#WinningWednesday

Our #WinningWednesday topic is taking responsibility for your own actions. We win at life when we own ourselves - the good and the bad. Except it's not so hard to own our good is it? I mean, we like to own our good - and some of us really like to own it by making sure everyone hears about our good from us all.the.time. (That's obnoxious and crosses the line of owning our good.) But owning our bad. Oh, we don't like that. At all. But I promise we win at life when we own the stuff that makes us look bad.

Oh, it's not easy but it's better. There can be consequences when we don't take responsibility for our actions but there can also be rewards when we do. And honestly? The rewards of owning ourselves is worth it, even when it's hard.

But why is it so hard to own up to our mistakes? Because our brains generate cognitive blind spots that can make it difficult for us to honestly assess our actions and determine our responsibility for those actions and their consequences. Our brains are inclined to flatter and shield our egos from blame when we make mistakes. It's called cognitive dissonance and it is a form of mental discomfort and tension. It's fascinating and you can read all about it here and here.

So today take some time out and decide to win by owning yourself - every single bit.

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April 5, 2015

The Feast of Firstfruits & Easter Go for Broke Day If it scares you this is the day to go for it no matter what. One Day Without Shoes Day Today is to raise global awareness for children’s health and education. Why shoes? Because shoes help protect from bacteria in the dirt, rusty nails, dirty needles and shoes enable feet to withstand the long distances most children in developing countries need to walk to get to school. Join TOMS One for One There is plenty of criticism out there for TOMS and its short term solutions. Critics don't even buy the "at least they are doing something" statement. However, you have to start somewhere. And every bit of awareness helps something go from short term to long term. We all have a part to play. Read a Road Map Day One of the many reasons I would stink at The Amazing Race is because I never did learn how to read a road map well. I remember doing worksheets and class lessons on maps and I was able to skate by ...

Butter someone up

There are two probable origins for this idiom and I think both are equally plausible. The first one is that when you spread butter on bread you are buttering it up like one would do when trying to flatter someone. The second is in ancient India there was a practice of throwing balls of butter at statues to ask for favor, i.e. buttering them up. ( source ) When we use the phrase today we generally mean that extreme flattery is used to gain information or favor. It's not always necessarily a compliment.

A dime a dozen

"It's said that in the year 1796, the first U.S. dimes were produced for circulation. Hence, it would make sense for this phrase to originate sometime after." Read more here . Today the phrase carries the meaning that something is cheap or without value if it can be lumped in with other similar or exactly-like things. It's more of an insult than anything.

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