A Simple, Childhood Test that Might Have Predicted your Future-EQ #12 Impulse Control
I couldn’t stop eating treats! My parents said that when I was young if I had 25 cents in my pocket (equivalent to 1.5 RMB), I would walk the nearly twenty minutes to the candy store and spend it, as quickly as I could. Money never stayed in my pocket. I couldn’t save for something.. read more →
Finding Change in 2014
It’s that time of year again: New Year’s Resolutions. Have you made a New Year’s resolution? In America, most of us have. But, to be honest, most of us start out the year resolutely, but in a short time, we fall back to our old, same behaviors. Realizing lasting change is difficult. How can we.. read more →
Why Are Employers So Obsessed with Finding Problem Solvers? EQ #11 Problem Solving
What are today’s employers looking for? According to the Job Outlook Survey conducted by the National Association of Employers (2013), the second most important quality, after leadership, is problem solving. Scientists note two different types of “distractions.” I’ll also note that these “distractions” could also be labeled, “problems.” They are sensory and emotional. Sensory problems.. read more →
Life is What Happens In Between Your Plans- EQ #10 Flexibility
A U.S teenager will change careers six times in their lifetime. That is not six job changes. This is six career changes! An overwhelming majority of Americans are not presently serving in careers that they sought through their university education. All this underscores the need for all people to comprehend that change is a part.. read more →
National Holiday Celebrations in China (Oct. 1) and in America (July 4)- Dr. Allan Tuan, guest blog
I am Chinese-American. I have experienced thirty-six of the National Holiday (July 4th) celebrations in America, but none in China. Recently, I had separate conversations about China’s National Holiday (Oct. 1) with one of my American friends who lives in China and with one of my Chinese friends (of course, also living in China). I.. read more →
A Bumper Sticker You Won’t See in China (Americans in China blog series)
“Proud Parent of Honor Student at Jixi Middle School.” You’ll never see that bumper sticker on a car driven in China. But, each and every day I drive in North Carolina I see bumper stickers like this: “Proud Parent of Honor Student at (whatever school in wherever USA). Why? Americans are individualistic and independent. We.. read more →
Want to be the happiest person on earth? Research says……..EQ 9 Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal Relationships A person’s degree of happiness in life is most critically determined by the depth of their relationships. I read research years ago that indicated this in a concise little book called, The Friendship Factor. So, our happiness is not mostly determined by our material possessions, our circumstances or even our career or prestige… read more →
What One Question Best Appraises Your Personal Well being?
If their child is not feeling well virtually every parent in America will ask, “Do you have a temperature?” We deem this the most important gauge of someone’s physical wellbeing. But, what question should I answer if I want to assess my OVERALL well being? What question should I ask myself to help me determine.. read more →
The $10,000 Dollar Cinnamon Rolls– EQ #8 Social Responsibility
My family recently attended the funeral of a close friend of ours, Joan Middleton. Joan was a truly selfless person, seeking to make the lives of others better, up until her own death. Even while she was battling cancer she would lament that she felt so powerless not being able to help care for others… read more →
“Feeling” the American Dream……..with others. EQ #7 Empathy
One of the great joys I have had this spring is volunteering in a Teaching English as a Second Language Class. Thirty six students from thirty countries are represented in the class. Most are immigrants or refugees. Some were highly educated with great jobs in their home countries while others were illiterate. One thing holds.. read more →