Today is day #365 of my writing daily Brilliance Nuggets for one year. I’m at the finish line. It has been an AMAZING journey! Most of all, I thank you! I could not have done this without you! If you did not see yesterday’s nugget about this journey and what you could get out of…

Can you imagine reading a book in just 50 minutes? You don’t have to be a speed reader to do it. All you need to do is be selective and look for an idea you can take action on. In this nugget, I’m sharing several breakthroughs, aha moments, and valuable reminders I got from doing…

Recently, our church began a series called “It is time.” During the past two weeks, the conversation was about it being time to heal from the conflicts that have arisen as a result of the pandemic. It is time to forgive, apologize, and be thankful for all our blessings. It is also time to pursue…

Happy Labor Day to you and yours! This year, Labor Day is celebrating its 128th anniversary, i.e., Labor Day became an official federal holiday in 1894. The first Labor Day happened twelve years before then, in 1982, in New York City. Labor Day recognizes the many contributions the American worker makes to our society. Some…

My friend Marie Harrop and I had fun this morning with a little improv session. Be prepared to witness silliness. 🙂 I’m Curious What do you think of improv in general or our little improv in particular? Transcript Dr. Stephie:Hey. It’s Doctor Stephie here and my dear friend Marie Harop. Marie:Action. Okay. So here we…

This is a great question. Is it even possible? Yes, I’m convinced it is possible – with a change in mindset! How can you make a quantum leap in your life? What does this even mean? Is it possible?  It means that instead of making progress gradually, possibly by just taking consistent steps or working…

Twelve years ago, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. I had looked forward to it. I wanted to do it. When it came time to jump, I was terrified – but not for long. It was so exciting I wanted to do it again as soon as we landed. This story is a…

This is my birthday message for you from my heart to yours! Transcript Hello, Dr. Stephie here. Today is my birthday. I want to use the opportunity to say, “Thank you!” It’s been an amazing year since my last birthday. Shortly after my birthday, I started writing the Brilliance Nuggets. I love the support I’ve gotten from…

It is a mystery: Why are the stories of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand written by Karl May so famous in Germany – and so remarkably unheard of in the United States? Transcript Sunday is fun day. I decided to share a story with you. There is a real mystery about why the Wild West stories of Winnetou…

What is a “Time Racket”? I noticed this one sneaking up on me lately – and I’m curious whether you can relate to it. Let’s look at what a “Time Racket” is and how to tame it. Here is the link to the curriculum of Landmark Worldwide’s Forum. I’m Curious Does the time racket sneak…

It strikes me that the difference between people who have a lot of success and people who have much less success is this, when you see an opportunity, raise your hand. Transcript It strikes me that the difference between people who have a lot of success and people who have much less success is this:…

Parenting is probably the hardest thing we will ever do in our life. Here are three traps to avoid and one idea to aspire to. This nugget is about how to avoid these three parenting traps. If only it were that easy!  I wanted to relate something to you that I just heard from Jeff Brown, the…

Yesterday, my Toastmasters friend Karen Phelps reminded me of something very important: “Embracing the suck” and paying attention to what is good is a great combination. Here is what I mean by that. Transcript Greetings, Dr. Stephie here. ”Embrace the suck” and pay attention to the good. That is what I was reminded of yesterday…

How can we have DIFFICULT conversations without risking our friendship? This topic came up in a conversation with a couple of dear friends. I shared with them that when I grew up in Germany, it was not uncommon to have heated debates about politics (and soccer) over a beer or two. No matter how hard they…

This nugget is short and sweet. It is about how vital it is to have some relaxing time with wonderful friends: Make time to relax with great friends! You deserve it, and your soul needs it! Greetings, this nugget is quite simple but so important. It’s about the importance of giving yourself the time to…

Does the word “charging” have a positive or negative meaning? The English language has the capacity for many meanings. If you suspect you are about to experience some pun-ishment, you might be right. I’m in charge of your laughter (or groaning) only for the mere 129 seconds of this Sunday is Fun Day clip. I’m…

This is a late-night nugget with fresh thoughts about observing your “magic.” Is observing your “magic” neat or messy? I was publishing a major course today and recording my every step along the way. See what happened. I’m Curious What are you committed to? Perfection or progress? Transcript Hello, Dr. Stephie here; this is a…

