What is the simplest thing we can do to help the environment?

Reduce consumption.

Understanding the impact on the world of our everyday "buying" decisions is a very good first step. When these seemingly disconnected decisions are aggregated for entire populations and/or markets, the impact becomes very significant.

Whenever you buy something ...

• Think about having to manufacture millions of that one item (that is usually the effect a market as large as the US has on most mass related products), ...
  
• then, think about the amount of raw materials that will be required and where they are coming from, ...
• the fuel/energy required to manufacture them, ...
  
• the fuel/energy required to transport them to millions of consumers like you all around, ...
• the space required to dispose of them when they are no longer useful

Worst of all, think about all those raw materials and all that energy gone forever ... and, the fact that the cycle has to start again for the next batch.

How many of these cycles do you think the earth can support from raw materials to land fill? Not many at the scales we are able to produce these days ... in the meantime, all trees in the Amazon, Russia, and Indonesia will disappear, all coal and oil will pollute everything we see with CO2, plastics, chemicals, etc.

So what is there to do? Easy. Reduce consumption.

And whenever you do buy something:

1. Be aware of where it comes from and its likely impact on the environment if you follow the cycle described above, or
2. Buy things that are locally produced, or
3. Buy something used instead.

What is the main source of stress?

Lack of control.

Stress is primarily created when you find yourself in a situation where you do not have enough control to drive a desired outcome.

Have you ever been asked at work to do something for which you do not have the necessary authority to make happen? How about when you are supposed to get something done for which you do not have enough time or simply you do not know how?

How about when you are made accountable for the success of a project but you are not given, or do not have, the authority to manage the assigned resources? Does this bring memories?

How about when you are studying for a test and you do not understand the subject matter? How about taking a test when you did not have time to study? Here is a good one. How about when you get to the room where your final test is supposed to be and you find out that the room is the wrong one? Now you are not only late for the test but you have no clue where the test really is. Are you sweating yet?

The best strategy to reduce stress is to recognize and avoid situations where:

• you do not have enough control to effect the desired outcome, or
  
• the situation is simply uncontrollable.

And, if you ever find yourself in a stressful situation - focus on gaining control as soon as possible.

More control .... less stress. Absolute control ..... no stress : )

What explains weight gain or loss best?

Food Quantity.

People say that controlling your weight is somewhat out of one's control. People are very good at finding excuses and uncontrollable factors to blame for their weight problems - metabolic rate, heredity, family habits, the weather, or that my dog makes me eat.

The reality is that mass cannot be created out of nothing. If you do not eat, you will lose weight. It does not matter how many uncontrollable factors are against you. You cannot gain 10 pounds from 1 pound of cup cakes. Just plain physics.

You may want to spend hours trying to analyze what you eat and eliminate fats, or carbohydrates, or sweets, or whatever so you can keep eating a lot ..... but if you eat a lot of anything, however filtered it is, you will still gain weight.

So, how about reducing quantities first? Then make sure that what you eat is well-balanced.

Too simple? : )

How do you know when someone you like is special?

Comfort.

Have you ever met somebody that you are physically attracted to that, at the same time, makes you feel like you have known them forever? Have you felt that instant comfort and trust that allows you to spend hours talking about all kinds of stuff effortlessly?

If so, this "comfort" is a great clue that you have met someone special.

Physically attracted and comfortable - nice combination, no?

What is the best way to learn something?

Trial and error.

Our brain is designed to be a learning machine. A machine that requires inputs from the outside world. The more and more frequent the inputs the better. The ultimate goal is to drive our machine to build the required circuitry to deem new knowledge as "learned" and "stored".

So, what is the easiest way to build these permanent circuits?

Have you noticed that sometimes you learn something and 5 minutes later is gone? How about something that you learned when you were young, like riding a bicycle, that is always there? What is the difference? Simply put, you built permanent circuits for one and not the other.

Repetition and making mistakes is key to building permanent knowledge ... but also understanding that our senses are the inputs that feed our brains to build these permanent circuits - seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, hurting, feeling, etc.

