Today's episode goal is to invite you to go and listen to a different podcast - really :) This is one of the things I love about the podcasting world. Like authors and professionals speakers, we know that people who read a book, listen to a speaker, or a podcast, will enjoy reading others books, listening to other speakers, and subscribing to other podcasts. We don’t see each other as competition. Cavett Robert, the founder of the National Speaker Association, said it best: "As speakers, we never fight over the size of our slice of the pie, we build a bigger pie." Since my podcast is all about expanding possibilities, I want to introduce you to Invisibilia, a NPR podcast, launched in the beginning of 2015. Invisibilia is a latin word that means "all the invisible things”, and this podcast explores the intangible forces that shape human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions, and emotions. There is a particular episode of this podcast that I would love you to go and listen to. It’s titled “How to Become Batman” and was released on January 22nd, 2015. This episode is all about expectations, and how these expectations can limit what we can do and be. I have to warn you, that this hour-long Invisibilia episode can blow your mind, and really make you think about how we limit ourselves and others by accepting expectations without questioning other possibilities. The show starts by describing how when scientists are doing experiments with rats, if they think that a particular lab rat is dumb or clever, that affects how well that rat will perform the experiment. But this is just the beginning. Then, they focus their narrative on Daniel Kish, a blind person who destroys every stereotype you may have about blindness. Daniel Kish lost both eyes when he was a very young toddler, yet he grow up to be able to navigate is world independently, and with confidence. He developed a system that allowed him and other blind people to see - really. He is a blind person who guides other blind people, as well as those of us who have normal sight, to see so many new possibilities in our lives. When I listened to this show, I questioned so many things: - How expectations can limit the possibilities of people with disabilities - How I can limit myself with my beliefs and expectations - How my expectations for my daughter can limit her from achieving what she is capable of. This reminds me of the episode 7 of the MINDSET ZONE podcast, where I spoke about a powerful quote that Viktor Frankl mentioned in one of his lectures: “If we take man as he is, we make him worse, but if we take man as he should be, we make him capable of becoming what he could be."– Goethe (1749 – 1832) Please go ahead and listen to “How to Become Batman” from Invisibilia podcast. Click the player below to listen to it. [smart_track_player url="http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/specials/2015/01/20150122_specials_invisibiliabatman.mp3" title="How to Become Batman" artist="Invisibilia" download="false" ] TEDx talk by Daniel Kish jQLeadBrite("#leadplayer_video_element_55426B1DBFDA2").leadplayer(false, "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...

In this episode, I have the pleasure to interview Rohit Bhargava, author of five best selling business books including Likeonomics and his most recent one calledNon-Obvious: How to think Different, Curate Ideas and Predict the Future. He had me at “how to think different", because to have this skill is a wonderful way to give our mindsets a workout and open the doors to new possibilities. In our conversation we discussed: - Why it is misleading to think that industry experts are the best one to predict trends - How curation is the ultimate method of transforming noise into meaning - The Curator’s Mindset (Being Curious, Observant, Fickle, Thoughtful, Elegant) - How to foresee a trend that will last Links: - Non-Obvious: How to think Different, Curate Ideas and Predict the Future - Hard Cover Edition - Non-Obvious: How to think Different, Curate Ideas and Predict the Future - Kindle Edition - Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior, and Inspiring Action - Hard Cover Edition - Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior, and Inspiring Action - Kindle Edition - New to audible.com? You can download for free the Audio Edition of Likeonomics at http://mindset.zone/audiobooks - http://nonobviousbook.com - Get excerpt of Non-Obvious and a summary of all 15 trends from the 2015 Non-Obvious Trend Report - http://www.rohitbhargava.com/ - http://www.rohitbhargava.com/blog - https://twitter.com/rohitbhargava