Here is a quick story for you about a geeky T-shirt, Costco encounters, and a new multimedia book- and a really cool announcement! Thank you, Irene Donnell and Tahnee McHenry, for making that happen! What an amazing surprise and (early) birthday gift! I’m Curious Do you have a “geeky” T-shirt? If so, send me a…

“You, my friend, are not your thoughts. You are the thinker of the thoughts. The thoughts come from you. So, where are you? You are in the stillness, the silence between your thoughts. That stillness, that silence, is you. And that you is the window to the infinite mind.” Deepak Chopra It strikes me that…

I want to share what happened in Germany plus a couple of thoughts about this picture with you. The photo shows our son, Dylan, my father-in-law, and myself six years ago in Germany. My husband took the picture. I remember this day so clearly. We had planned this trip for years. It had been a…

There is much talk about the power of habits – the right ones, of course! How can you form a new habit more easily?  Transcript How can you form a new habit more easily? I have the good fortune to be part of an exciting team right now, putting together a program on how you…

My grandmother, once upon a time was given an elephant (not a real one, mind you). What is better: Elephants or Frogs? That is where this story begins. Transcript Dr. Stephie here. Today is Sunday, and Sunday is “fun day.” I thought of a crazy question: What is better, elephants or frogs?There’s a story behind…

As we pursue different goals, sometimes it’s good to stop and reexamine them. It has to be YOUR mountain top you’re climbing. Climbing mountain top it’s not necessarily easy. Make sure to pick the right one. Transcript As we pursue different goals, sometimes it’s good to stop and think about in more depth. It has…

Often we set the bar high for ourselves. As high achievers, we set the bar high, way high a lot of times. Here is a counterintuitive way to become more successful. Transcript Would you like to know a counterintuitive way to be more successful? Often we set the bar high for ourselves. I suspect you…

“I’m not Elon Musk. I’m not a brilliant person.” I have been hearing that a lot over the time that I’ve been talking about Brilliance Mining and Brilliance Extraction to see how brilliant you really are. That is the start of the conversation – but that is not where it ends.  Transcript . How can…

Some quick ponderings on how to seek the good in others and a brief story about our son Dylan (14), baseball, and our Rotary Club. (No transcript today.) One addition: Seeking the good in others works everywhere: in your family, with friends, and with your team. I even venture to say it works with people…

Sure, you can! Why not? Making your brilliance visible involves some way of getting it out of your brain onto paper (or its electronic version). Let’s have fun! First things first. What is an alpha poem? How does it work? Give yourself a word and theme. “Challenge your mind to answer a question or find…

Do you think that the human brain is a fascinating blessing, or do you think at times, that it is a bit of a curse? When you look at your pet, what do you notice? Transcript Do you think that the human brain is a fascinating blessing, or do you think at times, it is…

Our son Dylan (14) and I were goofing around with a few short improvs this morning – just for fun. One of them was a “heated” discussion between Niagara Falls and the waterfalls in Yosemite National Park about which one is better. Enjoy! This one is visual (but if you want to read it, the…

What are the traits of a great writer? What fears or concerns do we go through when we write – and how can we overcome them? What are the benefits of writing? Transcript Hi, Dr. Stephie here. What are the traits of a great writer? I asked myself that question the other day, would I…

So how to not stop your mission and get rejuvenating rest? Can you relate to this situation? You started a project or mission and got it going. Then, suddenly, you need a break for one reason or another. You stop what you’re doing with that mission. Sometime later, you return to it and get it…

Happy 4th of July! In 1776, now 246 years ago, the Second Continental Congress declared that the 13 colonies were no longer subject to the Monarch of Britain, who was King George III. Transcript Greetings, Dr. Stephie here. Happy July 4th. Woohoo!  As you know, in 1776 – now 246 years ago – the Second…

For Sunday Fun Day, I came up with this weird question: Does the number of YouTube subscriptions say anything about the human mind? Transcript Greetings, Dr. Stephie here. Sunday is Fun Day. Woohoo!  I came up with this weird question: Does the number of people who subscribe to YouTube channels, say anything about the human…

