Something You Should Know

You have likely been the victim of the Doorway Effect. It’s when you walk into a room and forget why you walked in there. We start this episode with an explanation of what this is and why it happens.

Wouldn’t it be great if people regarded you as particularly fascinating? Well it turns out there are specific ways to do that according to Sally Hogshead, speaker and author of the book Fascinate: The 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation (http://amzn.to/2BBZT4I). Sally reveals what you can do so that others find you interesting and how to use your personal fascination to great benefit.

If you love guacamole, there is a secret ingredient I want you to try the next time you make it. It’s just a tablespoons worth but it is going to make all the difference in the world, according to Esquire magazine.

What are you afraid of? If you watch the news you would think that crime, terrorism and natural disasters are the real threats. But they are not – at least not statistically. The things that harm and kill more people are much more mundane according to Dan Gardner, author of the book, The Science of Fear (http://amzn.to/2DTW8ws). Listen and understand what is really likely to do you harm and what isn’t. It’s going to help you live longer, healthier and happier.

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I am sure you have had to perform under pressure. And so you know that it is difficult to do and often your performance suffers. But why? Well a couple of interesting things happen in that situation and when you understand them you can make the experience of performing under pressure a lot easier. Listen as I begin this episode with this fascinating intel.

Then, we are going to explore the process of making choices. Today, we have so many choices for everything – breakfast cereal, cars, food, careers – everywhere choices abound! And that can be great except that too many choices can actually be paralyzing. Anyone who has spent more time choosing what show to watch on Netflix than actually watching a show knows what I mean. Barry Schwartz, author of the book, The Paradox of Choice (http://amzn.to/2n9IpHD) joins me to explain why trying to make the “best” choice may be a waste of time and he offers a better way to make choices that will leave you more satisfied.

Have you heard that we only use about 10% of our brain? Well, that turns out to be nonsense and it is just one of several myths about the brain we will clear up in this episode.

What attracts men to women and women to men? Allan Pease has some very interesting answers. Allan has been studying how people communicate and he is author of the book, Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love (http://amzn.to/2Fcp7IW). Listen as he explains how to make yourself more attractive to the opposite sex based on evolutionary drives and urges that still rule our feelings and actions. 

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Sure, it’s great to want more money but if you don’t have the time to enjoy it – what’s the point? We begin this episode with a look at why spending more of your money on things that actually create more free time for you can make your life much more enjoyable.

While the phrase “timing is everything” is tossed around a lot, it turns out there is a lot of wisdom in it. In short, it is not just WHAT you do in your life that is important it – it is also WHEN you decide to do it. Daniel Pink, author of the book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (http://amzn.to/2Dne4Ml) reveals why timing is so important and how to time events in your life to be more successful.

Who hasn’t reheated pizza in the microwave? Everyone does with predictably disappointing results. Listen and you'll discover a better way that doesn’t take much more time but delivers much better results.

And wouldn’t it be great to save money on prescription drugs? It turns out there are a lot of ways to save beyond the simple advice of getting generic drugs rather than name brands. Edward Jardini, M.D is author of the book How to Save On Prescription Drugs: 20 Cost Savings Methods (http://amzn.to/2mY1bBH) and he has some very clever ways to keep more money in your pocket and not waste it on medicine. 

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I bet this has happened to you… you are all set to take a bite of something delicious when you notice a fly has landed on it - a filthy disgusting fly! So is that food still safe to eat? Find out what the science says as we begin this episode of the program.

Then, your success in life is due in large part with how you deal with people and how people perceive you. Wouldn’t it be great to know how to make yourself more approachable and interesting to others? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to size up and read people when you meet them? Vanessa Van Edwards has been studying people and their behavior for a long time. She is author of the book Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People (http://amzn.to/2rfyB3T) and she joins me to discuss some effective strategies to improve your people skills like you won’t believe.  

Then, there is a fascinating limitation of the human brain you must know about. IT seems you cannot keep track of more than 3 things at once unless condition is met. What is it? Listen and find out.

Since you were a child you’ve heard that honesty is the best policy. However, dig as little deeper and you’ll find that most of us think a little dishonesty is probably okay. The fact is we do think dishonesty is acceptable as long as it is not too much and as long as it is not too overt. Dan Ariely, author of the book, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone--Especially Ourselves (http://amzn.to/2Dg1FtE) explains the little ways we are all a bit dishonest and why we think it is perfectly fine - so maybe it is.

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Do you often find yourself in the slowest line at the supermarket? Me too. Is it bad luck or just your perception? I’ll explore what’s behind this universal annoyance and suggest a better way to handle this.

It seems everyone hates the sound of their voice when they hear it played back. But what if you LOVED the sound of your voice? Vocal coach Roger Love explains how anyone can have a beautiful voice – you are not stuck with the one you have now. Listen to this episode and you will instantly have the tools to improve the sound of your voice. Then if you want to learn more, check out Roger’s program, The Perfect Voice at www.ThePerfectVoice.com.

Have you heard that it is a good idea to let your cellphone battery run all the way down to zero? Supposedly that is to help it last longer and keep a better charge. Is it true? We’ll find out.

All of us have asked some basic financial questions at some point such as: Is it better to own or rent a home; buy or lease a car; pay off debt of save money? Jack Otter, editor at Barrons.com and author of the book, Worth…Not Worth It? (http://amzn.to/2D5U68I) has examined these questions, done the math and come up with the answers. Listen as Jack may surprise you with what he has to say about what you should do with your money.