Today, I want to focus on misattributions, that is, situations where we attribute an idea to the wrong source. I was listening to news recently and they were speaking about the beautiful new US stamp, produced as an homage to the life and work of Maya Angelou. It's wonderful and meaningful to see a poet and thinker recognized this way, yet the quote that they chose to go along with the photo of Maya Angelou is not her own quote!!! They misattributed the quote. "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." This inspiring quote was often cited by the late poet, yet we know now that it was written by another writer Joan Walsh Anglund in 1967. Maya Angelou never claimed authorship for the quotation, she use it often because it’s a really powerful sentence. The US Post Office should have done their homework and checked in which publication that quote was printed, not waited until the stamp was published to discover their mistake. At least now we know about another inspiring women writer, Joan Walsh Anglund, who now has a Wikipedia entry thanks to this misattribution. Another Example... Another example of a misattribution – with a very a happy ending – regards this powerful poem: People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.Love them anyway.If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.Do good anyway.If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.Succeed anyway.The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.Do good anyway.Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.Be honest and frank anyway.The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.Think big anyway.People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.Fight for a few underdogs anyway.What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.Build anyway.People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.Help people anyway.Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.Give the world the best you have anyway. This “Anyway" quote is often attributed to Mother Teresa because a version of this poem was written on a wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, yet this is a misattribution. These Paradoxical Commandments were originally written by Kent M. Keith in 1968 as part of a booklet for student leaders. Because of this misattribution, Kent M. Keith was inspired to publish a beautiful book called "Do It Anyway: The Handbook for Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness in a Crazy World." Here is an interview with the author:jQLeadBrite("#leadplayer_video_element_553342E612683").leadplayer(false, "eyJnYSI6dHJ1ZSwib3ZlcmxheSI6ZmFsc2UsInBvd2VyZWRfYnkiOmZhbHNlLCJwb3dlcmVkX2J5X2xpbmsiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvYXZlbnVlODEuaW5mdXNpb25zb2Z0LmNvbVwvZ29cL2xwXC9hMTU2OVwvIiwiY29sb3IxIjoiI0Y1QkIwQyIsImNvbG9yMiI6IiMxNzk4Q0QiLCJjb2xvcjMiOiIjRjVCQjBDIiwidHh0X3N1Ym1pdCI6IlNVQk1JVCIsInR4dF9wbGF5IjoiUExBWSIsInR4dF9lbWwiOiJZb3VyIEVtYWlsIEFkZHJlc3MiLCJ0eHRfbmFtZSI6IllvdXIgTmFtZSIsInR4dF9pbnZhbGlkX2VtbCI6IlBsZWFzZSBlbnRlciBhIHZhbGlkIGVtYWlsIiwidHh0X2ludmFsaWRfbmFtZSI6IlBsZWFzZSBlbnRlciB5b3VyIG5hbWUiLCJscF9zb3VyY2UiOiJXUCBQbHVnaW4gMS40LjIuMSBVbmxpbWl0ZWQiLCJpZCI6IjU1MzM0MkU2MTI2ODMiLCJ3aWR0aCI6NjQwLCJoZWlnaHQiOjM2MCwidGh1bWJuYWlsIjoiIiwidGl0bGUiOiJEbyBJdCBBbnl3YXkgLSBJbnRlcnZpZXcgd2l0aCB0aGUgYXV0aG9yIiwiZGVzY3JpcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhdXRvcGxheSI6ZmFsc2UsInNob3dfdGltZWxpbmUiOnRydWUsImVuYWJsZV9oZCI6ZmFsc2UsIm9wdCI6ZmFsc2UsImN0YSI6ZmFsc2UsInltIjoiZlNIZEtiRjVYcWMifQ=="); So, what’s the moral of the story? Yes, before publishing anything writers should do their homework and check their sources. Yet, as this podcast has illustrated several times, it’s easy to make mistakes and misattributions too. My thinking is that when misattributions are corrected, that can be a beautiful opportunity to learn more. We will make mistakes, attribute ideas to the wrong sources,

In this Episode, I interviewed Eric Zimmer the host of the podcast "The One You Feed.” "The One You Feed" podcast was named Best of 2014 by iTunes, and it's an amazing collection of open minded discussions of habits, wisdom, psychology, philosophy, and motivation. Eric starts his episodes with a short story that explains the title of his podcast: An old grandfather told his grandson: “My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, and resentment. The other is good. It is joy, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and bravery.” The boy thought about it, and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?” The old man quietly replied, “The one you feed.” In this conversation Eric and I discuss: - One of Eric’s favorite stories, "The Second Arrow" - "I’ll be happy when” mindset and its alternatives - Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset (Dr. Carol Dweck) - How can we stop the reactive cycles in our lives - The power of stories Subscribe to The One You Feed podcast at OneYouFeed.net If you want a weekly mindset workout, make sure you are subscribed to MINDSET ZONE podcast via iTunes, or Stitcher.

