Alan C. Fox's Blog, page 6

Who do you talk to more often than anyone else?

If you’re like me, the answer is — yourself.  But when you talk to yourself you should be careful. There’s no one else to hear you, or comment, or give you advice.

My solo conversations (or internal monologues), begin as soon as I wake up in the morning.  They used to go like this.

“What time is it?  Should I go back to sleep or should I get up?  Should I work out this morning?  Oh, yes, today is Thursday.  When is my first appointment?  What’s...

It doesn’t matter how well a relationship begins — to keep it healthy both partners need to pay close attention to their communication along the way.  It’s like driving a car.  You need to make necessary adjustments as you go.

I recently met a therapist who gave me a great tip on how to keep a relationship successful.

She suggested that when you communicate with a loved one you should always ask yourself three questions.

I thought...

Years ago, I spent a day with my friend Warren and his five year old son Kevin. Unfortunately, late in the afternoon Kevin was accidentally hit in the chest by a baseball bat.  He was bruised, bleeding, and cried loudly as Warren drove him to the hospital emergency room.

“Stop crying,” Warren kept saying.  “You aren’t hurt.  Tell me you aren’t hurt.”

I understand that Warren was scared and upset.  So was I.  And so was Kevin, who cried even harder, almost losing his breath at times, throughou...

Last Saturday evening I was sitting at The Village Grind, a wine bar and restaurant located in Wrightwood, California, almost 6,000 feet above sea level in the San Gabriel Mountains, about eighty miles northeast of Los Angles.  Why?  I seldom drink wine, and I wasn’t there to order their chili or other house specialty.

The short answer is that, on impulse, I’d decided to enter a poetry slam held as part of the Fourth Annual Wrightwood Literary Festival. I was at The Village Grind waiting for...

This past Sunday I watched Tiger Woods win the Tour Championship, his first winning golf tournament in five years.  Since I’m a Tiger fan, I was thrilled, but since I also like to be efficient I was playing Free Cell on my iPhone, and thinking about what topic I should write about for my blog at the same time.

Most of us have a preferred way to communicate – in person, in writing (text or emails), or by talking on the phone.  I’m an “in writing” guy.  “In person” is also a good choice for me....

Even if you don’t appreciate math you probably think there is something wrong with my arithmetic.  Four minus one is three, not zero.  Everyone knows that.  But give me two minutes and I will demonstrate I’m right.

Specifically, I will show you how your entire profit from four excellent financial investments can be wiped out by a single loss.

Suppose you have a one hundred dollar bill free and clear from the shackles of rent, food, transportation, or insurance (you do like fantasy, don’t you?...

I ended last week’s blog “The Fear is Inside Me” with the following words:

Though I have overcome some of my fears, such as public speaking, there are others I can live with.  I don’t do roller coasters or zip lines.  I only do trams if there is enough social pressure.  I also have a fear of disappointing people.

After reading my blog, a business associate suggested that I elaborate on my fear of disappointing people.  This struck me as a good idea.

Disappointing people is a fear that many of...

We are all afraid of different things: falling, commitment, money, or getting hit by a car.  Some of our fears are realistic and useful – I’m afraid every time I cross the street or drive a car.  I think that is appropriate.

But some of our fears hold us back. My fear of heights keeps me from ever standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and admiring the view. Although, I will enjoy the vista in someone else’s photos, or from an airplane – isn’t that the way the Grand Canyon is supposed to be...

This morning I enjoyed watching a TV program – World of Dance.  I seldom dance because I think I’m not very good at it, but I like to watch it from the comfort of my chair.  (It’s the same with golf).

In the program, one of the judges counseled a woman before her performance.   “Your dancing is great, but just before a lift you hesitate.  You stop to prepare yourself.  Change that.  Just let yourself fall into your partner’s arms and trust him to catch you.”

She did.  Their dancing was perfec...

We all have many preferences.  My preferred color is red.  Years ago my wife preferred blue, but she has improved.  Now she likes red and pink.  One of my favorite foods is blue cheese.  Many people can’t stand the stuff.  I occasionally try a sip of white wine, but alcohol contains lots of calories wrapped in a horrible taste (notably red wine), and doesn’t relax me in any way.  For some, wine is the focus of their lives.

We live out our preferences by acting on them.  I drive a red car, enj...