Shopping carts helped usher in mass consumption and enabled grocery stores and brands to expand their products. Customers didn't have to worry about how they would get the goods to their car. Carts also spurred the rise of impulse buying. But early on, customers were wary of the carts. Women did not want to push carts in stores, saying they had pushed enough baby buggies around. Men thought the carts would make them look weak.

Shopping carts was not an immediate success

The adoption of shopping carts came just as supermarkets came onto the scene in America. In the ensuing decades, more Americans started driving and larger supermarkets with parking lots started opening in suburbs. Yet, shoppers still carried baskets and were unlikely to stock up. In the early 1900s, a grocery chain in Texas offered carts, but it didn't gain traction as baskets were considered aristocratic. Pushing a cart around was a kind of embarrassment.

The arrival of supermarkets

In 1936, Samuel Goldman came up with an idea for a rolling cart. He noticed customers would stop shopping once their basket became too heavy. He attached wheels to a folding chair and put a basket on top. But few shoppers took to the carts. To convince customers, Goldman hired people to walk around the store with shopping carts and fill them up. Customers eventually started following the example.

The evolution of the shopping cart

In 1946, Orla Watson patented the "telescope cart" allowing them to slide together in horizontal stacks to solve the storage dilemma. Seatbelts were added to the child seats in the 1960s. However, carts were often abandoned in back alleys, rivers, and forests, leading lawmakers to impose regulations and fines on businesses that didn't keep track of their trolleys. Carts also became a symbol of urban blight and poverty, often used by homeless people to store and transport their belongings.

The shopping cart's design and function

We live in a world shaped by shopping carts. The ubiquitous, unloved contraptions are a key feature of US economy. (Yes, really.) 

history

History

Why people hated shopping carts when they first came out

"Every day invest more time and energy into good food, activity with friends, and quality sleep."

"One less hour of sleep does not equal more productivity or enjoyment."

"Every hour of sleep is a positive investment, not an expense."

<ul><li>Exercise isn’t about the total amount of sweat you produce each week, your body only cares about not being inactive for a long stretch of time. </li><li> If you sit for six hours a day, even working out for two hours afterward won’t reverse the health damage you’ve done.</li><li>Don’t sit for longer than an hour. Walk to the house five blocks away, take the stairs, not the elevator, and just get up a few times at work to move around.</li><li>Exercise alone is not enough. Working out three times a week is not enough. Being active throughout the day is what keeps you healthy.</li></ul>

Make Inactivity Your Enemy

The quality of what you eat matters far more than the overall quantity. The researchers discovered that the types of foods you consume influence your health more than your total caloric intake.

Quality Over Quantity

One less hour of sleep does not equal an extra hour of achievement or enjoyment. The exact opposite occurs. When you lose an hour of sleep, it decreases your well-being, productivity, health, and ability to think. Yet people continue to sacrifice sleep before all else.

Don't Sacrifice Sleep

<ul><li>Eating it releases dopamine, which gives you a “high” feeling and makes it addictive.</li><li>The more you eat, the more you want. You build a tolerance, meaning you have to eat more each time, in order to get that dopamine hit again.</li><li>Sugar is candy for cancer cells.</li><li>The average person consumes 150 lbs. of sugar annually.</li></ul>Treat sugar like it’s an illegal drug. Avoid added sugar wherever you can, don’t even buy unnecessary sweets and snacks, and use it very carefully when cooking.

Treat Sugar Like A Drug

<ul><li>Ask yourself if the next food you put in your mouth is a net gain or a net loss. Repeat throughout the day.</li><li>Eliminate an hour of chair time from your daily routine.</li><li>Gradually add sleep to your nightly schedule in 15-minute increments. Continue until you feel fully rested each morning.</li></ul>

Making Small Adjustments

Most people eat more carbohydrates than they need and not enough protein.<ul><li>Try to find foods that have a ratio of 1 gram of carbohydrates to 1 gram of protein.</li><li>At a minimum stay away from foods with a 5:1 ratio. Most chips are 10:1.</li></ul>

What Counts More Than Calories?

