Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 10/5/15

Symbolism can be extraordinarily effective and important. Many of our rituals are symbolic, whether a birthday cake with a wish or a wedding with a thrown bouquet. “God bless you” after a sneeze is symbolic, as is “How are you?” (No one really wants to hear about your aching elbow, a boil, or toenail fungus.) And forget about “Have a nice day”! A great deal of airport security is symbolic as is (don't write me letters, it's a free newsletter) household recylcing.

It's useful to examine how much of our lives involves useful symbolism and dysfunctional symbolism. For example, I tell myself positive aspects of my life first thing in the morning and final thing in the evening. But I never enjoyed the symbolism of having to attend certain client meetings or involve people and elongate projects when there was no pragmatic reason to do so other than “appearances.” Which symbolic behavior wastes your time and which enriches your life?

The humorist runs with the hare; the satirist hunts with the hounds.
— Father Ronald Knox

Change the Life You Have Into the Life You Want: Receive two videos a month with people being coached, exercises, and discussions, with the option of access to me and a free entire day in Boston midway through the year's experience. Begins November 1: http://www.alanweiss.com/store/online-learning/how-to-change-the-life-you-have-into-the-life-you-want/

Thought Leadership 2016 My seventh year of offering world-class talent in a world-class property. Join me with featured guest Dr. Dan Gilbert of Harvard in Palm Beach next October. Half the seats are already gone, major discount for the next six days only: http://www.alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/2016-thought-leadership-seventh-annual-conference/

Million Dollar Consulting® Convention: In LA in March, the best such conference in the world. My featured guest is Marshall Goldsmith, and we have an all-star faculty: http://www.alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/million-dollar-consulting-convention/