Ever wonder why some people seem to be driven to excel while others are content to live at a much slower pace? Success is subjective so whatever your definition, being successful doesn't boil down to luck. Circumstances provide you with opportunities, it's how you choose to respond to those opportunities that will make the difference.

Organizations operating in today's difficult economic times find themselves searching to make sense of their operational environment in order to survive. Survivability is dependent on such, and remains a necessary step in fighting for organizational survival.

A great friend of mine just returned from a three-week volunteer stint in Tibet. While she was there, her team would walk and work seven to nine hours a day.  She lost 15 pounds, felt great and energized.  However, now that she is back in the States she lacks energy, motivation and is starting to put the weight back on.

We all know food affects our body; many are unaware how nutrition affects our mind. Mood, alertness, and mental performance are powerfully influenced by the type and amount of foods we consume.

The brain is an extremely metabolically active organ, making it a very hungry and a very picky one. Our brain measures as two percent of our body’s weight, yet it lays claim to 20 percent (or more) of the total calories your body needs. It is clear that the foods we use to fuel our bodies both directly and indirectly enhance mental capabilities and performances in the classroom, as well as a parent, and at work.

Positions of authority and/or responsibility come to people in various and sundry ways. Some seek these positions; others are assigned them. Almost universally the person in the position is presumed to be the “leader.” However, in reality is this actually the case?

Much too often the term “leader” is used as a collective noun to label any person who has taken or been given a responsibility for moving an organization from where it is to where it wants to be. Yet, the manner in which the person guides this move can take several dramatically different shapes – as a boss, manager, or possibly even as a leader.