Voices Inside Our Heads

Have you ever been driving along when a random memory suddenly pops into your head? Something that happened a year or two ago, or maybe much longer, and within seconds, you're replaying the whole thing. A mistake. An awkward moment. 

Something you wish you'd handled differently. And before you know it, one memory leads to another, and you're mentally revisiting an afternoon you probably haven't thought about in ages. Happens to me. And rarely are they happy memories.

Brains are curious organs 

They can imagine a telescope that will peer beyond our universe, or dream up technology that would have seemed like science fiction not that long ago. Yet those same brains can make us miss the changeup right down the middle. 

I've noticed how quickly a random memory can turn into a full-blown conversation with myself. I start wondering what I should have said or done differently, sometimes even imagining what the other person might have been thinking. 

Why dwell on it? 

We can't change the past. No amount of replaying a conversation or coming up with the perfect response years later will change what happened. I suppose part of it is that we want to understand things. I find myself having Costanza moments. That Seinfeld episode when George thought of a comeback hours after the altercation. 

Maybe we think that if we replay an experience enough times, we'll finally make sense of it. Or perhaps we're still looking for a different ending to a story that's already been written. I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud here. 

Easier said than thought 

It's a lot harder when a memory catches us off guard and suddenly we're right back in the middle of it. I still find myself revisiting things that are long over; wondering why I said something or whether I could have handled a situation differently. Maybe there's a difference between learning from the past and continuing to live in it. The first might actually be useful. The second? I'm not so sure. 

Now, if somebody could tell me how to convince my brain of that the next time I'm driving, I'd appreciate it. Because apparently, knowing something and actually putting it into practice are two very different things. 

 Ooh! Flying cars!

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It's Kind to Be Kind

I've been thinking about kindness lately. Not the grand kind that gets photographed and posted, but the quiet kind that happens when nobody is watching. Not the humble brag on TikTok. It can be showing someone patience; saying thank you; giving someone the benefit of the doubt; taking a moment to listen when you could easily walk away. 

We rarely share what's really going on with us; so we can't assume we know what's going on with someone else. We see a moment and make a judgment about the person, without knowing anything about the story behind it. Hey, we're human!  

What We Don't See 

The person who seems distracted may be dealing with something difficult. The person who is impatient may simply be exhausted. There is almost always more to the story than we can see. Kindness doesn't mean agreeing with everyone or tolerating bad behaviour. But we could all do better, don't ya think?

We can disagree, set boundaries, and still treat people with respect. That's what makes kindness meaningful. And some days, as an empath who doesn't want to burden anyone with my crap, it can be challenging. Sound familiar?

What We Leave Behind 

Sometimes a few careless words can sting for a long time. But a few thoughtful ones can help us for longer than the other person may even realize. Maybe that's enough reason to choose kindness when we can.

We often don't know what's going with others, and we often don't know how we can help someone. Sometimes what we may think is a nothing can mean the world to them.  

It's worth a try.

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Deciding to Decide

We make decisions all day long. Most are easy. What to eat; which route to take; whether to answer that email now or later. Then there are the decisions that stay with us - the ones we discuss with people we trust and sometimes avoid altogether. We often expect decisions to come with certainty. They don't.

Important decisions are made without having all the information or knowing exactly what will happen. At some point, we have to make the best decision we can with what we know. I've made plenty of decisions in my life that I may make differently today. I'm sure you can make that claim as well. That's not regret; it's experience.

Time vs Avoid 

Sometimes we need more information. Sometimes we're simply afraid of being wrong. Not making a decision is still a decision. Staying in the same job; hoping the relationship that isn't working suddenly works; or continuing down a road we know isn't going to end well, has consequences.

Good decisions aren't always popular. Sometimes we have to say no, change direction, walk away, or admit we were wrong. The important part is owning the decision. If it works, learn from it. If it doesn't, learn from that too. Blaming someone else doesn't make us better at making decisions. We don't need to get every decision right. There's rarely a perfect decision. It's also the most frustrating.

 Now, what's for lunch?

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The Lost Art of Showing Up

One of the simplest ways to get ahead of our competition has nothing to do with AI, technology, budgets, or complicated strategies. It comes down to something much more basic: doing what we say we are going to do. Unfortunately, that has become surprisingly rare. We make mistakes; that's not what I'm referring to in this scenario.

