“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein For the purpose of communicating this content more effectively, I think it is important to understand the meaning of…
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” ~ the Dalai Lama When you think about some of the greatest philosophers who have ever lived and whose ideas are still relevant today…who comes to mind? Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Socrates, Plato, Epicurus, Confucius…Contrera. Contrera???? Wait a minute, hold the phone, stop the…
“We train animals, we need to make sure we are educating our leaders.” ~Joe Contrera Yesterday, I was attempting to read an article on my phone to catch up on an event. Once I clicked on the article, in less than a nanosecond my screen was filled so many ads that I could not…
“The oxymoron of freedom is that it must submit to rules of morality or it will succumb to the rot of tyranny.” ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough So-cial – late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin socialis from socius meaning ‘friend. Me-di-a – the means of communication that reaches large numbers of people.…
“Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.” ~ Lakota Proverb Your ability to lead others is directly tied to your ability to influence them. One of the tools you can use to more powerfully influence others is the use of story in your interactions. Stories can magnify a point or grab an audiences attention during a…
“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.” ~Moliere Recently, I attended an HOA meeting to discuss increasing the monthly fee by 10% for 3 years to make up for a shortfall in the Capital Reserve Funds. I was struck by the boards…
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” ~Alice Walker Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse…they did! Why? Because where you focus your thoughts determines what unfolds in your life. Yes, you can call it The Law of Attraction, Quantum Physics, Karma, or some other woo-woo…
“Success is all about what we do for ourselves, significance is all about what we do for others.” ~ Cole A. Randall There is a story about a man who spent his life chasing success. He ran as hard and as fast as he could and surpassed every milestone that he had set for himself. And…
“We must protect ourselves and our children from the unwanted, addictive, and deceptive influence that is being driven by the Social Media Industrial Complex. ~Joe Contrera 122 years ago, one of the milestones in the history of filmmaking was surpassed when Edwin S. Porter directed and photographed the very first narrative film, The Great…
“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” ~Zig Ziglar As we approach Thanksgiving this week and with all the turmoil going on in the world, it might be a little bit tougher…