“Each ounce you consume is either a net positive or a net negative by the time it runs through your body. You don't get healthier by simply trying to eat better in general. You improve your health on a bite-by-bite basis.”

<ul><li>The total intake of fruits and vegetables is a robust indicator of your happiness.</li><li>Every time you go to the store, start by loading up on fruits and vegetables with dark vibrant colors.</li><li>When disruptions threaten your regular schedule, plan ahead to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.</li><li>As you make adjustments for better sleep, measure your progress. Note the time you get into bed and the time you wake up. Then rate your sleep quality on a 1-10 scale.</li></ul>

Staying Healthy

<ul><li>All carbohydrates convert to sugar in your bloodstream. The more refined they are the faster they convert.</li><li>Avoid processed and refined carbs as much as possible. Carbs stimulate dopamine in your brain.</li><li>Replace chips, crackers, and snack bars with nuts, seeds, apples, celery, and carrots.</li><li>Get a full hour of vigorous activity to burn calories all day long.</li></ul>

Refined Fuel

<ul><li>Make every meal last at least 20 minutes. Nothing good comes from eating fast.</li><li>Eating fast introduces extra air into your stomach.</li><li>Force yourself to put the fork down between bites.</li><li>Learn to enjoy the process of eating correctly.</li></ul>

The 20 Minute Meal Rule

<ul><li>When you are offered complimentary bread with a meal, ask for a healthy alternative or simply pass.</li><li>Eliminate one type of red or processed meat from your diet for good.</li><li>Butter is healthier than bread. A couple of pieces of bread can increase blood sugar as much as a candy bar.</li><li>Glycemic Index: Whole grain bread: 72, Mars candy bar: 69</li><li>Don’t eat your meat and potatoes.</li><li>Daily consumption of processed meat poses the highest risk.</li><li>Plate color can impact your appetite. Contrasting colors will make you tend to eat less.</li><li>Small plates; smaller waistline.</li></ul>

Food Combinations

Keep your bedroom two to four degrees cooler at night. See if it helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.If a room is too warm your body will think it is time to get up.

Keep Your Bedroom Cool

The most influential choices you make for your health occur at the grocery store.Once you put something in your cart, it is likely to end up in your stomach. Shop when you are full whenever practical.

Daily Choices

#1 "New York Times" bestselling author Tom Rath delivers a book that will improve your health for years to come in three of interconnected areas: eating, moving, and sleeping --

food

Food

health

Health

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

books

Books

Eat Move Sleep

Your competence will be validated with<ul><li>Your resume</li><li>A phone screen</li><li>The interview</li><li>Questions regarding the competence of the position, although it's really more about compatibility. This is more so when you are interviewing at a higher level.</li></ul>When you are interviewing even one level up from the hiring manager, they don't really understand the details of your job. You will probably know more than they do. So you can't really prepare as far as technical or operational questions, but you can prepare by understanding compatibility and getting engaged with the person that's interviewing you.

Preparing for a second interview

There are two kinds of individuals that will be interviewing you at this level.<ul><li>Somebody who likes to be the centre of attention. They enjoy being conversationalists. In this case, you should never interrupt them but listen and ask engaging questions about the business and organisation.</li><li>Somebody who doesn't like to be the centre of attention. Here you can come prepared with some good stories of what you've done before. The best customers you ever worked with, or something that really went well.</li></ul>

Two types of interviewers

Do you have a second interview coming up with the hiring manager’s manager? Bill Benoist, a professional career coach from Silicon Valley, walks us through this process.

Are you facing final round interviews with a hiring manager's VP or Director? These interviews will be much more about compatibility than skill or competence. That was already validated. So how do you prepare for final round interviews? #interviewing #interviews #secondinterviews ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding a Job That Fuels Your Passion - online course https://leadershipcafe.thinkific.com/ Learn How To: • How to create a professional looking resume with impact and purpose. A resume that stands out and will not get caught in an applicant tracking system. There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on resume writing services, as I take the mystery out of writing a professional resume with my step-by-step process. • Design a LinkedIn Profile that works for you 24x7. LinkedIn is your gateway to the hidden job market and in this module, you will learn how to leverage this important tool so recruiters and hiring managers can discover you. • Answer even the most difficult interview questions. Questions like your salary expectations, what happened with your last job, tell me a time when or give me an example of. • Create a job search strategy by identifying industries that excite you, discovering companies within those industries, and creating relationships to gain interviews. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want to ACE that next interview? Make sure to Download my Free Ebook "The Top Five Interview Questions You Need to Know" https://www.billbenoist.com/resources/top-5-interview-questions/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONNECT WITH ME: Website: http://billbenoist.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbenoist/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/billbenoist

