and most of all to you for listening.


Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"If you resist change, you fail. If you accept change, you survive. 
If you create change, you succeed" ~~Mike Schlappi
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Ted Tuesday: Kathryn Schulz: On Being Wrong

"Here’s a fascinating counterpoint to the notion that making a mistake somehow diminishes you as a person. We shouldn’t fear error, the author says; rather, we should embrace it because it’s our capacity for making mistakes that makes us who we are. (“To err is human” isn’t just an empty cliché.) "

Good Morning Folks,


Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we're wrong about that? "Wrongologist" Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for not just admitting but embracing our fallibility.

Kathryn Schulz is the author of "Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error," and writes "The Wrong Stuff," a Slate series featuring interviews with high-profile people about how they think and feel about being wrong.

In todays TED Tuesday, Schulz casts a fresh and irreverent eye upon the profound meanings behind our most ordinary behaviors—in this instance, how we make mistakes, how we behave when we find we have been wrong, and how our errors change us.

Enjoy!

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"Stop being afraid of what could go wrong 
and start being positive about what could go right."
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TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, athttp://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

Ted Tuesday— "The Cleverest Kid In The World," Adora Svitak, on What Adults Can Learn From Kids

"The world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach."

Good Morning Folks,

15-year old Adora Svitak will blow you away. She says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

Dubbed the “cleverest kid in the world”, the 15-year-old is already an internationally acclaimed speaker and published author, known for her essays, stories, poems, blogs, and full-length books since the age of seven. Her TED Talk in 2010, What Adults Can Learn From Kids, has garnered almost 3 million views across the web.

A passionate activist, Adora has a moving message to share with the world. She can often be found on stages around the world delivering talks on youth impact, Internet culture and its integration into education, and the impact of technology on the creative process. Her most recent endeavour was to participate in the XPRIZE Foundation’s Visioneering 2013, an annual event where groundbreaking entrepreneurs, thinkers, inventors and innovators gather to create innovations that will push humanity forward.

When you talk about what we look for in employees for FSO, the eye of the tiger, fire in the belly and skip in the step, this young lady knocks all three out of the park. Adora, we have a place reserved for you on our team!

Enjoy the brief video. After hearing Adora's talk, how could one ever say the world "can't" again?

Enjoy!

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"It's not what you've got. It's what you use that makes a difference."
~~ Zig Ziglar
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TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

Ted Tuesday: Do you love what you do for a living?

"There is never a job shortage for good people! There is an endless number of jobs that you could do successfully, and make a good living doing them. You never have to feel stuck in a particular position, company, or industry. You deserve to do what you love for a living." ~~ Brian Tracy

Good Morning Folks,

Brian Tracy made a very motivational post on Facebook (see above) that made me wonder if he ever given a TED talk.

I couldn't find a TED talk, but my online search led me to this timeless gem on YouTube (24 Techniques for Closing the Sale) that is a must for anyone in sales to watch or watch again. This being a long weekend, you might simply bookmark the link and hope to find time to consume it.

 

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. 

Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain

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Ted Tuesday: Rita Pierson— Every Kid Needs A Champion

"Simply outstanding and relevant to all those who dare to struggle and dare to win in the game of Education."

Good Morning Folks,

On this Ted Tuesday, I'm excited to share this inspiring talk from Rita Pierson.

Pierson, a teacher for over 40 years, has seen all sides of education. Both of Pierson’s parents and grandparents were teachers, and since 1972, Pierson has taught elementary school, junior high school and special education. According to Pierson, the most important component of learning – what keeps kids in school and passionate about reaching their goals – is simple: relationships. “Every child deserves a champion,” says Pierson,”an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.”

Rita Pierson is one of the best educators i've ever seen! Her powerful voice is also inspiring me. I bet this talk is strong enough to stimulate the educators all over the world!!

She has such a passionate, compassionate, witty way of bringing her ideas through! She made me think about the teachers I had who were there for me and my class mates. Our champions...I will never forget them.

Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don’t like.’” A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.

Indeed, it’s heroes just like Pierson and the educators we honor today that are these very champions. “Is this job tough? You betcha,” says Pierson. “But it is not impossible. We can do this. We are educators. We are born to make a difference.”

I hope you enjoy Pierson’s TED Talk as much as I did.


Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me."

~~Ayn Rand

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Ted Bonus: A Talk to Cheer You Up On Hump Day

"Take a moment this Wednesday to be thankful for all the wonderful things in your life. "

Good Afternoon Folks,

I thought that on hump day something to lift the spirits would be in order.
Louie Schwartzberg’s TEDxSanFrancisco talk “Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.” from June 2011 is an excellent mediation. 

Schwartzberg’s talk is a beautiful embodiment of these virtues, and while it’s not a typical presentation, there are certainly elements in it that we can use to better ours.

Most of the power in Schwartzberg’s presentation lies in his use of visuals. Arrestingly beautiful video plays in the background as an accompaniment to his words. Smartly, he avoids use slides riddled with bullet points and words, instead harnessing the power of the incredible photography and video he has collected over years. His visuals fit ideally with the topic at hand, and they do a great job of keeping the audience enthralled from start to finish.

