more isn't better...

Better is better. Period.

Our instinct when we prepare for a speech, sales pitch, TV interview, or any kind of "performance" is to feel that two hours of stage time is better than one, and ten minutes is better than five.

Better to plan your delivery based on greatest impact. Better to leave them wanting more. Prep your content and then ask: what would make this better? The answer is almost never "more."

"Doing more with less is not vain, but wise."

- William of Occam (1300-1350)

how i combat 'everyone' syndrome

Many people feel overwhelmed when "everyone" reacts negatively to their social media posts or when "everyone" at work seems difficult. In reality, it's often just a few negative comments out of many or a couple of challenging colleagues.

Negativity bias amplifies these few negative experiences, making them seem more prevalent than they are. When I catch myself, I modify thoughts like "everyone thinks..." to a more accurate assessment: "a few people said...".

I try to reserve exaggeration for humor, not for playing the victim.

happiness: a choice beyond cliche

It's natural to believe our happiness is dictated by circumstances. "If only X happened, then I'd be happy." While it's trite, cliche wisdom to say that happiness is a choice, the cash value of anything wise is beyond intellectual acknowledgment. It demands understanding it in your bones and deploying it in a way that makes sense.

Choosing happiness often means accepting responsibility—a commitment many avoid. Similarly, self-pity can be a convenient means of stalling action to wait for change from external forces.

You are more than the sum of your experiences. You are the choices you make and the meanings you assign to them.