Ghosting has become far too common in business and everyday life. Someone says they will call you back, send information, provide a quote, or follow up on a conversation, and then they disappear. We all get busy. Busy can be a wall we hide behind.

Crickets Rule 

But there is a big difference between being delayed and simply ignoring someone. A quick email or phone call saying, "I'm running behind and will get back to you by the end of the week," takes seconds. And if the answer is no then politely decline.

That small act of communication shows respect and keeps the relationship intact. Trust is built when we return the call; when we show up prepared and on time; when we follow through on a commitment. I can hear my mom saying all that now. I'd call in sick for my part-time job at the car wash and she was none too impressed. 

Interactions Count

Every missed call, unanswered email, or broken promise creates doubt. The chef doesn't stand in the kitchen waiting for your decision; she moves on to the next order because she can't prepare you a plate of maybe for dinner.

Every follow-through builds confidence. We all fall down. We all mess up. That's not this which is making the decision to ignore someone because telling them no might seem harder. A quick no is often better received than a long maybe or worse, being ghosted. 

In a world of ghosts, let's show up. ____________________________________________________________

Education Is More Than School

We don't stop learning with graduation. It becomes curiosity, experience, books, mentors, and paying attention to the world around us. AI is a powerful tool, but it isn’t education.

 Artificial intelligence can help us find information faster, organize ideas, and improve productivity. What it can’t replace is critical thinking, judgment, experience, and the ability to ask better questions. 

 Those come from learning. 

 The most successful people never stop learning. They adapt, challenge assumptions, and stay curious because they know yesterday’s knowledge won’t solve tomorrow’s problems. 

 Whether you’re starting your career or approaching retirement, education remains one of your greatest advantages. Keep reading. Keep asking. Keep learning. 

 Stay Curious

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The Hidden Cost of Layoffs

A couple of months ago, I was having lunch with a buddy and we were talking about a company that had just announced a massive round of layoffs. I don't remember which company, and that's not important to the story; but he said something I'd never thought about before. He then said; "They didn't just lay off thousands of employees; they also let possibly millions of years of experience walk out the door." 

 That stopped me. 

We usually hear about layoffs in numbers. Thousands of jobs. Millions of dollars saved. Restructuring. Efficiencies. Corporate language. AI. Stock prices. Industry blah blah blah. But behind every number is a person with knowledge. 

It's the woman who knows how to calm an angry customer because she's done it for twenty years. The technician who can hear something wrong before anyone else notices. The salesperson who remembers clients and relationships built over decades. And thousands have to tell their family they may not have an income for a while. 

Ones and Zeroes

Experience may not show up on a balance sheet, but it's real. It's valuable. It's important. Of course the company has to evaluate inefficiencies and shifting business realities. Layoffs happen. I've been on both sides. Businesses have to make tough decisions. Markets change. Technology evolves. I get that. But experience matters. 

When people leave; they don't just take a job title with them. They are not head count. They take years of lessons, relationships, company intel, instincts, and wisdom when they walk out the door with that infamous box under their arm. 

  And that's something that is difficult to replace. ____________________________________________________________

The Power of Relationships

Technology changes. Platforms change. Trends come and go. Relationships don’t. Business has always been about people. 

Trust still drives opportunities, partnerships, referrals, and long-term growth. The strongest connections are rarely built through one ad or one meeting. They come from consistency, authenticity, and how you treat people over time. 

 Marketing matters. Visibility matters. 

But relationships give those things meaning. Without connection, marketing becomes forgettable. The businesses that last are usually the ones that answer messages, support their communities, remember names, and genuinely care about people.

 In a world focused on AI and shortcuts, relationships remain one of the few things that cannot be replicated overnight. People remember how you made them feel.

Let’s create more experiences, not more campaigns.

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Can't do that, Hal

We’ve never been more connected, and we’ve never been more at risk of missing the point. Everywhere we look - AI, automation, social platforms, smart everything - there’s a promise of efficiency: faster responses, better targeting, more data, and more reach. But none of that replaces what actually moves people. 

The kind that isn’t optimized, scheduled, or generated - the kind that happens when someone feels heard, understood, and valued. Not as a lead. Not as a click, but as a person. 