career

Career

Final Round Interviews with Hiring Manager's VP or Director

Without specialisation, we would not have computers, the internet, cars, antibiotics, or all the other more sophisticated things.
Specialisation creates wealth. The power of specialisation is related to the size of the economy. In a small village, there's only so much specialisation, such as a teacher. But in a global economy, there is an increased payoff for specialisation.

The power of specialisation

Specialisation means focusing on one area to the exclusion of everything else. It can be great when all is well but disastrous when it fails. The tech industry is booming at present, but nothing lasts forever. A political change could stifle innovation. Economic centres could shift from the West. There's always a risk that a niche skillset can become obsolete.

The dangers of excessive specialisation

Two points should be noted:<ul><li>Specialisation is essential.</li><li>Specialisation without any breadth is risky. Living inside a hyper-focused skillset can feel comfortable, but it has hidden costs. Your skill can become less valuable, and you could miss opportunities because you specialised in the wrong skill.</li></ul>

Balancing depth and breadth

<ul><li>Moving upwind. When you are unsure of which path to follow, choose the one with the most options.</li><li>Specialise in work, generalise in play. Keep your work focused, but vary your intellectual pursuits. For example, you may be a software developer by day, but learn languages and history by night.</li><li>Cycle depth and breadth. Oscillate between periods of specialisation and periods of exploration.</li></ul>

Simple rules to help knowing where to invest

How Much Specialization? | Scott H Young

Research shows that positive thinking can benefit our physical and mental health.
But promoting positivity might be overly simplistic and have possible negative consequences in certain circumstances.

The supposed benefits of positive thinking

What you expect to happen in the future will steer your decisions. It will determine if you will pursue a goal or when you will give up.  Your expectations will also affect your emotions. You will feel good if your future looks like it will match your expectations, and you will feel bad if the future looks gloomy. But our optimistic expectations about the future are often wrong and are often consistently wrong.&nbsp;

Our future seldom match our expectations

<ul><li>Optimistic expectations motivate us. If you don't think you have a chance to succeed, you are less likely to try. But this only applies where effort can translate into success, such as studying and expecting a good grade. However, if you hope your favourite sports team will win, it will not help them win.</li><li>Expecting a future experience to be positive could reduce worry. For example, a student who expects a good grade can feel confident and less stressed. But if you expect a positive outcome, you risk disappointment if you fail.</li></ul>

Potential benefits to being optimistic

Only expecting good things to happen is not enough. We also need to be willing to put in the effort to make it happen. The combination of optimism and action help drive motivation to achieve our goals and persist when facing challenges. Having positive expectations is not the same as fantasising. Fantasising can make you overconfident, leading to performing worse and lowering your motivation. But believing that success is possible will help you succeed.

Optimism needs action

Optimistic people tend to enjoy more success, but that’s only when they put the effort in – wishful thinking is not enough

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

problemsolving

Problem Solving

There’s a way to avoid the slippery slopes of over-optimism | Psyche Ideas

We often face complex situations and ambiguity in our daily lives, and feel perplexed and stuck. Complex topics hinder our work and we long to connect the dots and make sense of the thing we are wrestling with.
Certain experts have the knack of making the complex sound simple and easy to understand, much like a math teacher at school who makes sure one can understand tricky algebra and trigonometry.

