We have two ears and one mouth for good reason. When we fail to listen properly, we risk alienating one another. And we risk missing out on a vital piece of information that might have led to a different outcome. Many conversations spiral out of control or hit a brick wall because of a failure to understand what's being said. Sometimes, there's a point-scoring agenda or we allow our own filter or judgments to influence our interpretation of the messaging. In this youtube video, Mervin offers five tips for how to improve communication and prevent conversations going into freefall. And he looks at what international expert Nancy Kline says about the damaging impact of ill-conceived interruptions.

Why is it important to spend as much time as possible living in present? In this youtube video, life coach Mervin Straughan identifies four benefits of living in the present and makes four recommendations for how to do so. We shape our future by what we do now. Consciously or unconsciously.