I think it’s fair to say that all of us enjoy some tasks way less than others. How can you enjoy tasks you normally dread or even increase your joy or at least make yourself okay with things you need to do but normally dread? Transcript Hi, Dr. Stephie here. I think it’s fair to…

When we set goals, we often tend to set an overwhelming number of goals. It occurred to me that the four ”Cornerstones of Success” I recently spoke about can be a great guide for goal setting. It focuses the mind on making sure each of the cornerstones is covered and it can reduce goal-setting overwhelm.…

How can you get more value out of seminars or anything you learned by reading a book or even having a conversation? Transcript Greetings, Dr. Stephie here. How can you get the most out of attending a seminar or anything that you learned by reading a book or even having a conversation? I think the…

I always keep thinking about things. It hit me that there are four cornerstones of success. These four cornerstones are the things I think we get out of out of being in business or pursuing a mission outside of business. Transcript Dr. Stephie here. You know me by now. I always keep thinking about things.…

This thought was going through my head while doing laundry, and Sunday is fun day, so here it goes. I was thinking to myself, what is going on with all of these single socks?  Transcript Greetings, Dr. Stephie here. I was doing laundry, and Sunday is fun day, so here it goes.  I was thinking to…

Do you have ideas brewing in your head you’re working on shaping and bringing the life? Here’s a nugget on how to speak your new vision, shape it and bring it to life much faster than most people do. Transcript Do you have a new vision? Are some ideas brewing in your head you’re working on…

This nugget came out of a phone conversation with my Dad who lives in Germany. By the way, it rains there a lot more often than in Texas (especially in the Summer). Transcript Greetings. Dr. Stephie here. A few days ago, I talked with my Dad, who lives in Germany. He related to me a…

Happy Father’s Day!  “Father’s Day is a celebration honoring people’s fathers and celebrating the fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It was first proposed by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington in 1909.[1] It is currently celebrated in the United States annually on the third Sunday in June.” Wikipedia The role of fathers has undoubtedly changed a lot since the…

Sunday is “fun day!”Let’s explore the truth about puns and your intellect. 🙂 Sunday is “fun day!” Today’s question is the truth about puns and your intellect.  I’ve heard it said that punning is the lowest form of humor. Really? Oh boy. I’m in trouble because I love punning! Everybody who knows me pretty well knows…

There are some memories that are kind of strange in the sense that there are some parts that you remember quite clearly and other parts that you don’t remember at all like a person called Jochen. Transcript There are some memories that are kind of strange in the sense that there are some parts that…

Good morning! Sunday is “fun day.” This nugget is just for fun and we wake up Little Susie! I’m Curious How will you enjoy your Sunday today? Transcript Good morning. Sunday is fun day. I’m sitting here with my cup of coffee. I was waking up and thinking about what we might discuss in this…

Our lives have many aspects including progress . They are things we want to do, have and be. Some of these desires sometimes conflict with each other – or at least seem to do so. For example, I want to be a great mother and wife. Yet, I also want to trek in the Himalayas…

Over the years, I have often spoken about the three-legged wealth stool. If you cut off any of those legs, you have a very wobbly stool. In this nugget, I am renaming the stool. I realized it is a “Brilliance Stool.” Transcript For years and years, I have spoken about the three-legged wealth stool. The wealth stool,…

It’s crucial to incorporate exciting adventures into your life and fuel your soul, regardless of age. Going trekking in Nepal is one of the adventures I’m working on creating right now. Transcript I think it’s important that we don’t just work and “do chores,” but it’s crucial to incorporate adventures into your life and fuel…

On Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Did You Know? Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. Please join us in today’s moment of remembrance. The sacrifice that these men and women, their families, and…

After publishing over 260 Brilliant Nuggets, I thought it might be fun to do something new like going to a NASCAR event. I am declaring Sunday as a fun day. I will challenge myself to come up with something funny on Sundays! Now, considering that I’m German this may prove to be challenging. We will see…

I got to thinking about this: It takes an amazing amount of practice to develop an ever-higher level of self-discipline. Yet, your success comes hand-in-hand with self-discipline.  I realized: Success and self-discipline are one happy couple. Transcript Greetings, Dr. Stephie here. There is one happy couple I want to tell you about: Success and self-discipline.  I…