The more we try something and the more mistakes we make and the more senses we use, the faster the building of permanent circuits becomes.

So, if you want to truly learn something, persist and not be afraid to fail ... and if failing is part of learning ... might as well fail big ... it is more fun that way : )

What should our next step be in Afghanistan?

Downsize and restructure.

Staying in Afghanistan without a well defined, attainable, and tangible goal does not make sense. And, given our current economic situation, can we really afford it? If the overall justification for being there is to contain terrorism at its source, why are we also trying to rebuild a nation?

Is it because we think that once the nation is up and running, terrorism will disappear? Really? Do we think that the police and the army are going to be able to contain anything when corruption is so pervasive?

Besides, how do we know when we are "done" rebuilding and it is time to go? With the current approach, we could be there for the next 10 years or more.

How about if we replace what we are doing with a very focused capability instead? Reduce our forces from tens of thousands to a few hundred.

How could these be more effective? How about structuring this new capability to only be target-driven based on a strengthen intelligence gathering infrastructure. Their focus would be on a series of discrete, clearly defined, attainable, and finite missions. Let's get everybody else back home.

Just my opinion : )

What is the key to a long lasting relationship?

Expectations.

Love is an interesting thing. Today, it seems like everybody and everything tells us that finding ever lasting and passionate love is the ultimate goal. And, that what we feel from the beginning should remain constant throughout the relationship.

There is nothing wrong with the idea of ever lasting and passionate love, the problem is the notion that these "feelings" should remain constant from day one.

The reality is that love evolves and changes like anything else. A typical life cycle goes through attraction, passion, infatuation, warmth, admiration, respect, stability, companionship, friendship, caring, etc. The challenge is to be prepared and to understand these different stages as you go through them -- and not fall in the "it is just not the same as at the beginning" trap. It is not suppossed to be. Love develops, if given a chance, into something deeper, more stable, and more meaningful -- ultimately, into some sort of "subliminal" and "transcendental" well-being by just being next to the person you love.

So, manage your own expectations. Expect love to change and enjoy the ride. The end game is worth the journey.

What defines the "culture" of a place?

The sum of its parts.

Have you ever noticed that certain countries seem to have different "personalities"? Have you noticed how different the personalities of people in France and Germany seem to be? What about Iceland and Mexico? How about with companies? Is the corporate "culture" at Goldman Sachs different than the one at Walmart? How about with schools? Is the collective personality of the University of Texas at Austin different than the one at Stanford?

So, what accounts for these personality/culture differences if each of the groups in the categories mentioned (countries, schools, companies) seem to have similar demographics - people, gender, age, educational backgrounds, etc. ?

Personality or "culture" is actually defined by the sum of its component parts (its individuals) - from the personality of a single individual, to that of a Club with 10 members, to that of a Company with 100 employees, to that of a University with 10,000 students, to that of a country with 10 million people.

When people talk about joining a group and seeking some sort of culture fit, they are actually onto something. Belonging to a group that matches your own personality and aspirations is a very positive experience. Belonging to a group that does not, is not very fun. The problem is that it takes time to get to know a group's culture. You cannot define what it is from a one day visit, or a day of interviews, or a 2 day vacation.

So, look around you. How do the cultures/personalities of the groups and subgroups that you are part of match your own? Are they a good fit? Are the groups influencing your own personality/culture in a positive or negative way? Do you need to fix or change something? If so, start today.

Is kissing an automatic invitation for more?

Absolutely not.

Have you noticed how the media (movies, TV, etc.) always shows a bedroom scene immediately after two people decide to kiss?

It is understandable how, for the sake of ratings and an interesting plot, you would follow that approach in a movie. However, this relentless portrayal of a simple act of kissing as an immediate, and implied, invitation to go all the way is spilling into real life. Why?

If going all the way is the utmost expression of love, then it is logical to think that in order to get there, you need to dedicate a lot of time to get to know the other person (including a lot of long and innocuous kissing sessions) before taking the next step. Right?

What is the best way to learn another language?

Full immersion.

