Mindset – Inner Game

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Al Franken Messed With My Mind and Then I Got Over It

By Tom Ruwitch

When I was a younger business person, I never thought much about mindset.  Meditation? Not for me. Visualization? No, thanks. Self-affirmation? Not a chance.  I think it was Stuart Smalley’s fault.  Remember him? He was a recurring character on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s. Al Franken played the part before he left SNL to…

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Hard Times Come Again No More

By Tom Ruwitch

Back in April, I made a Spotify playlist for my 23-year-old daughter, Maddie. She lived on High Street in Denver. I named the playlist “Shelter in Place on High Street – Volume 1.”  In the letter I sent with the playlist, I wrote, “…sharing music is sharing love. It’s about connecting.”  I imagined she and…

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Here’s Why Google Outage Didn’t Crush My Spirit…

By Tom Ruwitch

I woke yesterday at 5 a.m. because I had to finish a proposal that I’d promised to send to a prospect by start-of-business Monday.  I was knocking it out steadily when… …Google broke.  You probably heard the news: Around 5:30 a.m. CST, Google suffered a worldwide outage.  Google Drive stalled. Gmail gave out. YouTube tanked. …

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The #1 Quality That All Great Marketers Have

By Tom Ruwitch

My business is growing so I’m hiring.  Last night I posted a job opening for a software developer to assist with several projects.  I described the projects, but only in vague terms.  Applications flooded my inbox. Most applicants told me they had EVERYTHING it takes to tackle the projects.  One applicant, Noah, said this: “Let’s discuss more…

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Deliberate Gratitude

By Tom Ruwitch

A few years ago, I regularly posted “Gratitude Snippets” on Facebook. They were short posts. Expressions of appreciation for people and things…  …a beautiful day…  …a restaurant server who went the extra mile…  …a mail carrier who braved snow and rain to make the delivery…  …a song that brightened my mood…  …a colleague who offered…

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Recommended Reading and Big Lessons re: What You Control

By Tom Ruwitch

Roughly once a year, I read  Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.   Frankl was a Holocaust survivor who later wrote about his experiences as a prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp.   The book is heavy stuff, yes. But it’s also full of huge lessons for business and life.   These are strange days. Many call them “dark…

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When Having a Bad Day, Consider Adolphe Sax’s Story…

By Tom Ruwitch

Last week, I had one of those days when nothing went right.   It made me grumpy. And as I grumped around, I focused more on feeling sorry for myself and less on staying focused and productive.   That made it worse. I got past it, but it made me think about how easy it is to…

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How Jerry Seinfeld Helped to Reset my Mindset

By Tom Ruwitch

60 Minutes presented an interview with Jerry Seinfeld on Sunday, and it was great.  Here’s the link to the video.  Seinfeld said so many funny, profound, and wise things. I’ve rewatched it three times.  And now I’m sharing some of the highlights.  Asked if Covid has killed New York, he scoffed and said: “When you were…

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Turn Frustration to Fascination and Good Things Happen

By Tom Ruwitch

I’m enjoying a book called “Blessed Beyond Measure,” by Dr. Tom Hill.   On page 69, Dr. Hill offers an idea that got my attention: Some time ago, I intentionally began using the word “fascinated” when I felt like saying something frustrated me…I realized the frustrating quality of situations causing me to feel frustrated naturally include a legitimate…

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Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Fear in Your Marketing…

By Tom Ruwitch

A few months ago, my wife and I woke to a loud “thud.”  She thought the sound came from inside the house… …and, for her, that meant trouble.  “What was that!?” she asked, sounding a little frantic.  We live in the city and crime is a thing so I don’t blame her for worrying.  I…

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