"I am dragged along by a strange new force. Desire and reason are pulling in different directions. I see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong." - Ovid

Why is the irrational often more powerful than the rational?...

Below is a clip of my interview last week on Fox Business News. The topic at a high level was about how retailers were going to approach Black Friday - would they simply look to their competitors and follow their lead? Who is doing well? Who is scrambling?

Look closely at the following photo:

If you noticed the buttock of the girl in the background, you are probably thinking:

Female: Rick, you pervert! Has this blog reached a new low (and was that even possible)?

Male: he he...BUTT...he he...email friends...he...

More and more lately, people are reaching out to me with stories of difficulty and despair. Their boss is a screamer. Their work doesn't leverage their strengths or their passions. 10% are unemployed, and another 7% are working below their normal wage levels. There is frustration nearly everywhere you turn....

Nearly everyone I run into seems to be at a turning point in their life -with grand plans of living their passion, tapping into their ultimate potential at work and in life. And they are finally ready to make it happen!

At least, that...

Among all the players in the economic meltdown who were paraded passed us over the last year, there was one common characteristic: they were nearly all MEN.

Therefore, we might have expected that the MEN at the top would take a disproportionate hit in compensation due to the fallout....

Recently, I discovered that I am the perfect husband. This has yet to be corroborated by my wife, but nonetheless, I am now in fact sure of it.

My perfection as a mate has evolutionary roots. Specifically, because I made a significant Leap...

According to a new survey by an Australian newspaper, the recession has given rise to a new breed of people, called "potentialists", who love to live life to the fullest and still want to continue with a lavish lifestyle, but one defined on their...

What do Paris Hilton and Twitter have in common?

Runner Up Answers:
- The content stops at or before 140 characters.
- You never feel fresh no matter how often you refresh.

Correct Answer:
- They are...

Among bread molds, Neurospora is a virtual citadel.

Neurospora crassa is a species of bread mold that is so averse to variation that whenever a large segment of DNA gets duplicated-a critical step in genetic evolution-it bombards the copy with what are known...

Want to take your career from Great to Good? It's simple: get promoted...in the wrong direction.

It is fact of life - your work will change dramatically over time. A job is merely a set of activities that you are asked to...

Management, in the short term, is easier than Leadership.

Management is about control. It is reaching your arms way out and grabbing onto as much as you can, and controlling it.

Leadership is about inspiring a whole bunch of things that are out...

I recently had two separate conversations.

During the first, an old friend was telling me about his exciting new pursuit into social entrepreneurship. He was very enthusiastic, but was having trouble articulating exactly what he was planning to do. I would let him finish, and then ask questions, trying...

I love this little test of whether you are an introvert or an extrovert: When you go to a party and are around other people, do you gain energy or do you lose it? Extroverts gain it. They're magnetic. They suck up energy from...

It is one of the most important and elusive questions of our time; How can I ensure that my idea catches on, and spreads?

It turns out that all ideas are not created equal. Just as some species share traits that make them...

If you are currently out of work, you have surely heard the recent news that there are now a record number of applicants for every open position. For the foreseeable future, this will remain a jobless economic recovery. Competition for each position is now fierce, and may get worse before...

@Joe McCurdy

This post was originally published at RickSmith.me
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This is an exclusive excerpt from The Leap: How 3 Simple Changes can Propel Your Career from Good to Great

Not long ago, I was watching my three children race around the house when four-year-old Arden stumbled upon a jar of jelly beans. The jar had been sitting...

The greatness of our potential is created in our minds. The limits, the obstacles that prevent us from achieving our potential are created in the same place.

Eight years ago, my perspective was changed dramatically as a result of the horrific events that unfolded that day. I wrote down...

Do you ever find yourself asking, "Is this it?" Sure, you've had some successes in your career, made some money, received a promotion or two. Yet you can't help but wonder, Is this what I am supposed to be doing with my life? Is this the limit of my contribution?...