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It sucks when you have a cold. I’m sure you’ve heard that you should drink a lot of fluids and get rest and eat chicken soup – but there are other things you may not have heard before that can help alleviate the symptoms of a cold while you wait for it to go away. And since this is cold season, we begin this episode with great ways to ease the misery of having a cold.

Everyone knows being neat and tidy is preferable to being messy. But wait! Not so fast. Says who? There is a case for being messy. Because it turns out that life is messy and often life doesn’t fit neatly into categories, files and folders. Tim Harford, journalist, economist and author of the book Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives (http://amzn.to/2Die1Cw) explains why being neat isn’t always the solution and suggests ways to embrace the messiness of life and use it to your advantage.

Also, I’m sure you’ve noticed that whenever you cry, you get a runny nose. Why? Listen and find out.

Then, sooner or later – and probably sooner, you will need to clean something. And no one knows better how to keep your life clean and sparkly bright than Jolie Kerr. Jolie is an advice columnist and host of the podcast, “Ask a Clean Person.” She is also author of the book, My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag (http://amzn.to/2Df2BPL). NO ONE loves to clean like Jolie and you will love her cleaning hacks that I know you will use within hours if not minutes after hearing them.

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How can drinking hot cocoa from an orange mug taste different from drinking hot cocoa from a blue mug? I’ll explain some interesting research that shows how color affects our perception of taste.

Plus, a large percentage of the population report that they are shy. In fact, almost all of us feel shy in certain situations. But why are some people more shy than others – are they born that way or is it something they learn? Most importantly, what can shy people do so that their shyness doesn’t interfere in their life or success? Bernardo Carducci, Director of the Shyness Research Institute (https://www.ius.edu/shyness/) at Indiana University Southeast and author of The Pocket Guide to Making Successful Small Talk offers some incredible insight into becoming what he calls a successful shy person.

Also, how you sign your name reveals a lot about you. Listen as I discuss a fascinating study that looked at signatures of big bosses (like Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Richard Branson, to name a few) and what their signature revealed about their personality.

By now a lot of people who made New Year’s resolutions are struggling. The fact is most resolutions fail. So maybe there is a better way. Caroline Arnold, author of the book, Small Move, Change: Using Microresolutions to Transform Your Life Permanently (http://amzn.to/2m5jOTz) reveals a simple, easy and virtually foolproof way to set and achieve a resolution - or any goal for that matter.

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Even though we all know not to talk or text while driving – it can be so tempting. After all, what harm can it do to send a text while stopped at a traffic light? Well, you might be surprised. Research by AAA found there is a residual effect even after you are done texting or talking that can impair your driving. This episode begins with this interesting intel.

Heart disease is the #1 killer in the U.S. And yet it is almost completely preventable. That’s according to Michael, Greger, M.D. and author of the book, How Not to Die (http://amzn.to/2ClpQq2). Dr Greger explains how lifestyle changes not only will eliminate and reverse heart disease but also help with other life threatening conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and more.

Here are the websites mentioned by Dr Greger:

·       http://www.truehealthinitiative.org/ 

·       http://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome/mealplan/week-1

Then, some very simple yet powerful advice to improve your love relationship from John Gottman, one of the best known experts in the field of relationship psychology, He says 2 little things will make all the difference in the world. Listen to discover what they are.

Plus, do you ever wish you were more courageous? Are there things you haven’t done because you lacked the courage to do them? Speaker and consultant Bill Treasurer author of the book Courage Goes to Work (http://amzn.to/2Aj4Nms) will help you realize you probably have more courage than you think and how to become more courageous in spite of the fear you face. 

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I love strawberries. But I hate how they go moldy so fast. Well, there is a way to make them last longer – and that is just one of the great life hacks I have for you to begin this episode.

Then, if you want to save money, the people at Consumer Reports are experts. Senior Editor Tobie Stanger joins me with some simple but powerful ways to keep more of your own money in your own pocket.

Also, if you have trouble sleeping and counting sheep doesn’t work, there are other, far more effective ways to lull yourself to sleep. I’ll reveal some easy, proven ways.

Then, why do we feel embarrassment? In those moments when you think you’ve made a huge embarrassing blunder – what do other people actually think? Probably not what you think they think. Embarrassment expert David Allyn, author of the book, I Can’t Believe I Just Did That (http://amzn.to/2zMSoqD) offers some valuable insight into embarrassment and how NOT to feel so bad when you screw up. 

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Here is the second of our two, year-end episodes that look back at some of the most fascinating people and topics of the year. I know you’ll enjoy these excerpts and below are the links to the original episodes from which these segments are taken so you can listen to the complete interviews if you wish.

I’ll be back next week with all new episodes to usher in 2018.

Thank you for your support this past year.

Happy New Year!

Topics and Links in this Episode

The Two Ways People Get Rich with Matthew Schiff Podcast Episode 79.

http://www.somethingyoushouldknow.net/079-the-2-ways-people-get-rich-how-to-read-people-instantly/

Exactly What to Say to Get What You Want with Phil Jones. Episode 100

http://www.somethingyoushouldknow.net/100-exactly-what-to-say-to-get-what-you-want-how-to-stop-being-distracted-by-technology/

Simple Strategies for a Fabulous Relationship with Arielle Ford. Episode 112

http://www.somethingyoushouldknow.net/112-simple-strategies-for-a-fabulous-relationship-how-to-develop-mental-toughness-to-handle-hard-times/

What Your Dog is Really Thinking with Camilla Gray-Nelson. Podcast Episode 51. http://www.somethingyoushouldknow.net/051-what-your-dog-is-really-thinking-why-superstitions-actually-work/

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