Great post from Jason yesterday.

It amazes me how many people do not actually follow through. One easy fix: Do not say you’ll do something that you know you’re not going to do. It’s harder than you think because it requires a realistic appraisal of the future.

I would also add that you should not only follow through, you should follow through quickly. If it’s going to take you more than a few days to follow through on your commitment, let the person know. You’ll still lose some of the initiative you gained after meeting them, but at least they know not to expect an immediate response.

Okay. Wow. This is surprisingly serendipitous. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can be more present in the present. Particularly, how I can accept my emotions at face value, and how I can give voice to my emotions in a constructive way.

I don’t have these answers, yet. But I found this inspiring story about a man with Alzheimer’s who unwittingly offers insight on how to accept your emotions—and the experience that caused them—at face value.

My take away: let your emotions flow. Name them if you have to. Don’t ask “What am I feeling?” Just feel. Identify those feelings. Once you’ve given name to your emotions, you have taken a step toward owning them. Then, once owned, give them voice.

Thanks, Johnnie for the link.

Rosa posted a great story yesterday about a bus driver named Kalani. The care he poured into his bus and his children are inspiring. And he reminds us that being passionate about what we do is more important than a lot of the material things we value. How many of these unsung heroes are going un-noticed because we are too busy with our day to stop and say hello? From the security guard, to the sales person, to the CEO. If they are passionate about what they do, then there is something you can learn from them.

I’ve stumbled across some blog posts and articles that just couldn’t wait until the end of the month.

• I really was learning some valuable leadership lessons by all those hours spent watching Star Wars.

• Build relationships one conversation at a time.

• Networking 101. A great introduction to networking. Seth covers all the basics that Keith covered in his book. Thanks Abhishek for the pointer.

• A very interesting article on goalsetting.

Some great posts from May. Read ‘em if you missed ‘em. Worth re-reading if you caught ‘em the first time around.

• Looks count, but they don’t have to be everything. Great post from Bert over at Open Loops.

• Some tips for improving your concetration as found on Merlin’s site.

• The New Scientist article 11 steps to a better brain” has gotten a lot of play in the blogosphere—and for good reason.

• Merlin is right. This is an Impressive paper-based project management workflow. I prefer a combination paper/electronic project management system, but this has certainly given me some food for thought.

• Bumble Bee is an interesting blog that’s promoting the concept of Bioteams. Thanks to Johnnie for the discovery.

• A brilliant post from the Prospecting Professor on how to sell to the customer’s needs. I’m reading The New Strategic Selling, and the concept in the professor’s post supports many of the concepts in the book. Read both if you have the time. If not, read the article.

• I’m starting to give more presentations, and the tips found in this slide by Tom Peters on Presentation Excellence are spot on. Thanks to Infectious Greed for the discovery. BTW, I’d also strongly recommend Beyond Bullet Points for good advice on how to give effective presentations.

• Heath over at the Fast Company blog found some interesting project management advice from Bruce Sterling’s The Zenith Angle. It’s almost all good, except for the whole “you don’t brag about what you’re doing”.

• Are you feeling lucky? Well, are you punk? Here are 10 Ways to create your own luck.

• Another post from Heath. This time, he’s pointing out the mistake in trying to find a balance in your work and life.

• A definition of GTD from the mouth of the grand master himself.

• Merlin’s thoughts on overcoming resistance in accomplishing some tasks. For more great thoughts on overcoming resistnace, read the War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

• Johnnie reviews a book called Radical Honesty. He covers a couple of interesting topics in his review: moralizing, innovation, responsibility, and meaning. I’m sure there are a couple more things tied up there in the post, but ultimately it’s about how we experience events and how we relate those experiences to others.

• Specialize in your work, but not in your life.

• Lessons on leadership from American Idol? Yes, it’s true.

• Use tiny pockets of time to get things done! Just be careful. As someone recovering from tendonitis, you do want to make sure you use some of those tony pockets of time to give your hands a break.

• Twelve ways to think differently.

• Paul gives Godin’s All Marketers are Liars a dog ear score of 17%.

• Who’s George Marshall? Never heard of the guy until I heard this interview with Jack Uldrich. After listening, I am definitely going to get the book.

Some great posts from April. Read ‘em if you missed ‘em. Worth re-reading if you caught ‘em the first time around.

• Jason Womack’s lessons from Martin Luther King’s Where do we Go from here?

• Jason learns the secret to success

• Solve problems better with help from this series by Fred Gatzon

• Guy’s 10 (really 11) rules for Evangelism as summarized by Johnnie Moore

• Lisa Haneberg says you should read How to Win Friends and Influence People. I agree.

• Attention versus Intention. Another one from Jason Womack.

• Jack Welch on managing for the longterm as summarized by Dan Blohowiak.

• Managers Matter so says Rosa Say.

• Christopher Holman has some ways to improve your trust and likability.

• Walk at a brisk pace at the office to keep your energy up.

• Improve your communication skills.

• Four factors of personal development.

• 17 mistakes entrepreneurs make.

• Optimism increases sales producivity

• Six Ways to jump start your day.

• Start your day the night before.

• Take better notes.

• Ten laws of the natural world from Forbes.

• Read people like books by reading their body language.

• Get new and better ideas at meetings.