For many of you, last week's episode was very conceptual with no practical application. I want to celebrate that :) It’s essential to have activities that don't seem to have practical applications, or use business language, with no tangible Return Of Investment – ROI. We know that children need to play to learn new skills and develop as people. Yet, as adults we forget that we also need to keep playing in order to better ourselves. I have a six year-old daughter, and I totally understand the need to contain the areas where she plays. This way, I keep some order in my house and myself sane. I love inventions such as sandboxes, where we can let kids have fun, knowing that the mess is somewhat contained. So, when I learned that in software development it’s very common to use the term "sandbox" to describe a safe place to try new software, I thought: “What a brilliant use of the term. Why not create something similar to use for our businesses and lives." Imagine if we could create a place where we could try things, and play with concepts, without worry about getting too messy or off track. For me, my podcast MINDSET ZONE, is my sandbox :) Here, I play with concepts, explore ideas, even invite special guests, and pick their brains around a certain topic. I even have playmates. People like you, who listen to this podcast and send me their comments and feedback. This way, I know what resonates with my favorite peeps. Playing in this MINDSET ZONE sandbox, I learn what concepts don't work, and I have to let them go. I discover what mindset workouts work better. I also play with ideas that I can use in live presentations or webinars. I can develop my speaking material, while playing in podcasting - and I love it. I can start to articulate concepts that maybe one day get organized and edited in a book - who knows! Even, if I don't materialize any of these ideas, I still think the time and effort to do this podcast, it's totally worth it, because I'm enjoying the process :) This containment gives me freedom to play - and I like it :) Do you have a sandbox? Your sandbox can be for play at a professional level or to add some enjoyment to your personal life. It can be a hobby, or whatever allows you to create that safe space where you can just play for the fun of it.

To provide a mindset workout is my goal for every episode of my podcast. I want to create a space where you come to exercise your mind, such as when you go to the health club to keep yourself healthy and in shape. In the last episode – 26: Do People Really Change? – I went back in time 2,400 years, to Ancient Greece to illustrate the point that the question “Do People Really Change?" is not a new one. There I spoke about philosophers who argued that nothing really changes. They reasoned that everything we perceive as changes are merely illusions of our senses. This is a true paradox. If we look to the origin of the word paradox, we learn that it’s the conjunction of two Greek words: PARA that means "contrary to" and DOXA that means “opinions" or "to appear.” A concept contrary to appearance is a paradox. So, when we look around, we see things changing but maybe they are not changing – this interpretation is a paradox because it’s contrary to what it appears to be. And yes, this makes our brain twist a little. It creates new connections between neurons in our brain. It causes some confusion, and makes us question if what we think is actually true. It’s a great workout for our minds. In this episode, I want to describe some paradoxes created by Zeno - a student of Paramenides. The reason why I want to twist your mind with these paradoxes, is because they are great illustrations of how we can question deep ingrained beliefs - in this case, that things change. It makes us question our own perceptions. Stay with me. In Ancient Greece, Paramenides and Zeno had to convince other philosophers to trust their reasoning more than their senses. So Zeno devised several situations that question what we perceive as change using strong logical arguments. I’m going to speak about two paradoxes that focus on movement. Paradox One Suppose that you want to go from point A to point B. In order to do this, you first have to get to the half point between A and B - let us call it point C. Now, to go from C to B, you have to first get to the half point between C and B - let us call it point D. Then for going from D to B, you have to get to the half point between D and B - let us call it point E. Are you getting the point? (Pun intended.) We will run out of letters of the alphabet, and there still be a half point before we ever arrive to B. So logically, by following this reasoning, it is impossible to really arrive at point B. I know that you can walk from point A to point B, but logically we can argue that you are doing the impossible. I warned you that this was a brain twister. See video below: jQLeadBrite("#leadplayer_video_element_5520D0E8120F6").leadplayer(false, "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"); Ready to another? Paradox Two Following the same logic, suppose that you have a race between Achilles and the tortoise. Achilles gives the tortoise a head-start. By the time that Achilles reaches the place from which the tortoise started, the tortoise has already advanced to another point; when Achilles reache...

