ALTITUDE MEDIA ATTEMPTS TO BRING TOGETHER A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF articles, videos and quotes from a variety of sources, with an intention of either introducing new perspectives in business and life or remind us what we already know.
“Investing time in understanding the psychology of the when, how, why you do things is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of wisdom and strength. Understanding yourself is at the core of getting the edge in Business and in Life.”
-Julie-Ann Tathem, M.A. Founder & CEO Tathem LLC
“The most important point to remember about stress is that it is literally a nervous reaction. It occurs within the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).” … “The ANS divides into two distinct systems: the ‘Sympathetic’ Nervous System and the ‘Parasympathetic’ Nervous System. To put their functions simply, read ‘stressed-out’ and ‘chilled-out’ respectively.” … “Health and vitality are the natural result of the harmonic interchange between the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic. Unfortunately, in our world this tends to be the exception rather than the rule. In this culture, with all its inherent struggles and strains, people’s Sympathetic systems very often stay on guard, unable to give in to the softer, more gentle flows of the Parasympathetic. And if this condition becomes chronic, it can lead to a whole variety of stress-related symptoms and, later, illnesses.” …”For many people the business world is something of a war zone. A place where dogs eat dogs, and sharks rule the waves. A competitive environment where only the financially fittest survive. This is the jungle that we find ourselves in, trying to sidestep the booby traps and dodge the arrows of misfortune.” … “In their high-flying and sophisticated ways they do not see the simple truth that for a man to work well he must rest well. They do not seem to realize that health requires balance, harmony and equilibrium between body and mind.”
“Online retailer Zappos actively encourages staff to “goof off”. This, explains the Las Vegas-based company’s “culture evangelist” Jon Wolske, “is a chance to take your attention away from your duties for a short time to do a fun activity”. This could be anything from taking time out for a coffee and a chat to elaborate practical jokes where 100 ping-pong balls fall out of the ceiling on to unsuspecting employees. The point, explains Mr Wolkse, is to bring levity to the workplace. “By allowing team members to participate in non-work activities and have fun, the office keeps a positive vibe and people are much happier. Also, they don’t burn out as they are free to take time away from their duties.” ”
“If there is a central law of the psyche, it is that what is unconscious will be projected. This is why Jung observed that “when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate.”
-James Hollis, The Eden Project.
“A new idea is first condemned as ridiculous and then dismissed as trivial, until finally it becomes what everybody knows.”
-William James.
“Inadequate career development has kept women from reaching the top ranks of the corporate ladder, according to a report set to be released Tuesday by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.” …. “To crack the upper echelons of corporate America, McKinsey says companies must groom a deeper bench of female middle managers for advancement.” … ”Joanna Barsh, a McKinsey senior partner who co-wrote the report, said companies need to spend more time coaching women and offering more leadership training and rotation through various management roles before their ambitions sour. The paucity of such assistance partly explains why women’s ambitions decline over time, said Ms. Barsh. “Barriers become insurmountable,” especially for working mothers, she added.”
“… recent reviews of the research on high self-esteem have come to the troubling conclusion that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. High self-esteem does not predict better performance or greater success. And though people with high self-esteem do think they’re more successful, objectively, they are not. High self-esteem does not make you a more effective leader, a more appealing lover, more likely to lead a healthy lifestyle, or more attractive and compelling in an interview.” … “A growing body of research, including new studies by Berkeley’s Juliana Breines and Serena Chen, suggest that self-compassion, rather than self-esteem, may be the key to unlocking your true potential for greatness.”
“The classical models of economics make this assumption that we are all completely rational, all the time and all of finance theory is based around that,” Greg Davies, head of behavioral and quantitative finance at Barclays, told CNBC. “But we don’t have to look around us too far to realize that we’re not entirely rational all the time and, in fact, markets are driven to a very large extent — particularly in the short-term — by issues of anxiety, stress and enthusiasm.”
“We numb vulnerability. We are the most in debt, obese, addicted, and medicated adult cohort in US history.”
“The problem is, you cannot selectively numb emotion. You can’t say here’s the bad stuff, here’s vulnerability, here’s grief, here’s shame, here’s fear, here’s disappointment; I don’t want to feel these. I’m going to have a couple of beers and a banana nut muffin. You can’t numb those hard feelings without numbing the other affects or emotions. When we numb those, we numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness, and then we are miserable…” “Blame is a way to discharge pain and discomfort” (Brené Brown)
“The first step in solving any problem is acknowledging the reality of the situation you’re in. And the reality of the society we’re in is that there are thousands and thousands of people out there leading lives of quiet screaming desperation, where they work long hard hours at jobs they hate to enable them to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.”
“Being more balanced, doesn’t mean dramatic upheaval in your life. With the smallest investment, in the right places, you can radically transform the quality of your relationships and the quality of your life.” (Nigel Marsh)
