The Screen Writers Guild is one of the most venerable unions in Hollywood. Its history storied and its list of members legendary. More than a few of them, like Billy Wilder, were gifted ironists. So here’s to them:

Today the Screen Writers Guild is striking so they will get paid more when their work is distributed across the Internet. Not something considered in the previous contract, but certainly a justifiable request.

Today the Screen Writers Guild has told their membership it is ok for them to accept paying gigs from web sites that are not signatories to their long standing agreement, in other words not any major media corporation.

I may be alone in thinking this is more than just provocative, it is extremely unwise. Would they work for shows or theater offline that weren’t signatories to the agreement? Maybe - but they aren’t so they get paid for that very gig.

By working for the web sites they are saying, these guys are different and our terms with them are different. All at the same time when they are arguing with the Major Media companies that indeed anything on the Internet is THE SAME as offline.

This is less logical than the plotlines of both National Treasure 1 & 2.

My friend, who knows me better than I know myself, made some book recommendations that changed my life, in a really good way.

I suffer from what the Zen-savvy people call a “chattering” mind. That is, my mind essentially never rests. Ever. I am always thinking. Thinking about last week, thinking about next month, thinking about retirement, thinking about why my ears sometimes ring for no reason. A chattering mind is a curse, a tiresome curse.

The books she recommended were “The Power of Now, a Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment” by Eckhart Tolle, and “Practicing the Power of Now, Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from the Power of Now” by the same author.

Eckhart Tolle, the author of these books, suffered from deep anxiety and depression for most of his life. In one particularly dark moment, he remembers thinking, “I cannot live with myself any longer.” In this insightful moment, he was able to step outside himself, and realize that he was indeed an observer - of himself.

He realized, if you can observe yourself thinking, then the observer “you” must be separate from your mind.

Tolle suggests that people are spending most their time thinking about stuff (either in the past, or planning for the future) instead of being in the moment.

One of my personal takeaways from reading the book is that I’m no longer a slave to whatever thoughts come randomly into my head. I can observe them, and even sometimes just tell my brain to “Shut Up”.

So, try it, listen to our own thoughts as a passive, smarter observer. And when you feel like quiet, don’t be afraid to tell your mind to “Shut Up!” It works.

One of the things I have been working on, and getting better at, is being a good listener. I know, you’ve probably read those self-help-communications-for-couples books that talk about active listening (hearing, rephrasing, and asking questions, etc.). I think those techniques are fine, but if you really want to be a good listener, it takes effort and practice.

The payoff, and it’s huge, is it will help you in nearly every facet of your life, from your personal relationships to even your business relationships. And because being a good listener is really a rare skill, you will absolutely stand out from the crowd in a positive way. People will notice. Every time they interact with you, they will notice.

#1 Listening is a Single and Exclusive Task

Think about most of the business execs you know. They are usually reading their e-mail, talking on the phone, and playing with the blackberry all at the same time. Listening requires your full attention without any distractions. Be still and look at the person your are listening to.

#2 Process the Information You Hear Without Interruption

Most people spend the listening part of the conversation, simply lining up what they are going to say next, and then coil up like a tiger about to pounce on the first conversational opening that appears. Keep your attention focused on the person speaking. Respond if you are asked a direct question, otherwise just listen.

#3 Keep Your Agenda Out of It, Or Better Yet Don’t Have One

When you listen, just do that. Don’t try to think how you can use this information to push forward your own agenda. Just listen.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Try it for a while, see if you don’t discover the listener in you. So stand out, be a good listener.