There is a good chance you have thought your cellphone was ringing or vibrating when it wasn’t. It seems weird and makes you wonder why it is such a common experience for people. This episode begins with an explanation.  https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130701-why-you-feel-phantom-phone-calls Here are three things many of us wish were different in our lives are: We wish we had more friends; we wish we didn’t worry so much; we wish we were more confident. If any or all of those apply to you, you will want to hear my guest Helen Thomson. She is a writer and consultant who is author ..read more

While it may seem that life moves at a faster pace, we are the ones who set that pace. Many of us like to do things quickly but that doesn’t mean we have to. This episode begins by exploring what good things might happen if we just slow down a bit. Source, Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress (https://amzn.to/3v9JpzD). It seems almost impossible to have a civil political debate. Why is that? Why must things get so nasty? Is there a way to discuss our differences and still be kind to one another and not accuse the other person of being ignorant and uninformed? The answer i ..read more

Just how much pesticides residue is on the produce you buy? Should you be concerned? Should you buy organic? Consumer Reports recently did an investigation into pesticides on fruits and vegetables and I begin this episode with some of the surprising results. https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/produce-without-pesticides-a5260230325/ Luck is just around the corner. It may be good luck or it may be bad luck but chance and luck have a huge impact on how things turn out for you. When you understand how luck and chance work in your life, you can do things to improve your good l ..read more

Everyone knows it is dangerous to talk on the phone while driving – but it seems like it shouldn’t be. After all you talk to people in the car while you drive and that seems to be okay. This episode explains the reasons why driving and talking on the phone don’t mix – at all. https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/care/centers/trauma-center/resources/distracted-driving Do you know what visual intelligence is? It is how you look at all you see. What do you notice? What don’t you notice? It is how you look at the world. You can sharpen your visual intelligence if you know how and there are some real ..read more

It matters who your friends are. This episode starts with some interesting Gallup research that shows how the people you hang out with affect who you are in both good and bad ways. Source: Tom Rath author of Well Being (https://amzn.to/3EekZb7) Ever feel stuck? Most of us have, whether it’s stuck in a job or a love relationship – or just a general feeling of being stuck in life. So how do you get unstuck? That’s the important question I explore with Britt Frank. She is a therapist and author of the book, The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward (https ..read more

A lot of people have autographs from someone famous. Could the one you have be worth anything? What makes an autograph valuable? How much do rare autographs sell for? This episode begins with a brief overview of autographs and some examples that sold for a lot of money. https://www.investopedia.com/most-valuable-autographs-5218552 We have all been told to be careful when we are online. We need secure passwords, we need to be careful what links we click on – that kind of thing. But have you ever wondered who is behind all the cyber crime that is requiring us to be so careful? How has cyber ..read more

Where do you do your best work and think your best thoughts? Probably not at your workplace. This episode begins with some expert advice on how to optimize your thinking and performance, so you think and work at your very best. Source: Edward Hallowell author of Driven to Distraction (https://amzn.to/3PQgv1u). You likely perform rituals every day of your life – even if you aren't aware of it. From shaking hands when you meet someone, to the rituals of religion to things you do to try and bring luck. Rituals are something humans seem to love and need to have. Why? What do they do for us? A lot ..read more

If your freezer has an ice maker then your freezer has a heater. This episode begins with an explanation of why your ice maker needs a heater in the first place, how it is costing you a lot of money and what you can do about it. https://lifehacker.com/save-some-energy-and-money-by-turning-off-your-ice-ma-5792410 We would probably all like to be more influential. That is, to have people listen to us and take our ideas more seriously. So how do you do that? Give a listen to my guest Zoe Chance. She is teacher and researcher who teaches the most popular course at the Yale School of Managemen ..read more

Apologizing is often difficult. Why though? It seems like doing the right thing and saying you’re sorry should make you feel great. Well, it may make you feel a little better but there is something else that feels MUCH better. Listen as I explain. https://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175714511/why-not-apologizing-makes-you-feel-better We have a lot of strange and unusual superstitions in this country. But did you know that every culture on earth has superstitions? By definition, superstitions are irrational beliefs. So why do we cling to them and cherish them? Here to discuss and explain i ..read more

When you approach a table where you are going to sit with a group of people, which chair do you take? This episode begins with a strategy to choose the best seat at the table whether it’s round or square – 4 chairs or 6 or 8. https://lifehacker.com/always-choose-the-best-seat-at-any-multi-person-table-5990596 Despite your best efforts not to - you have certain biases that you cannot escape. And these biases affect how you think, the decisions you make and the actions you take. So, it might be good to understand what these biases are and how they affect you. Here to explain this is Alex Ed ..read more