• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Right Attitudes

Ideas for Impact

Archives for January 2025

Inspirational Quotations #1085

January 19, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Our hours in love have wings; in absence, crutches.
—Colley Cibber (English Playwright)

Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story.
—John Barth (American Novelist)

Having a baby is like falling in love again, both with your husband and your child.
—Tina Brown (British-American Journalist, Editor)

I have been extraordinarily lucky. Anyone who pretends that some kind of luck isn’t involved in his success is deluding himself.
—Arthur Hailey (Canadian Novelist)

If we take care of the inches we will not have to worry about the miles.
—Hartley Coleridge (British Poet)

Don’t tell me how hard you work. Tell me how much you get done.
—James J. Ling (American Businessman)

Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.
—C. William Pollard (American Businessman, Author)

For disorder obstructs: besides, it doth disgust life, distract the appetities, and yield no true relish to the senses.
—Margaret Lucas Cavendish (English Aristocrat, Philosopher, Writer)

We have to recognize accident, i.e., the fact that there is no formula, no ‘principle’, which covers all things; that there is no totality or system of things. And this recognition at once supports a life of ‘responsibility and adventure’ and leads to scientific discovery.
—John Anderson (Scottish Philosopher)

Impartial observers from other planets would consider ours an utterly bizarre enclave if it were populated by birds, defined as flying animals, that nevertheless rarely or never actually flew. They would also be perplexed if they encountered in our seas, lakes, rivers, and ponds, creatures defined as swimmers that never did any swimming. But they would be even more surprised to encounter a species defined as a thinking animal if, in fact, the creature very rarely indulged in actual thinking.
—Steve Allen (American Entertainer)

The best reason for having dreams is that in dreams no reasons are necessary.
—Ashleigh Brilliant (British Cartoonist)

The past, though it cannot be relived, can always be repaired.
—John La Farge (American Artist, Writer)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Five Questions to Spark Your Career Move

January 16, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Five Questions to Spark Your Career Move There are numerous compelling reasons to consider switching jobs. Factors such as work-life balance, economic pressures, family relocations, company downsizing, or a desire for a change can all influence your decision. However, these motivations often stem from circumstances rather than personal feelings, leading to less uncertainty than the deeper reasons we’ll explore later in this article.

We naturally resist change, even when dissatisfaction looms large, which can make leaving an uninspiring job difficult. Yet, a career switch can sometimes be the best choice for your well-being. Here are some essential questions to guide your decision-making process:

  1. Are you mentally stimulated in your job? If your work has become repetitive and unchallenging, you may be experiencing “rust-out.” Seek opportunities that engage your mind and rekindle your passion for your role.
  2. Do you feel valued in your workplace? Job satisfaction often hinges on recognition from your manager and colleagues. Feeling undervalued can lead to burnout and disengagement, making a positive work environment essential for motivation.
  3. Are you performing at your best, or merely coasting? If your work feels effortless and routine, you might be underperforming. Addressing frustrations in your current role could be easier than starting anew with fresh challenges.
  4. Where do you envision your future? Reflect on whether there are specific roles or industries you’ve hesitated to explore. Understanding your long-term goals can clarify if you’re on the right path toward achieving your aspirations.
  5. Are you settling for a job that misaligns with your values? If your current position doesn’t reflect your self-worth or personal beliefs, it may be time to seek opportunities that resonate more with what truly matters to you.

Idea for Impact: Before quitting out of frustration, consider giving your employer a chance to address your concerns. Identify the core issue: is it the job itself, your boss, a coworker, or the company culture? Even if your supervisor can’t resolve everything, sharing your thoughts may spark positive changes. If improvements don’t materialize, shift your focus to moving forward rather than assigning blame.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. What Every Manager Should Know Why Generation Y Quits
  2. How to Improve Your Career Prospects During the COVID-19 Crisis
  3. The Speed Trap: How Extreme Pressure Stifles Creativity
  4. Book Summary of Leigh Branham’s ‘The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave’
  5. The Never-Ending Office vs. Remote Work Debate

Filed Under: Career Development, Managing People, MBA in a Nutshell Tagged With: Career Planning, Coaching, Human Resources, Job Transitions, Managing the Boss, Motivation, Performance Management, Work-Life, Workplace

Beyond Money’s Grasp: A Deeper Drive to Success

January 13, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Beyond Money's Grasp: A Deeper Drive to Success

Successful individuals often find themselves driven to excel long after the allure of material rewards has waned. In the early stages of a career, financial concerns often take center stage. Young professionals are preoccupied with using disposable income to repay student loans, cover daily expenses, engage in some indulgent spending, and lay the foundation for financial stability. As their careers progress, however, there’s a noticeable shift in the importance of money. This transformation varies among individuals, but nearly everyone reaches a point where the stress of bills and even luxury desires diminishes, only to be supplanted by a need for what sociologists call psychic income.

