Oh, and hope you made it to the Caymans okay!

Scaling down from paragraphs … Here’s an interesting take on the length of sentences: http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=2368 A fabulous course from the Teaching Company, which cautions us from the reflexive, expected teaching that you should remove words from your sentences. Professor Brooks Landon shows how to build cumulative sentences that communicate more, and more effectively.

Although I was not comfortable with all of the content of *What the Bleep* and the theoretical structure that underpins it (largely the content of the book *The Secret*) there are parts of it that are powerful. You nailed the core of it: we can choose each moment how to act.

There are so many linguistic theories and so much neurological research that reminds us that the realities we inhabit are reflexive, transactional, and circular. Our states of mind shape our words, but our words also shape our states of mind. We smile when we are happy, but research shows that choosing to smile has a positive effect at the neuro-chemical level. Our words and actions shape us as we shape them. And that only speaks to ‘closed’ system of our own selves… it doesn’t even touch on our interactions with our customers and employees, friends and family, etc.

All of this is why in my practice, I am so insistent that a meaningful, from-the-core, mission statement is such a powerful and necessary element in our businesses and lives: done right, it is the values-anchor we can turn to as we are faced with those moment-to-moment decisions. Each choice we make either reflects and embeds our mission, or it deviates from it and undermines it. For me, it is the business version of the ‘old school’ moral compass.

Thanks for another well-written piece and the chance to reflect.

Maybe this will come handy – http://www.dailyblogtips.com/do-you-know-how-to-structure-a-blog-post/

Thanks,