Simplifying the Complex

<ul><li>Culture is the sum total of the everyday conversations that occur in families, businesses, cities and countries.</li><li>Changing culture means changing what we say and do. </li><li>Most people do not change simply because someone tells them to, so it is good to avoid endless discussions about changing, and instead focus on living those values.</li><li>To change the culture, one needs daring and courage and needs an extensive hands-on approach.</li></ul>

Explaining And Changing Culture

<ul>
<li>It can be a challenge to explain to an eleven-year-old about capitalism, but if we know how small the kid is, we would likely use language that the kid can understand.</li>
<li>Focusing on the audience is key to most presentations, and many people fail because they focus only on what matters to them, not caring a bit about what the audience thinks.</li>
<li>One needs to focus on action and have a clear message that the audience has with them at the end of the presentation.</li>
</ul>

Focus On The Audience

When speaking to an audience, making things simple involves not saying what you want to say, but what the audience wants to hear.
A simple message thoughtfully repeated, anchors itself inside the mind of the audience and becomes their main takeaway.
Talk to the audience using effortless language, turning unknown ambiguities into a simple and easy to digest keynote.

Saying What The Audience Wants To Hear

Often in business we are faced with a great deal of ambiguity and complex situations in all fields, we heard from a few of our speakers that we feel have a real

communication

Communication

teamwork

Teamwork

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

How the Experts Make the Complex Simple

Talking meditation involves speaking slowly and taking time to process the other person's message.Many people speak quickly, without thinking deeply about their responses in conversation. Making communication a more sacred act can strengthen relationships and increase intimacy.

Talking Meditation

Talking m<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/meditation">editation</a> means slowing down the pace at which we speak to deeply take in the message that the other person is offering, and to be with it for a moment before responding. In this way, the other person knows that we are paying close attention to their communication and are showing them the respect that they are due. We can form our response into a beautiful gift before sending back our next statements.

Slowing Down And Listening

The benefit of slowing down the pace of communication.

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

What Is Talking Meditation?

The world we live in is controlled by technology, such as live streaming, virtual backgrounds, teleconferencing apps. While this is remarkable, it also comes with the potential for unexpected problems.
In the virtual world, we will face sudden mishaps at the most inopportune moments. When this happens to you, you'll need to know how to handle it gracefully, especially if it happens at work.

Handling a technical breakdown gracefully

If your computer goes black, an embarrassing text pops onscreen, or your roommate charges into the room, your first urge may be to panic. You may start to sweat, and your heart will beat faster.
The next time this happens to you, remind yourself that the situation is not life-threatening. To re-focus yourself, take a deep breath and remember that most problems can be solved.

Trouble during online presentations: stop and take a deep breath

When you gain some focus, address the technical breakdown openly with your audience. Look at the camera and speak in a casual tone as if talking to a friend. "I just want to let all of you know that my screen just went black..."
If you own that you are experiencing a technical issue, that it is out of your control, and that technical problems are acceptable, you will come across as more human and someone people can relate to.

Own it

When a personal connection has been made with your audience, a little lighthearted joke is a perfect way to make the situation less awkward.
The goal is to break the tension. For example, if your roommate strides into the background playing his invisible guitar, say, "He'll be taking questions and signing autographs. Next slide, please."

Let your guard down and add some laughter

There may be times when you can't solve a technical problem, and you simply need to end your meeting.
In this case, apologise for the situation that is out of your control and explain that you will email everyone to reschedule once the issue is resolved. If it can't be rescheduled, consider some form of compensation.

Know when to end it

Your Screen Froze Again — In the Middle of an Important Meeting

The rule of awkward silence: When you are faced with a challenging question, instead of immediately attempting an answer, take your time - about 15 seconds or longer - to think deeply before you share your thoughts.
While it may feel awkward at first, it is an excellent way to build emotional intelligence - the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions.

Awkward silence is a tool for emotional intelligence

When trying to solve a problem, an awkward silence can help you get to the main cause, and assist in finding better solutions.
It can help to think about questions more deeply, and with greater insight.

Benefits of awkward silence

When communicating on Slack or WhatApp, we don't have to respond instantly. Our quick responses are seldom the best. Our response may even change if we are in a different mood.
If you're dealing with someone who's used to quick responses, instead of responding instantly, let them know you'll respond soon. The results of your communication may surprise you.