For the ultra-successful, wealth accrues at a pace that outpaces practical spending. Their life becomes abundant, yet paradoxically, time feels limited. They have the means to pursue their passions but lack the time to do so. What truly captivates these successful people are factors that transcend monetary gain. Inspiration is fueled by ego, a sense of passion, and personal fulfillment—it thrives on the stimulation of challenges and the sheer joy of the journey. Success is rooted in a sense of mastery, achievement, and making a meaningful impact.

For those still on the path to success, a valuable lesson emerges: what many successful people value about their careers when they’re already successful mirrors the same qualities they sought throughout their professional journey. When climbing the corporate ladder, they didn’t gravitate toward safe, high-paying positions. Instead, they pursued challenging opportunities, and these ventures proved to be profoundly rewarding.

Idea for Impact: Success is a complex and personal concept, shaped by a blend of factors that align with one’s values and aspirations. Once you’re no longer a slave to the coin’s cruel reign, you’ll discover the true wellsprings of inspiration—an invitation to a richer and more purpose-driven existence.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Transient by Choice: Why Gen Z Is Renting More
  2. The Champion Who Hated His Craft: Andre Agassi’s Raw Confession in ‘Open’
  3. Yes, Money Can Buy Happiness
  4. The Extra Salary You Can Negotiate Ain’t Gonna Make You Happy
  5. The #1 Cost of Overwork is Personal Relationships

Filed Under: Career Development, Living the Good Life, Personal Finance Tagged With: Balance, Career Planning, Getting Rich, Happiness, Money, Pursuits, Success, Winning on the Job, Work-Life

Inspirational Quotations #1084

January 12, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules.
—Buzzie Bavasi (American Baseball Executive)

Closer than a touch on your skin,
deeper than a breathe you draw in;
stronger than a hurricane wind,
is the dwelling of God within.
—Isaac de Benserade (French Poet, Dramatist)

Heartthrobs are a dime a dozen.
—Brad Pitt (American Actor)

In a culture where the possibility of wealth and the acquisition of things are so defining of success, we end up pursuing things that, even if we are successful, can never deliver what we envisioned they would. The reason riches become such a snare is because we end up evaluating life in mercenary terms and being seen by others in such terms, and life is just not so.
—Ravi Zacharias (Christian Preacher)

The past should be a springboard, not a hammock.
—Ivern Ball (American Writer, Aphorist)

Research serves to make building stones out of stumbling blocks.
—Arthur Dehon Little (American Management Consultant)

As you go along your own road in life, you will, if you aim high enough, also meet resistance … . But no matter how tough the opposition may seem, have courage still—and persevere.
—Madeleine Albright (Czech-born American Diplomat)

A structure becomes architectural, and not sculptural, when its elements no longer have their justification in nature.
—Guillaume Apollinaire (Italian-born French Poet)

What we play is life.
—Louis Armstrong (American Jazz Musician)

Your mind is what makes everything else work.
—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (American Basketball Player)

The gods made our bodies as well as our souls, is it not so? They give us voices, so we might worship them with song. They give us hands, so we might build them temples. And they give us desire, so we might mate and worship them in that way.
—George R. R. Martin (American Writer)

I’ve met these people, the ones from the glossy magazines. I’ve walked among them. I have seen, firsthand, their callow, empty lives. I have watched them from the shadows when they thought themselves alone. And I can tell you this: I’m afraid there is not one of them who would swap lives with you at gunpoint.
—Neil Gaiman (British Writer)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Conquer That Initial Friction

January 9, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Conquer That Initial Friction Getting started is often the hardest part of anything truly worth doing.

Whether it’s hitting the gym, penning that elusive article, or pitching to a client, the trick is just to dive in.

Next time you find yourself procrastinating, tackle it with a tiny action. Slip on those sneakers for your workout, jot down that opening line for your article, or draft a snappy email subject line for your pitch.

Once you push past that initial friction and get over that first hump, you’ll find some momentum and likely get your task done.

Here’s to taking that first leap!

Wondering what to read next?

