Author Archives: Avish

About Avish

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

Holiday Humor: Rudolph the Approval Seeking Pariah

Warning: Reading this post may tarnish some of your fond childhood memories… “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. If you are unfamiliar, or need a refresher, here are the lyrics: Rudolph, … Continue reading

Posted in Just Funny, Motivation & Success | Tagged | 1 Comment

The World’s Worst Motivational Exercises

What do waterboarding, burning, beating, and kidnapping all have in common? If you said, “they are all controversial tools in the war on terror,” you would be wrong. If you said, “they were all used as teambuilding and motivational corporate … Continue reading

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Are You “Prepared” to Improvise?

There’s a difference between “winging it,” and “being able to improvise.” Great improvisers understand that the better you prepare, the better you improvise. I was reminded of this as I watched a humorously minor tragedy befall a young Philadelphia student … Continue reading

Posted in Ding!, Motivation & Success | 3 Comments

Flow With the Go

No, the title of this post is not a typo. It is a different take on how to approach the concept of “flow.” Yesterday, I was reading Guy Kawasaki’s The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone … Continue reading

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5 Great Motivational Songs From 80’s Movies

Everyone can use a little motivation from time to time, and what better form of motivation is there than great music? Er..except for the Motivational Smart Ass blog, that is… I grew up in the 80’s and have a soft … Continue reading

Posted in Just Funny, Motivation & Success | Tagged | 15 Comments

It’s Gonna Get Worse Before it Gets Better

“Pain don’t hurt” – Dalton (Patrick Swayze), Roadhouse Sadly, yes, pain does hurt. I learned this last week when my teeth and gums decided it was time to pay me back for a few years of neglect. Were the lessons … Continue reading

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How to Make Some Smart Ass Decisions

We all make awful decisions from time to time. Some people make awful decision more frequently then just “from time to time.” But have you ever thought about why you make the decisions you do and what goes into the … Continue reading

Posted in Business Advice, Motivation & Success | 1 Comment

Thanksgiving Humor: Rain on My Parade – Please!

(Note: This is a repost of some Thanksgiving humor I wrote a couple of years ago – enjoy!) Thanksgiving Day is approaching here in the U.S., and that means that on a very cold Thursday morning thousands of people will … Continue reading

Posted in Just Funny | 2 Comments

When Common Sense and Customer Service Collide

Do you know what, “smack yourself in the head because it is so unbelievably idiotic customer service,” is? Probably, but in case you don’t (and to read some ideas on how to fix it) keep reading… I was at Barnes … Continue reading

Posted in Business Advice | Tagged | 4 Comments

Compliments: Take ‘Em Like a Man!

A couple of days ago I wrote a post on The Immense Power of an Unsolicited Compliment. My friend Terry Ryan pointed me to a post he made on his blog a while ago on the converse: Always Accept Compliments. … Continue reading

Posted in Motivation & Success | 3 Comments