My almost 14-year old son Dylan recently asked me to give him a brief interview about German culture (it was a school project). I thought you might be interested, and it might make a good Sunday Brilliance Nugget. Transcript Dylan: What in Germany pushed you to come to America? Or what in America pulled you…

Today, I’m celebrating with you! 200 Brilliance Nuggets so far – that feels like a nice milestone. In this video, I talk about what it has been like, what I’ve learned, who I’ve become – and most importantly, what this means for you. YOU can do this, too – and here’s how. (By the way,…

As a famous German saying goes, “Man muss die Feste feiern wie sie fallen.” This phrase translates to “One must celebrate the celebrations as they fall.” I believe in this philosophy! This Week We Have A Reason To Celebrate This coming Thursday, March 10, I will reach my halfway point on my journey to write…

Aristoteles said, “A promise made must be a promise kept.” I’m sure we all agree with that. However, what do we see as a promise and how to live up to promises? How often do we say “Yes” to something, and we don’t live up to it – or, at least not by the time…

Sometimes it is high time to take a refreshing mental bubble bath. Take a break. Do nothing to achieve a goal. It occurred to me to call that a “mental bubble bath.” You deserve it! You pushed yourself hard. It is high time to put the to-do lists and calendars to the side, even if…

Are Globetrotting mutually exclusive? I should have known that I was “doomed” from the beginning. I mean the very beginning.  My parents got married when my Mom was almost 21. Back then, in Germany, you had to get parental permission to marry before 21. My Dad is eight years older. They met at the university, fell…

How often do you celebrate your wins? How often don’t you? I see that often we don’t even acknowledge and celebrate our wins. Not even big wins, never mind the smaller ones. I want to share with you a comment a dear friend made after reading my recent nugget, “Get A Small Win Fast.” She…

My Sunday reflection started when a dear friend gave me a fantastic gift (thank you, Tina!): a 750-piece puzzle of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). From previous Brilliance Nuggets, you might know that I love hiking. You might also be aware of my visualization game:  What you might not know is: I love puzzles. To me,…

Wouldn’t it be great if we could read books in the blink of an eye? How much more information could we absorb and put to use? Or, at least, how much more information could we sort through to decide whether it is worth a deeper look? One can – almost. It is not quite as…

How do you celebrate when you reach a milestone? Especially when the journey is long and ambitious, it is so helpful (and fun!) to celebrate your progress. Today, we have reached the 25% mark in our 365-day Brilliance Nugget journey. I say “we” because while I do the writing it is you you do the…

As most of you know already, my friend Robert “made” me do it. He challenged me to write one short Brilliance Nugget per day for one year. 365 Brilliance Nuggets days! These nuggets are fun, informative, and refreshingly short. To visualize my journey, I have compared this adventure to hiking the 2,200 miles Appalachian Trail…

Nowadays, we face more rapid change than any other generation before. Leaders in every aspect of our society are working hard to keep up with this pace of change. The value of an expert is shifting a lot today. Company leaders. Leaders of non-profits. Leaders of schools and their districts. Parents and teachers. Consider that…

This morning, as I was driving to my morning Rotary meeting, I was marveling at the beauty of the sunrise. There were a few clouds that were beautifully illuminated by the rising sun. I said “wow” as I marveled at the sunset. Actually, I say wow more often to beautiful events coming my way. Then…

How did you manage to have your cake and eat it too? This morning,  at 5:43 am,  I had an “aha.” In my mind, I was starting to write a Brilliance Nugget about “Money and You.” It is the name of an amazing course I took in 2012. Exactly as the title says, “Money and…

Would it be odd for me to admit that sometimes I feel pressure as I start my work for the day? Yes, it happens to me, too, despite doing professional and volunteer work I deeply love, I cannot maintain the art of balance. Being a Coach, I’m supposed to have my act together at all…

This story is not about bragging. It is about pushing hard and feeling of not going fast enough on accomplishing your mission, yet being a kind “boss” to yourself – at least once in a while. I had been pushing hard. Establishing a new brand for my company was a major effort. What was the…