My background in the financial industry has provided me some interesting insight and views on how to think about money. I wasn’t a financial advisor, however, which is why I haven’t brought up the financial discussion on this show. That ends today.

As the tides of change come in, our ability to make effective decisions in a short time frame is becoming more important than ever.

Now is a time of learning, with businesses, society, communities and our own identities facing questions and change.

It's always a good time to learn. Now, especially, is a great time to learn. Sean Froudist-Walsh is an Irish neuroscientist in New York who shares how to tap your brain to learn more effectively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM33vFc8A9E&feature=youtu.be

Happy Wednesday. 

First - I want to thank everyone for the lovely notes and conversations over the past few weeks generated from the last two podcasts. They seem to have resonated with a lot of people, which is great. What I found in many of the conversations I had with people is that we all have different ways of looking at challenges. With that in mind, my focus on this week’s podcast is on problems vs. circumstances.

We all hear that we should just “focus on what we can control” and everything will be fine. It’s a positive psychology-type of mentality that is helpful for some - but to just leave it at that leaves a lot out. We assume we know what we can control. 

When I think about challenges, I put them into two buckets: problems and circumstances. Problems I can solve, circumstances I respond to. 99% of my (and your) challenges are from circumstances. Coronavirus is a circumstance. Having asthma is a circumstance. Job loss is a circumstance. 

All three of those are facts and things to deal with. The reason they are circumstances is because you cannot stop whatever it is - you can only make choices based on how it hits you. If you lose your job, you have a number of choices to make as to your next step in how you respond. Same with isolation and corona, same with asthma. You have choices as to what your best next steps will be.

The reason I like to bucket challenges this way is because it gives me guidelines for accountability and focus. If 99% of my challenges are circumstantial, then I am accountable for making good decisions. And that’s where it ends. If someone else has a problem, it’s not mine. I leave it alone (unless they ask for my help, of course).

If it sounds simple, it’s because it generally is. However, it’s not easy. Oftentimes, the decisions we have to make will require us to sacrifice something in order to get it. That’s part of your decision making process. What are you willing to give up to get what you want? 

The question for this week is whether or not you are where you want to be or thought you’d be, whether you are 30, 50, 70. If the answer is no, then it’s time to start thinking about what you would like to change. We have plenty of time to think right now, and good thinking generally leads to good decision making. 

So happy thinking, enjoy the week and I look forward to seeing everyone soon!

https://youtu.be/B3IP3HCWg1o

Last week I chatted about my dark place, and what I learned in dealing with it. I didn’t feel like I could really talk about my dark place, though, without talking about why I gave up drinking, so I’m covering that this week. 

I’ve always admired people who could talk about their challenges “matter of factly.” I see a person with that ability as a person in control - of their emotions, their decisions, and their life. They have separated their value from the fact that they had some kind of difficulty. Everyone has a difficulty - a challenge - some kind of dark place, or demon, or insecurity that they are dealing with. Admitting it, embracing it, and recognizing it isn’t just powerful - it’s cathartic. 

A few people have reached out to me over the past few weeks asking how I did it, and I’ve had some powerful conversations with people. Isolation and solitude is a challenge. Booze consumption is at record highs, and I understand why. We are bored, lonely, uncomfortable - what else is there to do BESIDES drink? I joke with my wife - I don’t know how I would be getting through all of this if I still did booze. 

This isn’t an episode to tell you not to drink. Feel free. I would never presume to tell you that you need to be something other than you. Some people handle their booze well and are all good. My opinion on your life is irrelevant. I don’t welcome unsolicited advice from others; I hope you don’t either.

This is simply my story of why I gave up booze - my motivations, what got me to finally do it, what I learned by doing it. Put simply, it’s on the short list of best decisions I have ever made. But it’s the best decision because it was the right decision for me at the right time. 

The podcast has all the juicy details, so I won’t write them all out here. And if you know me, you know I was a good drinker. It was a core part of my identity, which is probably why I struggled with the desire to stop. If I wasn’t a drinker, then who was I? Filling in such a big gap, i.e. my life as a drinker, felt like a monumental task. 

I’ve been fortunate - it wasn’t as difficult as I thought, and I attribute that to understanding why I wanted to stop drinking, understanding who I wanted to be, and understanding what really drove my desire to drink. I had and have support, and, possibly most importantly, I have the matter of fact perspective I mentioned above. 

I don’t see myself ever being a drinker again. My life is better, my business tripled almost overnight after stopping, and I feel amazing. That, and if I did drink again, the hangover would probably last a fortnight. I am focused, and I’m ready.

For those who question their own situation or want to chat more, I‘m here to listen - feel free to reach out. For those in more serious situations, there of course is Alcoholics Anonymous (I know people who have gone and recommend it), there is therapy, and there are additional resources. Non-judgmental help is all around you - but you have to ask for it. And in the words of the Reddit non-drinking group, “I will not drink with you today.” (IWNDWYT).

Best wishes to your sanity, your health, and your hobbies throughout the corona time. Thanks for tuning in, and I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks!

Isolation and solitude are the name of the game in a triathlon. That's never more evident than when you hit a "dark place" close to the finish.

This week’s podcast highlights a Bellwether of Irish American origin. Patrick Flynn is playwright, actor, professor, host of the Original Cast Podcast and casual vexillologist (look it up), among many other things. 

