Coincidence is a funny thing… so strange I really don’t believe in it anymore. 

So it just happened to be that my travels landed me in St. Louis this week, on the very day that former Cardinal Mark McGwire finally admitted his steroid use… after years of dodging the subject.

Unlike most public figures under accusation, he never outright lied about his guilt.  But along with breaking Roger Maris’s season home run record, McGwire is also remembered for inartfully dodging questions about steroid use in his 2005 Congressional testimony.  You can see the video here.

Hey, it didn’t take Columbo to know that he was avoiding the truth.  It was easy to deduce by his “answers” that he had taken steroids.  Still, he accomplished his goal:  He didn’t admit the truth, and he didn’t lie… that’s the delicate art of (more…)

Have you ever said something to another person, and they didn’t take it the right way?  They got the wrong message, one you never intended… in fact, they “heard” something you didn’t even say? 

It’s pretty common that people hear the words of others and put their own spin on them.  Sometimes they hear what they want to hear.  Sometimes they even hear what they don’t want to hear… and still give you the credit for saying it.

If you’ve read my book (shameless plug:  If you haven’t, click on the cover above to get yours) you probably know more about me than I realized I was giving up when I wrote it.  But (more…)

Have you ever you ever trusted another person… and later wished you hadn’t?  

Welcome to the club.  Subterfuge is a sport, and you’re in the game—whether you know it or not.

Trusting others is necessary… and it’s also risky.  Trust another person, and you’re taking a chance, you become vulnerable.  Cynical, you think?  Put to words, reality sometimes sounds that way.  

Why do people violate our trust?  Well, the specific situations are infinite, of course, but (more…)

If you read my post from a couple weeks back about duality (you did, right?) then you already know that, “It lures people into missing your real message.” 

Because I know how this stuff works, I’m usually leery of giving you examples that have religious or political components.

But here I go again, breaking my own “rules”.

Why? 

Well, 1-because I can’t ignore a great opportunity to give you something you might benefit (more…)