We all have tremendous power over one another. Our words and actions can reinforce the courage to press on or provide one more reason to give up.

Have you ever had the opportunity to meet someone and before you met had an expectation of what you thought would occur or how that person would behave? It’s natural to worry about how an encounter will play out, especially if it is with someone you admire. It’s easy to make judgements based on assumptions, but I have found that more often than not, assumptions are wrong.

Last week I was on a call with a colleague who continually complained about so many aspects of her life. After listening to her ramble on relentlessly, I finally asked, “What are you willing to change?” She stopped talking and with an indignant tone, said, “What do you mean … what am I willing to change?”

When technology is our primary means of communication, conversational skills, connection, and intimacy become a thing of the past and we risk losing much of what makes our society work. We lose the authentic human connection that we need in order to experience empathy, compassion, and creativity.

The increase in the number of people starting their own businesses in the United States has surged. And so far, the entrepreneurial boom has proved to be more durable than early skeptics expected. Starting and growing a business can be challenging, but it also provides many rewards.