“I’m Too Old to Learn”

This misstatement comes in other forms, too, such as “I’m not smart enough” or “School was never my thing.”  The fact is your brain was designed to learn, loves to learn, and knows how to learn, according to Rita Smilkstein, Ph. D.  It learns with practice as over time it literally constructs a new neural […]

Advice from a Master

Our men’s speed skating team had a tough 2014 Winter Olympics.  In reflecting on this, master skater Apolo Anton Ohno, winner of eight medals, a record for a U.S. Winter Olympian, offered the following advice when things don’t go well: 1) look at the positives, and 2) ask – what can I learn from this?  […]

Lifelong Learning Makes Change Easier

Everyone knows change is hard for most people.  Even when faced with ultimatums from their doctor, most people fail to make lasting changes. Life coach Jack Bennett  says engaging in lifelong learning can help make change easier for us.  When we’re accustomed to learning new things, our brains are used to creating new neural networks […]

New Employee Culture Shock

Last week I talked about the four stages of culture shock that anyone can go through, especially new college students, employees changing fields or industries, and people relocating.  Years ago I accepted an HR position at a unionized pharmaceutical plant where I had my own bout of culture shock.  Little did I know at the […]

Have You Experienced Culture Shock?

Years ago I was hired as an HR Administrator working at a unionized plant, an environment I had never experienced before.  To make matters worse, I was the first person to be hired in three years; there was virtually no turnover or growth at that location.  It took me several months to acclimate, and I […]

Timing is Everything

They say timing is everything, and I certainly think that applies to dating.  Just as so many things are fast-tracked today (the Internet, hiring procedures, college courses, and weight loss, to name a few), for many people dating is also in the fast lane. I continue to watch sitcom characters have sex on the first […]

The Value of an Education

I’ve been teaching college for over ten years, and for the most part it’s been a great experience.  I’ve learned a lot from my students and the course material, and it’s especially rewarding when I come upon a student excited about learning. Unfortunately, they’re not that common. Most students seem to be taking courses to […]

Obesity is Costly and Getting Costlier

Eighteen months ago, I wrote about the high cost of being overweight or obese.  George Washington University researchers had estimated the cost of being overweight for women as $524 annually and for men as $432. (While overweight and obese women earn less than those at a healthy weight, men are not disadvantaged this way.)    Their […]