I’m fascinated by change - if you listen regularly to this podcast you may have noticed that. Change has been the focus of my professional life. When I started as a psychotherapist, I helped people overcome problems in ways that changed how they lived their lives. Afterwards, as a life coach, I focused on supporting people to reach their goals and potential. This also implies change. Now, as a business coach, I assist service professionals to change their mindsets to become more impactful change-makers. Yet, once in a while, I have friends who ask “Do people really change?" This question is not new Back in Ancient Greece, many philosophers also wonder about this. They questioned change in general. In fact, there was a group of philosophers who argued that nothing really changed. They said that what we perceive as change is merely an illusion of our senses. In the fifth century BC, Parmenides argued that nothing can become anything other than it is. It’s a total contradiction of what we perceive - it’s a paradox. Yet, the logic behind it is solid and mind-boggling. And Paramenides' ideas had a big impact on philosophy and in the development of science. For me, this idea that nothing changes is very contra-intuitive. And I have the tendency to think that it will be contra-intuitive to other people too. Yet, when I think about expressions that people often say: He is what he is.” “He was born like that.” “People don’t really change.” “It runs in the family.” “It’s in their genes." Maybe the question “Do people really change?” is asked so often, because for some people that’s what their intuition or experience tells them. Going back to Ancient Greece, to the fifth century BC There was another group of philosophers who argued that everything flows, everything is always changing. The most well-known is Heraclitus. Even if you don’t know his name, probably you are familiar with one of his quotes: No man ever steps in the same river twice." Or the longer version: No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." I love this quote, yet I also recognize that this idea of constant flow, constant changing, it can be felt as lack of stability, confusion, even chaos. For instance, think about our technological world. The pace of change is so fast that sometimes it can make us feel uneasy, and wish for more stable ground. If you had to decide between these two extremes - nothing can change or everything is in a constant state of change - which would you pick? Difficult choice. And what I love about philosophy is that it shows us that there is at least a third option, an option that transcends these opposites. Back to the 5th century BC, Empedocles proposed the idea that both Parmenides and Heraclitus were right. Yes, nothing changes AND everything changes is possible. If we believe that everything in nature consists of four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - and that these elements never change, yet can be mixed in various combinations. How is it possible that four elements to be the basis of everything we see? Think of a painter who has the red, yellow, and blue – and can mix these primary colors to become all other colors. Or think about atoms. Yes, there are more than four atoms, yet we believe that everything in nature is made of atoms. I love philosophers and thought leaders who help us transcend opposites. How to apply these ideas to how we see change in ourselves For instance, we can work very hard to change characteristics that are very ingrained in ourselves. Or we can work to accept these characteristics as a given that we can’t change. Yet,  now we have a third option. Why not use our energy to mix and match these characteristics so that we produce our desired outcomes. Similar to a painter who has a limited palette,

The topic of this episode is Learning and Change  – and how can we learn from our relapses, and missteps. First of all, I want to correct a mistake I did in Episode 23: Understanding Change - and Why Is So Difficult to Change, where I spoke about a specific model to explain change that was developed by a team of psychologists in the 1990s: Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente. I said that according to this model, if someone wants to change a habit or behavior, they will go through a 5-Stage Process. My mistake was to describe this system with only 5 stages, when the authors speak of 6 stages. The book that popularized this model, is titled: Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program For Overcoming Bad Habits And Moving Your Life Positively Forward. When I was publishing Episode 23, I realized my mistake, and I could have postponed the release of the episode. Yet, I decided to go ahead with it, because I’m on a mission to embrace my courage to be imperfect – listen to Episode 16 to know more about this – and I knew I could do another episode to correct that misinformation. So, for the record, this Change Process is described as a having 6 stages: Stage 1: Pre-Contemplation If we are at this stage, we don’t see any need to change. Stage 2: Contemplation As the name suggests, we start to realize that there is something that we are better off changing. Stage 3: Preparation We start to devise a plan with concrete action steps and implementation dates. Stage 4: Action We do it. Stage 5: Maintenance We consolidate the new habits, behaviors, and patterns. And very important: Stage 6: Recycling – Learning from Relapse This last stage reminds us that the change is not a linear process, where you go from stage 1, to 2, then 3, then 4, and 5. There are ups and downs, steps backwards and forwards. The secret is to keep going, and learn from the relapses. In fact, Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente, speak about several lessons we can learn from this last stage. For instance, we know that: - It’s rare to change a habit on our first attempt. - Trial and error is not a very effective method  – instead, learn from other people who have done it, and master the change you are trying to achieve. - If you relapse, that means that you have done some action. Keep learning, and translating that learning into actions, and you will be able to create better habits in your life. How does knowing that relapse is common and even a part of the change process, help you move forward? For me, the lesson is to see a relapse as an opportunity to learn something new. Pick ourselves up again, and keep moving forward. This reminds me of a skill that people who achieve big things have developed. As I spoke in Episode 3: Failure and The Way To Success - we must build a strong failure resilience if we want success. And as my interview with Andrea Waltz - in Episode 22 – show clearly, the image of the fork in the road – with one road that leads to success and the other to failure – is misleading. Success happens if we are willing to endure failures (it’s part of the path).

