Southwestern Advantage Blog

You have probably heard the saying –  If you always think the way you’ve always thought, you will always do what you have always done, and you will always get what you always gotten  – and quite frankly sometimes that’s not good enough for us. To illustrate the point, let me share some information with you about why train tracks in the United States areas wide as they are. See if you think it has applicability. The United States standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That’s an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that’s the way they built them inEngland, and English expatriates built the American railroads. Why did the English people build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that’s the gauge they used. Why did they use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jugs and tools that they used for bu...

what’s the best way to get better at ping-pong? hitting against a wall won’t do much. playing with your 4 year old nephew will entertain him for sure, but won’t do much for your game. the only way to get better at the sport is to play someone that’s better than you are. period. and so it is with life. if we would like to improve ourselves in a particular area, we’ve got to find people who have mastered whatever it is that we are looking to be better at! ask them questions, observe their behaviors, analyze their attitudes, values, and habits . how do  they  prioritize? how do they communicate? how to they carry themselves? having a mentor – whether an official mentorship, or a more casual one – is remarkably beneficial. not only can we learn from them and the things they have accomplished, but mentors are great to bounce ideas off of (no pun intended). they help us decide where to focus our energy, and they help to keep us motivated and focusing on ...

“ How happy a person is depends upon the depth of his gratitude .”                                                                           –John Miller   I tried as a young father to inculcate an attitude of gratitude in my children when they were young. I tucked them in at night, said a prayer with them, and then I’d ask, “What are you thankful for today?” I wanted them to appreciate who and what they had. The first sign of maturity in a young person is gratitude.    Now all of us know people who are thankful—they are appreciated and heartening to be around. Conversely, we can all think of a few self-c...