Technology has changed how we communicate, but it hasn’t changed why we communicate. We still buy from people we trust. We still remember how someone made us feel. We still choose relationships over transactions - every time. 

 Zeros and Ones 

Here’s the part that we often miss: the more digital everything becomes, the more human our brand needs become in this new world. While everyone else is scaling automation, audiences are craving authenticity. They can tell when it’s generic. 

They feel when it’s forced. And they notice when it’s real. Meta - which owns Facebook and Instagram just let go 10% of its entire workforce because of their increased investment in Artificial Intelligence. They won't be the only ones. 

AI can write our emails, build our campaigns, and even sound like us. But it can’t be us. It can’t replace our perspective, our experience, our tone, our emotions, or our relationships. It can’t replicate the trust we’ve built over time or the conversations that happen off-script. That’s our edge. 

So we use the tools, embrace the tech, and leverage AI. But we shouldn't outsource the one thing that actually differentiates us. Because in a world full of noise, relationships aren’t just important. 

 They’re everything. 

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We Can’t Ignore It

There’s a shift happening right now. We don’t fully understand it or where it’s going, but ignoring it isn’t an option. Artificial Intelligence isn’t just a headline. It’s changing how we work, think, create, and value ourselves. And the number of self-proclaimed experts on the topic are growing daily.

The Pressure Is Real

AI can write, design, analyze, and automate faster than we can. Tasks that once took hours now take minutes. If a machine can do what we do, where do we fit? People said that about the automobile and the personal computer but this is much different.

As Fei‑Fei Li (Stanford Institute for Human‑Centered AI), said, “AI is not just about machines, it’s about augmenting human potential.” Even powerful tools are meant to empower, not replace us. We shall see.

Where Value Is Shifting

AI can replicate patterns, but it doesn’t live a life. It doesn’t feel uncertainty or wrestle with tough decisions - that’s where real value lies. For now.

Oren Etzioni (Allen Institute for AI), reminds us: “AI is neither good nor evil. It’s a tool. It’s a technology for us to use.” Technology itself doesn’t define value - people do. We win by using AI as a tool while doubling down on what makes us human: judgment, taste, experience, and curiosity.

Authenticity Wins

As AI makes content easier, authenticity becomes more valuable. When everything sounds polished, what’s real stands out. Deciphering what's real is the challenge.

Kevin Scott (CTO Microsoft) notes: “We underestimated how fast AI would go from fun to essential.” The shift isn’t coming; it’s already here, reshaping expectations.

Don’t Replace Ourselves

AI can help us move faster, but it can’t build trust or replace relationships. Yet.

It’s a tool, not a strategy. The risk may not be that AI replaces us. Life is more than output and efficiency and AI still can’t define meaning. At the moment.

Or I may be full of it because we don’t know what’s next.  

A.I. + A.I.

We hear about AI everywhere. Chatbots, algorithms, self-driving cars – they’re changing the way we work, learn, and communicate. It’s impressive, sometimes a little intimidating, and often makes us wonder: if machines can think, what’s left for us? 

But here’s the thing – artificial intelligence can process data, predict patterns, and solve problems. Actual intelligence? That’s deeper. It’s curiosity, creativity, empathy, and the ability to connect the dots in ways no algorithm can.

The Limits of Machines

AI can crunch numbers, recognize faces, and even write essays. But it doesn’t feel. It doesn’t care about context the way we do. It doesn’t understand a joke, a story, or why a moment matters. Actual intelligence is messy, human, and unpredictable – but it’s also what makes innovation, leadership, and culture possible. Machines can assist, but they can’t replace insight, judgment, or intuition.

The future isn’t about choosing AI over us – it’s about how we use it. When artificial intelligence augments actual intelligence, we unlock new potential. We work smarter, not just harder. We ask better questions, notice patterns we might miss, and focus on the ideas that truly matter. 

Curiosity Over Automation

Our greatest advantage is our minds. Let’s stay curious, keep asking questions, and remember what makes us human. AI is powerful; actual intelligence, fueled by creativity, empathy, and awareness, is what shapes our world.

AI and AI are here to stay. The machines will get smarter and more intuitive. They are not fads and the bottle was crushed years ago. Use AI and AI as tools and allow your own input and thoughts to have a voice as well.