  1. An Effective Question to Help Feel the Success Now
  2. Do You Really Need More Willpower?
  3. Use This Trick to Make Daily Habits Stick This Year
  4. Resolution Reboot: February’s Your Fresh Start
  5. How to Turn Your Procrastination Time into Productive Time

Filed Under: Mental Models, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Discipline, Goals, Lifehacks, Motivation, Procrastination

The Argument Against Long-Term Psychotherapy

January 6, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

The Argument Against Long-Term Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, especially short-term therapy, can be a game changer for many, but long-term therapy, despite its popularity, has its downsides.

Often, long-term therapy focuses too much on past experiences, keeping the spotlight on personal struggles and breeding a bit of narcissism. If you find yourself in prolonged therapy, you might become overly absorbed in your issues, leading to self-pity that undermines your relationships and personal growth.

Caught in a Cycle of Over-Analysis

Unfortunately, many therapists still cling to outdated methods that dig into your past to extract insights they believe are crucial for progress. But let’s be real: insight alone isn’t enough for lasting change. Research shows that concentrating on concrete changes in thoughts and behaviors in the “here and now” is far more effective than fixating on the “there and then.”

Long-term therapy can also create unhealthy dependency, leaving you unprepared for real-world challenges. This dependency might be inadvertently encouraged by therapists who benefit financially from endlessly revisiting past traumas, leading to a conflict of interest between providing timely solutions and keeping you around longer than necessary.

Another downside is that long-term therapy can sometimes excuse—maybe even justify—inaction. You might catch yourself procrastinating on important decisions or avoiding risks, with therapy unintentionally reinforcing that tendency. If fear keeps you from making essential life changes, your therapist may offer soothing explanations that trap you in a cycle of over-analysis, making it harder to take the bull by the horns. Plus, many therapists shy away from giving direct advice that could actually spur you into action.

Living in the Past is Holding You Back

Countless people spend years in therapy without seeing meaningful changes. They often lack the self-awareness and drive to act, which is where a straightforward tough-love lecture can make a real difference. A concerned, no-nonsense confidant might say, “You’re being a loser—a lazy excuse-maker. You blame everyone but yourself for your failures.” Many who have wrestled with long-standing issues find this tough-love approach resonates, leading to modest improvements. While tough love may work in many contexts, many psychotherapists prefer a more compassionate, nuanced approach that focuses on your emotional health and personal journey.

In the end, therapy often provides insights without significant change. Before diving into long-term therapy, ask yourself if it truly meets your needs. If you’re already in lengthy therapy, reflect on whether it has genuinely improved your life or just fostered narcissism and dependency.

Idea for Impact: To change your life, take action now instead of getting stuck in the past. Doing so empowers you to build momentum through small, consistent steps while applying the lessons from your past blunders. This present-focused approach reduces anxiety, boosts resilience, and opens your eyes to new opportunities. Plus, it keeps you mindful and improves your overall well-being, sparing you from future regrets. Consider a tough-love lecture or the guidance of a no-nonsense advisor to push you out of your comfort zone. These strategies can create urgency and commitment, paving the way for real change in your behavior and mindset.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Expressive Writing Can Help You Heal
  2. How to … Talk About Your Mental Health with Loved Ones
  3. A Journey Through Therapy: Summary of Lori Gottlieb’s ‘Maybe You Should Talk to Someone’
  4. Therapeutic Overreach: Diagnosing Ordinary Struggles as Disorders
  5. The Power of Negative Thinking

Filed Under: Health and Well-being, Living the Good Life Tagged With: Adversity, Conversations, Counseling, Emotions, Mindfulness, Resilience, Suffering, Therapy

Inspirational Quotations #1083

January 5, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes.
—The Panchatantra (Indian Collection of Fables)

Durability is part of what makes a great athlete.
—Bill Russell (American Basketball Champion)

All technology should be assumed guilty until proven innocent.
—David Brower (American Environmentalist)

A person’s worth is contingent upon who he is, not upon what he does, or how much he has. The worth of a person, or a thing, or an idea, is in being, not in doing, not in having.
—Alice Mary Hilton (British-American Academic)

The future? Like unwritten books and unborn children, you don’t talk about it.
—Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (German Baritone)

A king who trusts no man is weak.
—Patricia Briggs (American Writer)

Money alone cannot build character or transform evil into good. It cries for full partnership with leaders of character and good will who value good tools in the creation and enlargement of life for Man.
—Sebastian S. Kresge (American Businessman)

