Are you afraid of your boss? If you want to succeed in your organization and career, you should overcome any fear you have as soon as possible. Assuming that your boss isn’t a psychopath or a garden-variety bully, here’s how to ease your nerves:

Take the first step.

Don’t hide from your boss. Look for opportunities to talk and get to know each other informally as well as in work-related settings. The more you get to know each other, the more comfortable you’ll feel.

Be prepared.

When you meet one on one, or participate in a meeting, spend some time thinking about what you want to say. What points do you want to make? Do you have all the facts? You’ll reduce the chance of embarrassment, and maybe you can impress your boss with your attention to detail.

Don’t suck up.

The boss’s power may be intimidat­ing, but don’t let that rob you of your own opinions. You’ll have to choose your battles carefully, but showing your boss you have the integrity to disagree will build his or her respect in your abilities.

He said that someone asked “so, what did you do last week, 4 days of travel 3 at home?”

He responded, “I’ve been home 4 days in the last month.”

Do you really want the promotion?

He did say he had a supportive wife and two kids.  He didn’t say if this is something they’re used to and he did pay homage to high ranking people in jobs by saying they work these kinds of hours; it comes with the territory, with the promotion.

He’s doing relevant work but if anyone thinks his schedule will slow down in less than a year, doesn’t read much. 

This man is going to be busy and on the road and busy on the road.

Do you really want the promotion?

Because, you better.  It all gets bigger and tougher.

Does the promotion really want you?

Love the advertising about drugs.  Love the side effects.  You take pill to help you poop, but the side effects are dehydration, back pain, head ache, inability to sleep and no sexual arousal.  I guess that’s because you’re too busy pooping.

If America seems to be a nation of pill-popping pharmaceutical consumers, the reason may be that we depend on a lot of medicine for our health. Here’s a list from the Institute of Healthcare Informatics of the 10 most-prescribed medications in the U.S. in 2010:

Hydrocodone

(combined with acetaminophen): 131.2 million prescriptions

Simvastatin

(brand name Zocor), a cholesterol-lowering medication: 94.1 million prescriptions

Lisinopril

(brand names Prinivil, Zestril), a blood pressure drug: 87.4 million prescriptions

Levothyroxine

(brand name Synthroid), used to treat hypothyroidism: 70.5 million prescriptions

Amlodipine besylate

(brand name Norvasc), treating angina and high blood pressure: 57.2 million prescriptions

Omeprazole

(brand name Prilosec), an antacid: 53.4 million prescriptions (excludes OTC sales)

Azithromycin

(brand names Z-Pak and Zithromax), an antibiotic: 52.6 million prescriptions

Amoxicillin

an antibiotic: 52.3 million prescriptions

Metformin

(brand name Glucophage), treating diabetes: 48.3 million prescriptions

Hydrochlorothiazide

for treating high blood pressure: 47.8 million prescriptions

“What do you mean, you’ll stop drinking too?”

“No, not quite – hall pass, right?  I’ll stop drinking from Sunday through Thursday.”

“I know lots of guys who do that; say that.” I told him.

“Look, our situations are different.  But, I don’t mind saving the money on what I don’t pour down my throat.  Let me think, seven days a week, a bottle of wine every other day or so, or about 4 to 5 bottles a week at $50 to $100?  I’m going to save about $400 or more a week, man.”

“$1600, Cole, a month.  That’s nearly $20,000 per year.”

“Yup.  I’m good with it.”

“Can you really do it?  I mean, you’ll stick with it?”

“I’m already doing, man.  I have a drink here and there but, I think I’ve got more control than other guys, so I just don’t drink much during the week and even on weekend.  It looks that way to you, but I really probably drink more tea and water than anything else.”

“Cole, $20,000 a year – maybe more.”

“Yup.  Not including the physical problems.  It’s going to be hard, but let’s try.”

The L.A. Times reported on January 29 that Occupy Oakland protest arrests before Sunday could reach 400 and “vowed restitution from those who vandalized City Hall.”

The Mayor said that the city would seek monetary damages from protesters.”

Damage to the City Hall plaza alone has cost $2 million since October, she said, about as much as police overtime and mutual aid.  Police had their hands full dealing with protesters, some of whom smashed display cases, cut electrical wires and burned an American flag at City Hall.

News reports said 200 calls for police service had not been promptly answered Saturday night while officers were engaged in a “cat-and-mouse chase with demonstrators.”