Have you ever wondered why all those years of foreign language instruction seem to evaporate every time you want to use them? Languages are a remarkably complex undertaking (just like music) that require constant and prolonged practice.

Our brains are designed to learn based on trial and error and repetition/practice. The only way to eventually hard wire something as complex as a new language into our brains is to live it and experience it with everything we have. This means, we need to speak, think, write, dream, and hear it every minute of the day for a few months. Learning languages in a classroom only create temporary connections in our brain that tend to dissolve quickly if not constantly "experienced".

I personally can attest that I learned more in the first 2 months of full immersion that in 9 years of classroom instruction. I suspect that some of the theory and knowledge acquired during those 9 years, helped make the immersion process more efficient, but not until immersion was I able to understand and speak a foreign language fluently.

So, stop struggling. Make immersion (6 months minimum) part of your plan for truly learning a new language.

What is the best way to make difficult decisions?

With a cool head.

Have you heard the expression that "whoever gets angry first, loses"? Have you ever made a decision in the heat of the moment that seems crazy the next day once you have calmed down?

Anger and decision-making are an explosive combination.

So, when you feel that you are in a situation where you can feel yourself getting angry (e.g., somebody is saying something about you that is not true, somebody is criticizing your work, your intelligence, your body, your habits, your family, or your friends), immediately think about something else - disconnect yourself - do not let yourself be dragged into the trap. Do not be forced into making a decision or reacting when you are angry.

So how do you deal with it?

Once you have successfully detached yourself from being a participant and successfully become more of an observer, then you could try some of these examples that I have used in the past to buy myself some time:
1. "Let me think about what you just said and I will get back to you"
2. "Interesting perspective, how can I help"
3. "Let me find out what happened and I will let you know"

And, my favorite one ...
4. "So now that we are all in agreement that I screwed up, can we move on?"

How do you not let the news bring you down?

Ignore it.

Have you ever wondered why most of the things we hear or read in the news are about bad things? More importantly, why do people want to get a regular dose of that stuff? What happens to all the good things that are also happening in the world every day?

All this negativity can easily induce a sort of paralyzing paranoia.

The reality is that if you were to pay attention to these things and try to protect yourself to prevent any of this stuff from happening to you, you might as well stay home, close the door, and never leave.

So what is there to do?

First of all, stop the flow of bad things into your head - nobody needs that. The world out there is an amazing place waiting to be experienced and discovered first hand - not through the news. You will realize that people are good by nature and this realization alone will open up the possibilities ... just think about all the people you interacted with this week. Any murderers?

If I would have paid attention to the people that have told me not to go here or not to do that because of the news, I would have never ridden my motorcycle to places like Colombia, Vietnam, Morocco, or Nicaragua. I would have never had the opportunity to have dinner with the Zapatistas in Chiapas and discuss Indian rights with them, or be in a political demonstration with the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, or meet Fidel Castro in Cuba, or meet with the paramilitares in Colombia, or discuss recent events between China and Vietnam at their border.

If I would have listened to the news, I would have missed meeting some of the most interesting people in the world, seeing some of the most amazing places, and confirm that people all over the world are basically the same - we all want to live in peace, to love, to take care of our children and feed our families, to live with dignity, and to help others. It is just human nature.

So what if the news tell you that there is murder, rape, and violence? Are you going to spend your life worrying about how these things are going to eventually get you ..... or, are you going to step out, experience the world head on, and enjoy every minute of it?

I know what I prefer : )

How do you avoid developing a food obsession?

Limit the time you spend thinking about food.

The goal should be to only think about food 3 times a day - i.e., whenever you are sitting at a table having a well balanced/varied, regularly scheduled, and well proportioned meal.

Any other time, you should be busy doing other things: playing, studying, working, helping others, writing a book, enjoying friends, kissing somebody, or whatever.

Times in between meals should not be for thinking about food, or for snacking, or for worrying about diets, or for thinking about what is in what you already ate or what you will be eating next.

So, what about if you get hungry in between meals?......Just wait! Nobody dies from being hungry for an hour or so. Just finish what you are doing and eat a well balanced meal at its proper time. And, when you are finally eating a meal, try to stop thinking about what is in what you are eating or whether it is "good or bad for you". How about just enjoying it?

