Trusting your gut can make or break you

You know that feeling you sometimes get that tells you something isn't right? Well, that's your gut telling you to beware. As humans, we tend to rationalize away that feeling. However, trusting your gut is something that can help you make better decisions, earn more money, or sometimes save your life.

One of my favorite non-fiction books is The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker (click freely, this is NOT an affiliate link). It discusses the power of one's intuition as a means of avoiding violent crime. It's a great read. But, there's lots of other scenarios where we should trust our guts, too. Should we do business with Mr. Smith? Is Ms. Jones someone who can be trusted with our large financial investment? Will Mr. Applebee deliver the project to the big client on time?

Trusting that feeling deep inside ourselves is something we should all do more.

For example, I'm a big-time animal lover. Whenever someone passes me with their dog, I say "hi" and ask to pet him or her (the pup, not the person). I love pooches. Except, that is, the brown and white dog that I pass in my neighborhood sometimes. This dog always makes me uneasy; he seems unpredictable. And, although I feel like I'm offending the dog's owner, I stay clear when I see the dog approaching.

Today, I learned that the dog bit someone in an unprovoked attack and had to be put to sleep. I feel sorry for the dog and the owner, but I'm glad I trusted my gut and kept my distance. That could have been me on the receiving end of that bite.

The next time you have a decision to make, listen to your gut. Don't rationalize away warning signs. Don't be so optimistic that you don't see the reality of the situation. Trust your gut. It should be your business partner, your accountant, your counselor, and your most trusted friend.

Have a story to share where you trusted your gut and avoided a bad situation? How about a time when you ignored your gut and found yourself in a world of hurt?

Seth Godin's campaign against the lizard brain

This month, I had the pleasure of hearing the amazing Seth Godin speak (if you don't know who Seth is, check out this listing of his books on Amazon; there are nearly 20 of them). Thanks to a VIP ticket, courtesy of Efren Toscano at TechZulu, I was given access to the insider's lounge where Seth greeted people before he took the stage. For music hounds, meeting Trent Reznor or Mick Jaggar is the be all end all; for entrepreneurs and marketers, that's what it's like to meet Seth.

Nearly 900 people were in attendance for the event, sponsored by Bryan Elliott of So Cal Action Sports Network and LinkedOC, and held at the gorgeous St. Regis Hotel and Spa in the upscale community of Dana Point, California. I felt like a giddy school girl as I made my way through the people in the VIP lounge and approached the man I've seen in countless videos and interviews. Clutched in my hand, a copy of his brand new book Linchpin. Seth and I chatted for a moment, then he signed my book and my friend took our photo together. Shortly afterward, Seth departed to the grand ballroom.

In usual fashion, his presentation was full of "a-ha" moments and lots of laughs. If you've ever seen Seth speak, you know he is great at keeping the audience entertained. But, here's the take away from the evening: Don't listen to the lizard brain.

No, that's not a typo. Seth calls that part of your brain that is afraid to take risks, that is too scared to think independently, that is more concerned with "fitting in" rather than "standing out", the lizard--the part that keeps the majority of people average. He went on to make the distinction of how when kids are in school, they so desperately want to be like everyone else. However, as an adult, you never excel, nor reach your full potential, if you don't dare to be different. So, silence the lizard brain within you and take that risk, embrace that challenge, do something different. Set yourself apart from the others!

I'm cracking open my copy of Linchpin today and expect that when I finish the last page of the book, that I, too, will be a little braver, a little bolder, and a lot less reptilian. Watch out world!

Your Twitter autobiography

Are you looking for the perfect holiday gift for one of your Twitter friends? Well, look no further, the 140bio is the perfect combination of high-tech and old school!

For only $18.99, you can purchase the Twitter fanatic in your life a paperback microbiography, complete with his/her last 3,200 tweets! This bound, soft-cover book includes the person's Twitter handle on the front and there are two design options for the artwork. You can also choose to print all tweets or exclude @replies (click HERE for a sample of the final product).

Thirty-two hundred tweets is quite a bit, and can span a significant amount of time for most of us. By having them all printed and bound, it's a wonderful way to reflect back on the events, emotions, and encounters that have shaped our lives.

So, what do you think? Is the 140bio going to make it onto your shopping list?

Rediscover the wonder of books

If you log on to Twitter today, you'll see that it's Authors Day (#authorsday). A day to tweet about your favorite writers and books, and share your love of reading with your followers. I thought I'd take my tweet one step further (you only have 140 characters, after all), and share a bit more about my new, favorite author.

I have to admit, up until a few months ago I hadn't picked up a book for sheer pleasure for awhile. Online reading or a book on business seemed to take precedence. However, I'm glad to say that's all changed, thanks to my mom thrusting a book into my hands one day. "This is an easy read," she said. "You'll like it; just read it." And read it, I did.

The book was one in a long series of titles from Janet Evanovich. Her most popular series follows a bounty hunter named Stephanie Plum. Stephanie is scared of guns, loves donuts, and manages to bring in wayward felons by sheer luck. So far there are 19 Stephanie Plum adventures, and I've now read nine of them. It's a fun, easy read that is hard to put down; my mom was right.

Books are amazing. Why not pick one up on this Authors Day and discover new people, exciting places, and wonderful adventures? And check out Janet, she's a great writer. I promise you'll get caught up in Stephanie Plum's crazy Jersey antics—and set the book down feeling a bit hungry for baked goods.

Is Facebook making lonely people lonelier?

When I was having coffee with a friend the other day, I casually asked her why she wasn't on Facebook. My friend, let's call her Tifannie-Britannie Cherrie Smith, said that she had been, but that she deleted her account because the whole experience just made her feel bad.

After exploring the topic a bit more with Tifannie-Britannie, I learned that she had jumped on the Facebook wagon with much excitement. She had connected with a few dozen people, commented about things on their walls, and covered her page with interesting videos, links, photos, music, and other things she wanted to share. Day after day, no one commented on her status. No one hit the "like" button to give her a thumbs up. No one said anything.

She felt a bit dejected, but she persisted. She continued to engage with her "friends," reading their status updates and wall posts and leaving positive comments, but after weeks of a one-sided relationship she had finally had enough. She felt rejected and ignored. It was high school all over again. Tifannie-Britannie said she started to feel like the wallflower at the school dance; watching everyone else enjoy themselves.

I share Tifannie-Britannie's story as a reminder of good etiquette in social networking. Like all relationships, whether they be platonic, romantic, or business, a healthy dose of give and take is essential. If someone engages with you, have the courtesy to reciprocate.

As Emily Post said in her book Emily Post's Etiquette - The Blue Book of Social Usage, "Sensitive awareness of the reactions of others is a priceless gift. Inexcusably, many of us do not even note the effect that our unthinking speech or behavior is quite plainly having upon the feelings of others."

If Post were still alive today, I have no doubt that she'd update her book with a chapter on social media.