“Saturday’s Occupy action was publicized by the group as a planned takeover of a vacant building that would be “repurposed” as a “social center, convergence center and headquarters of the Occupy Oakland movement.” In an open letter to Quan on Wednesday, the group warned that if police attempted to thwart the takeover, “indefinite occupation” of Oakland’s airport, port and City Hall could follow.”

What a bunch of shit from a bunch of shit heads.

It’s one thing to protest, it’s another to cause damage that no one can afford to pay for.

And, the Mayor wants to charge these guys.  Take a look at the pictures from the madness – they look like Black Card members don’t they?

The time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens.

From the National Safety Council comes this list of items to always keep in a first-aid kit in your home and your car:

First-aid manual

Emergency telephone numbers

List of allergies and medications of family members

Antibiotic ointment

Ipecac syrup

Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin

Bandages and gauze of various sizes (including roller gauze)

Medical-exam gloves

Elastic wraps

Adhesive tape

Antiseptic wipes

Cold packs

Thermometer, tweezers, and small scissors

Rephrase your problem.

Turn your problem around by describing it in different words. Instead of “How can we produce more widgets?” ask “What’s preventing us from producing X widgets a week?”

Dig deeper.

Instead of focusing exclusively on the present situation, explore the background. When did the problem start, for example? What changed? Or, what are some of the underlying causes? What could you do about them?

Avoid either/or thinking.

Don’t limit the possibilities. Instead of, “We can either raise revenues or cut costs,” look for ways to do both, or find additional options. Maybe you have time to work on only one project, for example, but instead of neglecting the other, perhaps you can find someone else to get it started.

Ask for help.

No matter how smart you are, an extra brain will usually help you find options you wouldn’t have considered on your own. Someone else’s eyes may see angles you hadn’t spotted before. Go outside your usual circle of advisors for a different perspective.

Keep a log.

Carry a notebook and get into the habit of writing down your ideas as they occur to you, so they’ll be accessible when you need them. Don’t worry about how practical your ideas are in the beginning, or what they might apply to. Just looking through your list may spark a thought you wouldn’t have found before.

Know your subject.

The more you know your topic, the more secure you’ll feel. Do your homework; anticipate ques­tions; be ready with additional information.

Practice!

Rehearse thoroughly before addressing the audience. You’ll get used to your own voice and to standing up and talking for 20 minutes. Practice also gives you the opportunity to make changes ahead of time, removing awkward sentences or changing words.

Arrive early.

Walk around, check out the facilities, familiarize yourself with the layout, and rehearse again at the venue.

Loosen up.

Do some relaxation exercises. Take a short walk. If you’re sitting down, wiggle your toes—it eases anxieties. Take slow, deep breaths. And avoid caffeine.

Know your audience:

What’s the point?

Don’t force your audience to guess what you’re trying to say. Use simple, straightforward language to tell them specifically what you want them to get out of your speech: “I want to talk to you today about solving the problem of…The three main things I hope you remember are…”

Keep things lively.

We live in a world of 100 channels and video on demand. Sitting still and listening to the same voice drone on and on (and on . . .) will feel like a slow boring death. Use visuals and music, walk around, practice varying your tone and pace—anything to avoid monotony.

What now?

Every good speech closes with a call to action. Tell your audience what to do with the information you’ve shared: Write to their senator, recycle their paper, eliminate waste in the workplace, and so forth.

The ability to consume is as bad a problem as the consumption itself.  Once I get started, I note that it sort of wants to take over.  I see it now and faster, but I’m still not 100%.  And, I notice this in friends as well, but I also see very limited use.

I like it.  It looks good and I know they’re happier.  We don’t really talk about it and I’ve been able to pretend pretty well, but it has to change.

The key is now to make it happen.  It’s time.

Giving up cigarettes is tough. About 70 percent of smokers in the U.S. claim they want to quit, but only about 2-3 percent manage to do so during any given year. What helps?

Money. Lots of it.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia tested the power of financial incentives by offering half of a group of 878 General Electric employees up to $750 if they quit smoking for nine months. Almost 15 percent of employees who received the cash bonus had quit smoking after nine to 12 months, reported the New England Journal of Medicine; only 5 percent of those who got no reward were smoke-free.

Pets. We love our pets.

Evidence on second-hand smoke suggests that it’s as dangerous for dogs and cats as it is for smokers’ human partners, according to research published in Tobacco Control. In an online survey of pet owners in southeastern Michigan, 28.4 percent of smokers said they were more likely to give up smoking knowing that they were negatively affecting their pets’ health. If you can’t do it for yourself or your partner, do it for Fido (or Fluffy). Or for Bo, sir.