Unfortunately in this kind of work, where you are trying to determine relationships based upon past behavior, the almost invariable experience is that by the time you have had a long enough period to give you sufficient confidence in your form of measurement, just then new conditions supersede and the measurement is no longer dependable for the future.
—Benjamin Graham (American Investor)

Doing one’s duty, however small, in an unattached manner gives rise to the awakening of self-awareness.
—Sathya Sai Baba (Indian Hindu Religious Leader)

I believe in prayer. It’s the best way we have to draw strength from heaven.
—Josephine Baker (American Dancer, Campaigner)

He is great who can do what he wishes; he is wise who wishes to do what he can.
—August Wilhelm Iffland (German Actor, Playwright)

A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.
—Vincent van Gogh (Dutch Painter)

The closer the bird is to the surface of the water, the firmer and more inelastic is the uplift of the rising air. The bird appears to almost feel the surface with the tip of its weather wing.
—Lawrence Hargrave (Australian Aviation Pioneer)

Being a gentleman is the number one priority, the chief question integral to our national life.
—Edward A. Fox ((b.1936) American Businessman)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

The Best Investment of 2025

January 2, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Invest in Yourself, It Pays the Best Not Nvidia. Not Berkshire Hathaway. Nor cryptocurrency.

Not your house. Nor a rental property near the beach.

It’s you.

Your best investment? You.

The future you.

It always was. It always will be.

The future you should outshine the current you.

Keep learning. Keep leveling up.

Become edified. Gain wisdom.

Believe in yourself.

Strengthen your self-awareness and the energy around you.

Broaden your perspective. Hold onto your beliefs, but don’t hesitate to explore other viewpoints.

Fortify your cognitive foundation.

Strive to be a better citizen.

Make wiser choices in your personal life.

Have the courage to stand by your convictions and challenge them too.

Expand your intellectual wellness.

Find peace. Be kind to yourself. Set healthy boundaries.

Open your mind. Refine it. Empower it to know, digest, restrain, govern, and use its wisdom effectively.

This journey is as noble as cultivating virtue.

So, make the smartest bet of all.

Bet on you.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Plan Every Detail or Ride the Wave of Serendipity
  2. Some Lessons Can Only Be Learned in the School of Life
  3. Great Jobs are Overwhelming, and Not Everybody Wants Them
  4. Looking for Important Skills to Develop?
  5. Disrupt Yourself, Expand Your Reach.

Filed Under: Career Development, Living the Good Life, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Balance, Career Planning, Creativity, Getting Ahead, Pursuits, Targets, Thinking Tools

« Previous Page

Primary Sidebar

Popular Now

Anxiety Assertiveness Attitudes Balance Biases Coaching Conflict Conversations Creativity Critical Thinking Decision-Making Discipline Emotions Entrepreneurs Etiquette Feedback Getting Along Getting Things Done Goals Great Manager Innovation Leadership Leadership Lessons Likeability Mental Models Mentoring Mindfulness Motivation Networking Parables Performance Management Persuasion Philosophy Problem Solving Procrastination Relationships Simple Living Social Skills Stress Suffering Thinking Tools Thought Process Time Management Winning on the Job Wisdom

About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

Get Updates

Signup for emails

Subscribe via RSS

Contact Nagesh Belludi

RECOMMENDED BOOK:
Meditations

Meditations: Marcus Aurelius

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius's diaries remain the sterling paradigm of the stoic mindset: civility, moderation in all things, and taking in triumph and tragedy with equanimity.

Explore

  • Announcements
  • Belief and Spirituality
  • Business Stories
  • Career Development
  • Effective Communication
  • Great Personalities
  • Health and Well-being
  • Ideas and Insights
  • Inspirational Quotations
  • Leadership
  • Leadership Reading
  • Leading Teams
  • Living the Good Life
  • Managing Business Functions
  • Managing People
  • MBA in a Nutshell
  • Mental Models
  • News Analysis
  • Personal Finance
  • Podcasts
  • Project Management
  • Proverbs & Maxims
  • Sharpening Your Skills
  • The Great Innovators

Recently,

  • A Taxonomy of Troubles: Summary of Tiffany Watt Smith’s ‘The Book of Human Emotions’
  • Negative Emotions Aren’t the Problem—Our Flight from Them Is
  • Inspirational Quotations #1121
  • Japan’s MUJI Became an Iconic Brand by Refusing to Be One
  • Why Major Projects Fail: Summary of Bent Flyvbjerg’s Book ‘How Big Things Get Done’
  • Managing the Overwhelmed: How to Coach Stressed Employees
  • Inspirational Quotations #1120

Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!