Niagara Business Directory Online The Niagara Guide.com

I've heard it said that whether you think you CAN or think you can't, you're right. Your mind will act upon your thoughts and your actions will reflect your attitude.

So, it only makes sense to eliminate the "C" word from your vocabulary. In case you don't remember it, the "C" word is CAN'T.

How do you do this? Simply rephrase your thoughts to something more positive and embrace the possibilities.

"I can't get more customers." --> "I'm working on getting more customers."

"I can't get my head around this issue." --> "I haven't figured out how to solve this issue, but I'm working on it."

"I can't understand my teenager." --> "I need to improve my relationship with my teenager."

Okay - I'm not a therapist ; ) but you get the idea.

Remove the negativity and the absolutism of the "C" word and you'll be amazed what you CAN do.

"You never get a second change to make a good first impression."

"Never judge a book by its cover."

Both sayings have their applications, but we all know that as a society, we tend to go by appearances.

I bought 42 peaches for $5 the other day. Despite the fact I went to the source - the farm - this was a bargain by any measure. The reason they were so inexpensive? They were "seconds".

What makes a peach a second? In this case, as far as I could tell, the only thing "wrong" with these peaches were blemishes. When we ate them that night, they were juicy and flavourful, firm and satisfying. Nothing "wrong" with them once they were peeled. The last time I checked, people peel their peaches before eating them, so there was no way to tell they were "seconds".

When it comes to the search for value, appearances can be deceiving. Something to think about as we slog through another Monday.

• Everyone was healthy: We might need 50% less doctors and nurses. Convenience stores might close because of lowered cigarette sales. There could be two or three times as many stores selling nutritional supplements, bicycles, running gear and sports equipment and less selling televisions and Lazy-Boys. Personal trainers would be able to make a very comfortable salary. Fast food restaurants would switch away from serving fat-bombs to healthier fare - or close completely. Our communities would have cleaner air and water. We'd probably know our neighbours as we'd see them while out for our evening walks. 

Getting rid of one problem could cause lots of problems - depending on which side of the fence you sit. This is why many people are happy with the status quo - problems and all. They're in businesses that exist because there are problems in society.

We "all" recognize that we should eliminate problems in our society. "Everybody" thinks its a good idea. Since you're part of that whole, what have you done today to make our society a better place?

Coming soon: "Feel Good Niagara" - helping people learn about how they can make their lives better.

If you've ever wondered why we learned what we did in school and what its purpose was, here's an interesting take on it from Seth Godin.

Brainwashed

Personally, this rings so very, very true.

I printed this off to for my son to read. He's in grade 7 right now and starting to make decisions about what high school to attend, think about career options etc.

I wonder if this is too subversive for him to read - whether it will make him question the value of his education so much he fails to succeed as a student. Then again, I look at my own life and wonder if the lessons I learned during my time being "educated" could be learned in different ways.

Do you think you've been brainwashed? If so, what are you going to do about it?