So, chill, live life, and forget about food a little.....it is way overrated.

How can countries best achieve sustained development?

Focus on assets and capabilities.

When countries align their efforts to take advantage of their strengths and capabilities (what they know how to do and what they do well) and their assets (what they already have), fast and sustained progress is possible.

Germany has applied their best-in-class engineering capabilities to become the manufacturer of choice for the most complex machines out there. Japan has applied their cultural affinity with quality to everything they do. The US takes advantage of its diversity and its ability to organize to create highly efficient and complex systems (e.g., capital markets, energy, etc.). China applies its great national pride and sense of history. India is applying its education system to create a workable knowledge economy. Mexico exploits its natural beauty to be one of the top 10 players in tourism in the world. Switzerland exploits its stability and neutrality in areas that favor those attributes like banking. The United Arab Emirates have exploited their oil revenues to create a true oasis in the dessert. Costa Rica recognized that their rain forests with their great biological diversity could be a source for development.

You would think that it should be simple for countries to go through a simple strategic planning process like this one and identify what they should focus on. The problem is that all this requires one key component that is often hard to find: Leadership.

What is in it for me when I help other people?

Don't worry about it.

Have you heard the expression "what goes around comes around"? Doing good things for people just because it is a nice thing to do is one of the most fulfilling actions a human being can take.

Don't worry about how, when, or whether all of your efforts for others will ever be rewarded. Just go with the flow. Trust that they will be. Maybe not today, tomorrow or the day after. But they will be eventually.

When you are nice to people, when you selflessly offer you help to people, when you make yourself available to people in need; you create an environment of goodwill and trust around you -- amazing things happen when these things are present.

Just try it.

What criteria is best to decide what to study in college?

Interest, ability, and marketability.

First, lets be clear that whatever you chose to study in college will definitely NOT define what you can and cannot do for the rest of your life.

Studying something that interests you is fun. Studying something that you have a natural ability for is also fun because it is easier. And, studying something that is marketable is great because with money you can really have a lot of fun!

So, does it all boil down to having fun. Sort of : )

Lets start by asking ourselves why we go to college in the first place. It is a reasonable assumption that this huge investment in time, money, and effort is, first and foremost, made to acquire some sort of marketable skills so we can make a living later on.

So what is all this advice about: pursue what makes you happy, do not commit too early, make sure you know exactly what you want, be a generalist, leave your options open, follow your dreams, etc. They are all nice aspirations but the reality is that the real world will hit you hard if you leave the “marketability” part out. Mainly because, unless you are somehow set for life economically, things cost money.

So, what should you do if you cannot make up your mind? Should you commit to studying something interesting and marketable even if you are not sure that is what you were put on this earth to do? Absolutely.

As your interests change and opportunities present themselves, you can adjust things as needed.
Here are a few things that people forget to tell us about:

• You do not have to do what you studied in college for the rest of your life
• If you do not like what you are doing, you can change it
• Life is long and you can relearn anything you want
• Enjoying your job/career is mostly about attitude
• And......if it all fails, you can always start your own business and design your dream job/career

So, don't sweat it. Commit to a marketable major. A useful one. One that you have an interest in and some ability for. Even if you are not sure.

Once you are out in the real world, you should be able to find the fun in everything you do. If you cannot, then change it. Life is too short to not do something you enjoy.

What is the best way to negotiate for something?

Develop a strong alternative and Set the stage.

Have you ever tried to figure out why some people are better at negotiating/bargaining than others? What is their secret? What gives them the confidence to get what they want?

It does not matter whether you are negotiating a raise, buying a car, or getting a job -- the better your alternative to a failed negotiation the better.

Think about these alternatives - which one makes you feel more confident:

• Trying to negotiate a raise when you do not have any other options or when you already have another job lined up that pays twice what you make?
• Buying a car when you already have a great price from another dealer or when you have no alternatives?

In fact, when negotiating, you should put as much effort in developing your alternatives as you do in developing your plan of action. The better your alternatives the more confident you will be in the negotiation!

