This issue is made up of the following sections:

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips
2. Reading Recommendations
3. Reality Check - Healthy Regression

1. Personal Effectiveness Tips
1. Remember to prepare for success as diligently as you prepare for obstacles. Too often we spend time anticipating problems, working hard to circumvent them, and then fall on our face when we experience success. It feels so strange that we long for our old problems again. Don't fall into that trap. Prepare for success, though it may be anticlimactic, and don't be caught off guard when the quality of your life improves. This, folks, is a good problem to have.

2. Most of our problems that we deal with on a daily basis could have been avoided by making better decisions in the recent past. Remember that every choice has a consequence, and try not to burden your future self by managing that gap between stimulus and response better. A good way to do this is to ask yourself, "What decision can I make today that will make my life better in the near future?" Ask this question frequently, and set to working on the answers you get.

3. Remember that who you are is more important than what you do. If you think you are simply a receptionist, you are. However, if you believe that you have the ability to impact the bottom line of your company, as well as brighten the day of those with whom you come into contact, you do well for yourself and enjoy your work.

4. You can learn something from every single person you meet on a daily basis if you try hard enough. It doesn't even matter if you like the person, though it would help. In your everyday interactions, open your mind to the lessons that others are teaching. You'll find that you aren't as smart as you thought you were, and that others might just be smarter than you gave them credit for being.

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2. Reading Recommendations

Four books that I am currently working my way through:

1. The Daily Drucker, by Peter F. Drucker A must-read compilation of writings for any student of Drucker's teachings. Anyone in management should know Drucker, unless you've been hiding under a large rock.

2. The Great Mortality, by John Kelly An intimate and detailed history of the Bubonic Plague, from beginning to finish. Fascinating read.

3. Seven Daughters of Eve, by Bryan Sykes A genetic ancestry book by a guy that makes DNA fun and easy to understand. His research claims to be able to link our genetic makeup to one of seven primeval women. Which one are you linked with?

4. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, by Robert Sapolsky A detailed, well-written guide to the physiological effects of stress and coping on our bodies. Essential reading for those in the helping professions, and for those seeking to find a reason to get their health in order.

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3. Reality Check - Healthy Regression

I spent the greater part of two hours this afternoon at a park with a good friend of mine, and her toddler son. She was visiting from Sweden, and it was nice to see her again after a year and a half away.

While we chatted and watched her son make his rounds, I got to thinking: What if we, as adults, could intentionally regress to a toddler mindset? To do so, we would have to:

• shorten our memories
• trust people more
• be ok with failing
• not care how we looked to others
• become more curious about the world around us

The commensurate value in our lives would include:

• never holding a grudge against someone
• more moments of pure learning
• less needless anxiety
• spontaneous moments of pure joy
• being open to opposing viewpoints
• never judging others
• moments of "warm-blanket" intimacy with others -increased giggling and uncontrollable laughter -longer days -unadulterated sleep

Think about it: The older we get, the more we tend to lose touch with our "inner kid." However, that "inner kid" is exactly what we need to access in order to achieve more balance, combat stress effectively, and live healthier lives.

Healthy regression isn't a synonym for immaturity. It's merely a mindset in which we intentionally shed the unwanted baggage of our minds in an attempt to free up more joy and passion.

Give yourself permission to regress from time to time. For all their naïve ways and vulnerabilities, toddlers are still discerning little folks. They know when someone is good with kids, and gravitate to them, and they avoid people that are stiff and strange in their presence. You, however, can do both. You can enjoy life from the eyes of a toddler while still retaining your adult intellectual faculties. All you have to do is allow space in your life for these moments. I enjoyed my time with my friend's son immensely today by doing just that, and learned quite a lot from the little guy and his mom. That's time well-spent.

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