Last episode I spoke about why it’s so difficult to change, and I knew then that I had to bring Whitney Hutten to this podcast. Whitney believes that to stop changing and start shifting, is the best strategy to make what you want happen. Her mission is to help professionals to get 10 to 15 hours back every week, so they can focus on their health, relationships, and personal life – without feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or guilty. During this interview, you'll shift your mindset about change. You will learn: - Why you should remove the word “change” from your vocabulary - How-to make shifts that produce long lasting results - 3 Simple Steps to Start Shifting (Focus - Meaning - Plan) Find more about Whitney Hutten at whitneyhutten.com

A quarter of 2015 has already past. I’m wondering if this year you did any New Year's Resolutions that implied a big change in your life. The reality is that for most people, even if they honestly intended to change some important aspect of their lives – from exercising more, losing weight, and so forth – probably, by now, they have gone back to their old habits. If what you want to change is really important to you, please don’t give up or wait until next year to try again. Start to understand: Why It's So Difficult To Change Maybe understanding how the change process works, can help you to achieve your goals. If you think: "I don’t have enough will power." "I’m never going to be able to do it." "I tried it before and it didn’t work." And any other excuses that your internal saboteur creates... (Yes, you are not alone, everybody has a personal critical voice that tries to undermine their self-esteem, but that is a theme for another podcast.) Keep reading and see what we can learn from how psychologists explain the change process. First - it’s important to notice that psychology sees change as a process, not as an isolated event. Second - the change process is complex enough to have many models to explain it. Lets focus on a particular model of change as an example. Model of Change This Model of Change was developed by a team of psychologists in the 1990s (Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente)***. It emerged from the studies of successful self-changers, that is, people who successfully changed important behaviors in their lives without professional help (for instance, to stop smoking). According to this model, if someone wants to change a habit or behavior, they will go through a 6-Stage Process***. Stage 1: Pre-Contemplation If we are at this stage, we don't see any need to change. Our friends and family can think otherwise, but we don’t agree with them. Imagine, that we usually spent more than 8 hour seated during our day. Our friend, a fitness expert, has warned us about the dangers of a sedentary life, but we rationalize. Yes, but… "I go to the health club a couple of times a week." “I try to eat healthy." “I’m not overweight." [...or whatever excuse we use to justify that we are fine, and we really don’t need to change.] Stage 2: Contemplation As the name suggests, we start to realize that there is something that we are better off changing. Yet, we don’t know how, or we don’t feel quite ready to do it. For instance, in our example of spending more than 8 hour seated. We are still using the same excuses, but now we feel guilty because we know better. We start to believe that our friend – the fitness expert – is right. Maybe we read an article that supports her views, or maybe our last blood work shows some levels that could improve. We know that we should do something to become more active, but it’s easier to create another good excuse. "It’s not the right time." “After this project is done, I will have more time." “I really don’t know how to go about changing this." We can spend lots of time in this stage, spinning our wheels without going anywhere. Stage 3: Preparation Eventually, we can move to the preparation stage, where we really start to devise a plan with concrete action steps and implementation dates. “OK, I’m going to implement what I read in this article. I’m going to set a timer for 60 mn. When it sounds, I will go for a walk around the house." Then, if we don’t take a step backwards and start to doubt our own plans – “Really, I walk around the house. I should be running. Walking around the house, what difference that makes?” – we move on to the action stage. Stage 4: Action We do it. When the clock sounds, we get up and walk around the house. We start to modify our behavior. This stage has all the glory, but could not happen without the previous stages.