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Also, sometimes it makes sense to set the stage for the negotiation because whoever is first in defining the desired outcome of the negotiation will force the discussion to start from that point.

For example, lets say you want a 30% discount on your new car and the dealer is probably only willing to give you 5%. If you are first in stating that your desired outcome is 30%, then the discussion will start at that point and the dealer will try to get you down from there. However, if the dealer is first, then the discussion will start at 5% and the burden will be on you to try to get him up to your desired 30%.

So, plant the stake first.......but be careful when you do not know what the other side is willing to give. Maybe this dealer was willing to give you a 50% discount and you just said 30% instead. Ooops : )

What would help move health care reform in the US forward?

I believe there are two key points that could significantly help the debate:

• Focusing more on benefits for people that already have insurance today (250 million) and not only on benefits for people that do not (50 million)
• Focusing on identifying and redirecting the funds that pay for the current, very-expensive, system (e.g., employer subsidies)

The current debate is polarizing the discussion largely due to its emphasis on the uninsured and how these changes will be paid with "new" money from a yet to be identified source (i.e., you and me).

The reality is that the US badly needs a wholesale change in its approach to health care. The problem is not only with the uninsured but also with the insured. Many insured people do not realize that they could lose everything at any moment with the current system:

• If they lose lose their job and their insurance and get sick
• If they develop a very expensive illness that hits the maximum out-of-pocket provisions in their current policies
• If they develop a pre-existing condition after becoming uninsured because of a job loss or financial hardship and are never able to get insured again
• If they are denied coverage for whatever reason the insurance company decides
• If they are forced to come up with too much out-of-pocket money for something they thought was covered but did not realize that 20% of a lot of money is still a lot of money.

In addition, under some sort of single payer system, what would happen with all the money employers currently spend in subsidizing medical insurance for their employees? Will they just save it.... and report higher profits? How about redirecting it somehow to help pay for the new system?

These days it seems that I am running into more and more people that are not able or do not want to get medical care because of lack of insurance or just because it is plain too expensive. How can this be happening in the richest country in the world? Shouldn't health care be more of a basic right and not some kind of luxury?

What is a simple way to understand US foreign policy?

Follow the money.

With some exceptions, US foreign policy is usually about protecting and furthering US commercial interests. US foreign policy becomes inconsistent when looked at from a humanitarian perspective - e.g., no intervention in genocides in Rwanda, Sudan, and Cambodia - or when looked at from a threat perspective - e.g., no intervention when nuclear capabilities were acquired by India, Pakistan, and Israel but strong interventions under the communist "domino effect" theory in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Korea, Chile, Cuba, etc.

Although, one could also argue that these humanitarian and threat responses are perfectly in line with the "follow the money" rule.

Some classic and recent examples of "follow the money" interventions include Guatemala to protect the United Fruit Company (1954), China to protect Taiwan (1958), Serbia/Kosovo to prevent larger impact in Europe (1999), Kuwait (1991) and Iraq (2003) to protect oil supplies, Panama to protect the canal (1989), etc.

Is this an oversimplification? Absolutely, but the point is that protecting economic interests explains US foreign policy best.

What else can be done to get out of the current recession?

Quadruple the price of gasoline.

What would happen if all of a sudden we taxed gasoline to the point of having to pay $10 or more per gallon? Would we just sit in dispair lamenting the good old days? Or, would we raise to the challenge, as we always do, and figure things out?

Our capitalist system loves a good opportunity when it smells one? The speed at which we are able to reallocate resources, innovate, and lead as a country is unmatched in the world. Our entrepreneurial spirit and our incredible reserves of private investment capital are incredible assets that enable this nimbleness.

So, what would happen if suddenly gasoline quadrupled in price? Everything would become more efficient, fast. More carpooling, bicycling, walking. More investments in clean technology - wind, ocean wave, geothermal, solar. More efficienct use of resources - LED technology, local food production with less transportation needs, use less-recycle more.

Would it really be that bad?....we could also use the extra taxes collected to pay for the bailout : )