New research says the average person lies four times a day!

When I read that my reaction was, “that’s all?”

Humans are not perfect and all lies are not created equal.

A white lie could be a harmless, trivial lie told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

More severe ones are serious and can reveal a lot of negative things about a person.

Being authentic is a better goal – young people often mention authenticity as one of the characteristics they crave – reliable, accurate.

One who is being authentic is less likely to be one who lies.

The Phillies had the Braves on the ropes – it really should have been the other way around but the improbable Phils won their recent playoff series and moved on.

Why?

You can mention the new playoff format or luck (good and bad) but I got the feeling the team that gets the momentum wins – it’s in the head.

The Phillies had nothing to lose, they were an early season disaster and the Braves were – well, the Braves.

But with nothing to lose and all the chill that goes along with it, the Phillies could play spoiler and catch the momentum.

Once it got into their blood, they believed anything was possible.

Once the Braves started believing losing to the Phillies was possible, they lost — it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Today try banishing all negative thoughts, free yourself to cultivate a nothing to lose attitude.

The one way to make an enemy a friend is ask them to do you a small favor.

If they agree, they will be admitting that they like you.

Small requests for favors are a way to change the dialogue, level the playing field and perhaps get beyond differences to find common ground.

My friend Beau Phillips writes a blog called Reverb in which he was recently positing on the wisdom of what the great innovator Steve Jobs would do 12 years after his passing.

Days before his death, Jobs who had accomplished much and earned plenty reminded us about what is even more important.

“In other people’s eyes, my life is a success. However, aside from work, I’ve had little joy. All the recognition and wealth I took so much pride in is meaningless now. Material things that are lost can be found again. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost: Life.”

Live like there is no tomorrow.

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts says you have to believe in yourself and if you hear encouragement from just one person, it can make all the difference.

He’s been fighting the pressure of great expectations since he took over from franchise quarterback Carson Wentz and this year it is all coming together.

Be aware that even a word of encouragement to those around you is the most powerful gift you can give to motivate associates or help family members grow.

Messaging positivity builds confidence.

When a baseball player strikes out, they can’t wait to get another at-bat.

When we strike out at something, we often get disappointed, discouraged and disillusioned.

No matter how bad, or unfair or frustrating, let’s be just as eager as the hitter for the next chance to do better.

That’s a decade of the average person’s life following the same routines and rituals according to a study.

64% say their routines hardly change.

79% say they are stuck in a rut and it keeps them from achieving their goals.

The most common things they’d like to do:  learning a new skill, traveling and starting a new career.

Coming off autopilot means more focus and less boredom.

How?

Do one thing differently focused 100% in the present – the more we get used to trying, the better it works.

Every time I start a new semester, I try to do something different in every session – and it always brings joy just knowing I’m constantly doing something a different way.

And sometimes, it’s a revelation.

I’m writing this after sitting for several hours at my desk and on my laptop – bad professor!

Thus, my focus – healthy breaks.

From work during the day.

From routines even necessary ones (must we always walk the same route or take the same roads).

From our regular diet so as to try new things.

My parents were right, I should have been a doctor because what I’m about to say is that the glucose in our brain is affected by hyper-long concentration – for doing the same things over and over.

Breaks foster rest and rest restores the brain.

Now I’m closing my laptop and going outside – join me?

I think we all know this but don’t want to say it aloud – multitasking doesn’t work.

It feeds whatever happens in the brain that makes us more intense and anxious.

It rewards us for not focusing and leads us to look for even more ways to become distracted.

After letting our digital devices define how we live, there is an awakening coming not to throw them away – hey, they’re also great additions to life – but to recognize that even if we can multitask, are we willing to keep paying the psychological price for doing so.

My students surprised me this week when unprompted they complained about a world that is forcing them to lose focus – The popular app TikTok was mentioned – I had to be revived!

And there was great sentiment that they are being played by those who want their business in the attention economy.

It got worse (I mean better) – one student said she deleted her TikTok app a few months ago and has read three books since (the most in years, she says).  Others admitted downplaying their time on the addictive app.

Some thought that their younger siblings were in worse shape and called them “iPad faces” because of parents and schools rushing the use of digital devices.

I came away with the thought that perhaps we’re all being played for fools by people and companies accentuating increasingly short attention spans.