With that said, take a moment this Wednesday to be thankful for all the wonderful things in your life. As Brother Steindel-Rast points out: we so rarely take time to look at the sky and at the faces of other people. Spend a few moments this upcoming holiday season letting gratefulness wash over you, and allow yourself to fall in love with nature’s enduring beauty.

For I am deeply thankful and grateful for all of you reading this right now!

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, 
whose presence calls forth your best." - Epictetus 
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Ted Tuesday: Dan Pink— What Motivates People

"You should watch this because it is influencing the conversation about what makes a great workplace. It can help you do a better job as a boss" 

Good Morning Folks,

On today's show, career analyst and author of the best-selling business book Drive, Dan Pink, examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories -- and maybe, a way forward. 

The talk contains the substance of this book. If you're a boss or concerned about leadership, you need to become familiar with that message. The ideas are important. Pink's rendering of them, for good or ill, will define and influence the discussion of motivation in business for quite a while. He does get the big picture right. He says that people would prefer activities where they can pursue three things.

==> Autonomy: People want to have control over their work. 

===> Mastery: People want to get better at what they do. 

==> Purpose: People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are. 


Pink delivers many key ideas that matter. 

Key Idea: There is a difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. 

Key Idea: Intrinsic motivators are more powerful. 

Key Idea: If you use monetary rewards to get people to perform the way you want, those rewards may have the opposite effect. These are important things for a boss to know. 

Bottom line: "You should watch this because, it is influencing the conversation about what makes a great workplace. It can help help you do a better job as a boss."

Now let's join Dan Pink for "The Puzzle of Motivation."

Have a GREAT day. Love LIFE!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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“People may not always remember what you said, 
but they will always remember how you made them feel."
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TED Tuesday: Forget Mindfulness.Try Nevermindfulness: Bruce Turkel at TEDx

"At FSO we strive to surprise, delight and WOW you every day. Our brand is not about what we do, but built on what we can do for you."

Good Morning Folks,

My friend Bruce Turkel, whom we featured here recently, makes brands more valuable. He's worked with Bacardi, Discovery, Philips, MetCare, Miami, spoken at MIT and Harvard, and discusses branding on FOX Business.

In his TED talk "Forget mindfulness.Try nevermindfulness" he helps us understand that a brand is more than just a logo or a sign; that it is the entire experience of interacting with a company at every touchpoint. He argues that great brands make themselves all about you whereas less successful brands lose touch with the customer by having it backwards.

At FSO we strive to surprise, delight and WOW you every day. Our brand is not about what we do, but built on what we can do for you.

Have a listen to Bruce's brief talk. It can change how you approach your job and how your leaders can better understand their challenges.


In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Want to read more from Bruce? Visit his blog at TurkelTalks.com

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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 "“Customers are hard to build and easy to loose”

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Ted Tuesday: The Science of Stage Fright (and how to overcome it)

Interviewing for a job? First day in a management position addressing your team? In the military and standing up in front of dozens of soldiers and trying to maintain your composer while trying to keep trying to keep their attention and respect? How scared do you get before speaking in public?

Good Morning Folks,

One thing can strike fear into the heart of the fiercest warrior, the most powerful CEO and the smartest person in any given room: having to speak in public. The thought of it makes the palms sweat, the heart beat faster and the limbs start to shake. An estimated 75% of people have a fear of speaking in public, and it’s something that nearly everyone who takes the TED stage must work hard to overcome.

 Mikael Cho

Heart racing, palms sweating, labored breathing? No, you're not having a heart attack -- it's stage fright! If speaking in public makes you feel like you're fighting for your life, you're not alone. But the better you understand your body's reaction, the more likely you are to overcome it. Mikael Cho advises how to trick your brain and steal the show.



This TED-Ed lesson, the science of stage fright, just might help. In the lesson — which is taught by educator Mikael Cho and directed by animator Robertino Zambrano of KAPWA Studioworks — looks at stage fright not as an emotion, but as a physiological response. In other words, it’s not so much something to be overcome as to be adapted to.

“Humans are wired to worry about reputation. Public speaking can threaten it,” says Cho in the lesson. “It’s the fight-or-flight response, a self-protective process seen in a range of species.”

The lesson explains exactly what happens in the body before speaking in public and, of course, gives suggestions on how to calm stage fright. The obvious: practice, practice, practice. The not-so-obvious: stretch your arms above your head before you go on to trigger a relaxation response in the hypothalamus. (Yeah, it kind of reminded us of Amy Cuddy’s idea of power posing too.)

The best way to not get stage fright is to not care what people think about you to begin with. The easiest way to do that is to simply run through the worst possible scenario that's outside of your control, then ask yourself "So what if this happens? Is it THAT bad?".

Now, of course, you may end up in a loop by imagining worse and worse scenarios as consequence, but remember that we're talking about stuff you can't control. The moment you reach something that you DO control, imagine you make it!

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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“Truth alone will endure. All the rest will be swept away before the tide of time.” ~~Ghandi.

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