We live with machines; but life is built on us. ____________________________________________________________

Life's Simple Lesson

Our minds are filled with a myriad emotions, thoughts, and distractions. AI is here to save the day, end the earth, change humans, we don't know. There are millions who won't eat today. Senseless bullies causing famine and death. And we don't even know what to say, think, do, that won't offend someone. 

I am fortunate to be in the top 1% living in a top 1% country - an awesome place called Canada. Some days I want to help everyone; others I want to hide under the covers. Did our ancestors feel this way during world wars? Has technology changed to protect the narrative? Or are we dealing with first world problems? 

Some of the best advice I've ever gotten is to just do something that will help someone. You aren't solving word hunger; but you can help one person. Lend a hand in some way to someone may be the message we need to hear most.

It's worth a try.

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The Best Time

Karen Lamb said a year from now you will wish you had started today. Jim Rohn said if you really want to do something, you'll find a way, if you don't, you'll find an excuse. 

We all have ideas we don’t act on. We may be waiting for the best time, more money, or permission. Hindsight and AI probably won't help. Waiting for the absolutely perfect time will never arrive. 

We may be out of excuses and left with one option. 

 The best time is probably right now.

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Actual Intelligence

If you've ever spent time with a group of people from the same industry which you're not a part, you begin to sense the have their own sayings, short forms, and acronyms. It’s almost as if they are speaking another language; their own language. 

Years ago, I was consulting a large pharma company and on one of our conference calls, I asked them to translate into English. At first, they were confused, but then they laughed and understood. 

 What do You Mean? 

We think we’re being clear, but we have to understand that our thoughts may not align with others’ understanding. When we take the time to step back, breathe, and gain more insight into how others are perceiving us, we stand a better chance of understanding each other and at times ourselves. 

 Technical speak and industry specifics are often needed, but sometimes boiling things down to the most basic level is the best way to avoid misinterpretation. If we take a moment and suspend our beliefs to check for understanding, conflict can be avoided and teamwork can be improved. 

Data in. Data out.

One idea is to find someone outside our circle to ask their opinion. Their lack of industry knowledge might unlock some questions we hadn't considered. As the AI frenzy continues, this may become a larger issue. Someone asks you to write a technical document on your work. 

You plug in what you can into the AI generation interface. It spits out what you think is a well-crafted piece you can share with the team. Then you realize self-creating data works best when the data that's fed into it is actually accurate. The real issue is when a human being starts asking questions about the content you didn't write or understand. 

Good luck!

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Technology and Other Human Things

We can cook a turkey in 15 minutes; send a text around the world with the press of a thumb; watch or listen to anything we want on our smartphones. We are so fortunate. And now we can have a computer create everything. Look at us doing stuff and things with gadgets and doohickeys. We are the coolest.

Media are consumed mostly when we're alone. We don't gather around and answer an email and we don't hover over Josh's phone when he's texting Susan. We may binge watch that show on that streaming platform with our partner. Once a year we may gather at a buddy's house to eat too much and watch the Super Bowl. The rest of the time we are on our devices researching, reading, texting, replying, and searching by ourselves.

Technology, they said, would improve our lives. 

We can buy a car on the internet, learn about penguins on our mobile device, find the best sushi restaurant in Des Moines, and read about an awesome vacation someone else took while sitting on our couch.  

Most of the time we are connecting with each other through all this supposed cool technology while we are by ourselves. I wrote this alone and you're probably reading it while you're alone. I have a friend who hasn't answered his phone in years. He'll respond to my texts almost immediately, but I don't dare suggest an actual conversation. 

Technology, they said, would give us choices.

I remember a restaurant experience when the table next to us had six people all staring at their phones. Their meals arrived and phones weren't put away; they were placed beside plates and glanced at often. Their bill arrived and it looked like the dance of the smartphones as each of them transferred their amount to the one guy who tapped the server's machine to pay it in full. 

Technology, as it turns out, has created more depression and less human interaction. We are checking our phones yet miss what that guy said about the thing. I got a text; it must be important. I'd better check my email; I may have missed something. What's on my smart device is clearly way more important than any of this human stuff. 

I'm sure AI will solve it all.

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