Using awkward silence in written communication

entertainment

Entertainment

Why Brilliant Minds Embrace the Rule of Awkward Silence | Inc.com

<ul>
<li>Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.</li>
<li>Give honest and sincere appreciation.</li>
<li>Arouse in the other person an eager want.</li>
</ul>

Essential Techniques For Handling People

We aren’t able to make real changes by criticizing people, and we’re instead often met with resentment. It’s important to remember that when dealing with people, we’re dealing not with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, who are motivated by pride and ego.
Criticism is futile and dangerous. It puts a person in a defensive mode. People learn faster and retain knowledge more effectively when rewarded for good behavior than punished for bad behavior

Criticizing Others Doesn’t Yield Anything Positive

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

The only way to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it.
To convince someone to do something, we have to frame it in terms of what motivates them. And in order to do that, we have to be able to see things from their point of view as well as our own.

Arouse In The Other Person An Eager Want

We are interested in others when they are interested in us.
If you want to make friends, put yourself out to do things for other people – things that require time, energy, unselfishness, and thoughtfulness.

Learn To Be Genuinely Interested In People

You must have a good time meeting people if you expect them to have a good time meeting you.
Actions speak louder than words, and a genuine smile says, “I like you, You make me happy". But an insincere grin doesn’t fool anybody. We know it is mechanical and we resent it.

The Power Of Smiling

Calling someone by their name is like paying them a very subtle compliment. Conversely, forgetting or misspelling someone's name can have the opposite effect and make it feel as though we are distant and disinterested in them.
From the waitress to the senior executive, the name will work magic as you deal with others.

Remember People's Names

To be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener.
Most people would prefer a good listener to a good talker.

Encourage Others To Talk About Themselves

"The royal road to a person’s heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures most."

People want the approval of those with whom they come in contact. They want recognition of their true worth. They want a feeling that they are essential to the world.
But they don’t want to listen to cheap, insincere flattery - they crave sincere appreciation.

Make People Feel Important

<ul>
<li>The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.</li>
<li>Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Neversay, “You’re wrong.”</li>
<li>If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.</li>
<li>Begin in a friendly way.</li>
<li>Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.</li>
<li>Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.</li>
<li>Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.</li>
<li>Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.</li>
<li>Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.</li>
<li>Appeal to the nobler motives.</li>
<li>Dramatize your ideas.</li>
<li>Throw down a challenge.</li>
</ul>

Win People To Your Way Of Thinking

The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
If we lose the argument, we lose; if we win the argument, we have made the other person feel inferior, hurt his pride, and made him resent us. In other words, we still lose.

It’s Impossible To Win An Argument

When talking with people, we should never begin with the points on which we disagree. We should start by emphasizing the things on which we agree, and be sure to convey that we’re both striving for the same result - our differences are in method, but not purpose.
The key is to keep our opponent from saying “no,” as this is a very difficult sentiment to overcome.

Emphasize The Points Of Agreeement

One of the fundamental keys to successful human relations is understanding that other people may be totally wrong, but they don’t think they are.
Put yourself in their place. Success in dealing with people depends on a sympathetic grasp of the other person’s viewpoint.

Don't Condemn, Try To Understand

<ul>
<li>Begin with praise and honest appreciation.</li>
<li>Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.</li>
<li>Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.</li>
<li>Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.</li>
<li>Let the other person save face.</li>
<li>Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement.</li>
<li>Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.</li>
<li>Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.</li>
<li>Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.</li>
</ul>

How to Change People Without Giving Offence or Arousing Resentment

Principles to follow:
<ul>
<li>Become genuinely interested in other people.</li>
<li>Smile.</li>
<li>Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.</li>
<li>Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.</li>
<li>Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.</li>
<li>Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.</li>
</ul>

Make People Like You

You can go after the job you want—and get it! You can take the job you have—and improve it! You can take any situation—and make it work for you! Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you: -Six ways to make people like you -Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking -Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment And much more! Achieve your maximum potential—a must-read for the twenty-first century with more than 15 million copies sold!

Why people hated shopping carts when they first came out

Eat Move Sleep

Final Round Interviews with Hiring Manager's VP or Director

How Much Specialization? | Scott H Young

There’s a way to avoid the slippery slopes of over-optimism | Psyche Ideas

Valentina Y.