What fascinates me, and what I love, about playwrights, actors and musicians is the fact that they all have one thing in common: they expend their energy creating something new that leaves them vulnerable enough to be destroyed by strangers. 

We all have a fear of rejection, of failure, of being disliked. And to follow a path of love to a place riddled with each is one journey that most people won’t dare to take. Those that do take the journey earn my legitimate and sincere respect. 

Patrick is brilliant, in the truest sense of the word. Not only does he create fantastic and entertaining work, he is also brilliant in the way that he communicates with the people around him. He is a light; I sincerely believe that it is impossible to not like Patrick. 

We all know at least one person like Patrick. Opinionated, but not obnoxious. Curious, but not overwhelming. Interesting, but not crazy. In essence - they are people you want around. 

And the reason you want them around isn’t just because they make you feel good, but because they have a perspective and experience that resonates with us and we can learn from. 

This episode is just the tip of the iceberg. He shares his thoughts on the line between confidence and arrogance, and how to deal with negative feedback. The dichotomy between “I’m not good enough” and “Yes, you should see my play.” It’s the push and pull that we all deal with in many walks of life. He even gave me what we call a “breakthrough moment” in my personal relationship with musicals.

Yes, we are all going to fail. Yes, it’s going to hurt. But that’s life and it’s part of the journey. And when you love what you do - the opinion of others becomes secondary. 

Fortunately for all of us, Patrick has found his spot on this planet. He’s doing great things, and I know you will enjoy him and his work. 

You can learn more about Patrick at www.unknownpenguin.com

The Original Cast Podcast is available wherever your lovely podcasts are obtained. You can follow on Twitter: @originalcastpod

Patrick can be found on a number of social media platforms: @unknownpenguin

The Unknown Penguin, aka Patrick Flynn

Happy April! 

I hope and trust that this post finds you well. Change has been the watchword of recent times; our ability to adapt has been strongly tested, and will continue to be tested in the coming weeks. 

Today, I am continuing with my interviews of Irish Bellwethers. If you recall, my March podcasts were all set up to highlight Irish leaders in different industries, but then some kind of pandemic had to get in the middle of it, and I had to postpone two of the guests. I don’t know who to complain to about that, but once I figure it out I’m writing a strongly-worded letter.

Fortunately for you, pandemics won’t stop me from highlighting this week’s Irish Bellwether, because one of her specialties is understanding the psychology of and adapting to change. It’s one of her specialties because not only can she teach it, she has experienced it as well. 

Catherine Norris is an Irish entrepreneur and the Irish executive coach. She has a truly unique perspective, influenced by her background in the arts, law, education and tourism. She has done it all: Started a dance school. Studied Psychology. And she has studied Anthropology. And she reads academic journals for fun. She is, put simply, a person you want on your team. 

I’ve now known Catherine for about six months, and conversations typically begin lightly (as in, how is your day?) and roller coaster to the end with her giving me a verbal dissertation on the neuroscience behind offering my daughter an extra cookie. 

What I'm trying to say is that I learn something from Catherine every time I speak with her which, to a guy who likes to pretend he knows everything, is pretty damn impressive. 

I loved the interview; she shared so much of what she has learned as an entrepreneur, educator and coach. One aspect that will ring true for many of you is her simple lesson: to be successful, you must continually articulate your vision. 

As we deal with change, your vision will have to change with it. For organizations to survive, that vision will have to be created, articulated and communicated consistently. 

Catherine is a rock star and one of the smartest people I’ve met. To learn more, you can reach out to her at [email protected]. Enjoy!

Catherine and Jim at Gotham Podcast Studios

This week’s podcast is a focus on communication - and your responsibility as a communicator - in the “working from home” era. 

As we pivot our lives to be almost exclusively behind a video screen, it’s important to remember that your reputation is driven by the way that you communicate through the medium. 

We all have a multiple platforms to communicate - e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. And we all have constant information that we are able to communicate. To “share” information has become second nature to us - we get inundated, we filter, and we pass it on to others. 

But I ask people to take a quick pause and think through our responsibility as sharers and communicators. The information we share, and the way that we do it with tone and sentiment, requires a responsibility to do it wisely. 

There are two aspects I cover on the podcast - accuracy of communication and tone of communication. Both are vital. It comes down to a fundamental communication model - a picture of which is here: 

First, there is our responsibility of passing along accurate information and taking the time to curate it in order to ensure that the people who receive the information get it the way you intended. We are so focused on “sharing” information that we don’t take the time to think about how it will be received. 

You don’t have to be the message creator for this to impact you. Each story your share, each meme you post, is part of your communication to the world. The information you share is part of your communication story, and thus your reputation.

Second, our responsibility is to do it in a way that is supportive to the people around us. As we get increasingly isolated during Corona, and as the disease evolves, our stress levels will increase. Money problems, loved ones getting sick, and just plain isolation increase our nervousness.

In times of stress, we have a tendency to put other people down so we can either feel superior to something or feel like we have some semblance of control. It’s why we see so many political discussions on Facebook - we are stressed and it’s easy to attack someone else’s ideas. Don’t fall into that trap. 

I tell a quick story on the podcast of my career working in communications for a financial firm during the 2008 crisis. The lessons are extremely prudent today. I encourage you to think through your image, your reputation and your responsibility as a sharer of information today. 

Thanks and enjoy your week!