Dr. Earl R. Smith II

Foundations are important – and nowhere more so than when preparing for a career of success. Starting construction with the second story only makes it certain that the structure will fall when the winds start to blow.

Finding your path is a truly life-changing experience. Life is no longer uncertainty – your connection between living and your purpose in life goes with you every day. When you honor your possibilities – allow them to become realities – you become the person you always could be.

Going it alone can have real costs. Successful people have a secret you should know. Asking for and receiving help along the way can make the difference between a life of no consequences and one of success and contribution.

Most people don’t spend much time thinking about how they decide something – they are too busy deciding. But knowing how and why you decide can make the difference between finding your true path and wandering along a series of blind alleys.

Finding your path starts with finding your center. The hard truth is that other people are of little help on that inward journey of discovery. You have to do the heavy lifting yourself before you can finally meet the person you really are.

A new way of looking at the world and humankind may start in academic departments like philosophy and sociology – but sometimes those futuristic thinkers produce ideas that find their way into the mainstream. Innovation and the process of innovation is one of those mainstreams that has been forever changed.

Taking time to reflect – consider – learn – is one way to make your life richer and more fulfilling. It isn’t hard to do – you don’t need some gadget or prop – you just do it. But most people don’t do it – and they suffer lost fulfillment because of that – and remain completely ignorant of the loss.

When you are facing a vexing challenge, sometimes the best strategy is to get on the phone, gather a brain trust and meet over drinks. These casual and unstructured session will often give you the key understandings that will make the challenge far more manageable. It’s a simple idea with powerful potential.

There are lessons to learn from listening to what people say – and sometimes those lessons go well beyond what has been said.