You'll have to face your fears to make many necessary decisions throughout your career, writes Steve Farber. Like old resentments, fears can cloud your thinking and keep you from making the correct choices.

When you get negative feedback, probe for specific information that will help you improve, writes Nicole Lindsay. Ask whether the other person has observed the issue regularly and if he or she has any ideas for addressing the problem.

You don't want to be the person who talks business all the time at networking events. You'll ultimately build more meaningful connections if you look to get to know colleagues personally, writes Brianna Elefant.

The Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly is investigating an allegation of retaliation in the firing of former PepsiCo General Counsel Maura Smith, citing internal documentation a WilmerHale lawyer mistakenly sent The Wall Street Journal. Smith had investigated business practices at Wimm-Bill-Dann, a Russian company PepsiCo acquired in 2011, based on an employee's accusation of financial wrongdoing.

When you're ready to quit your job, give notice on a Friday to give your boss time to digest the information. Make every effort to ease the transition by cleaning out your inbox and giving your successors the tools they need, writes Lindsay Tigar.

While mindfulness isn't a magic solution for every problem, it can improve your focus, memory and ability to stay calm, writes Daniel Goleman. "Think of mindfulness as a way to enhance certain kinds of mental fitness, just as regular workouts at the gym build physical fitness," Goleman writes.

Police in Lebanon, Ohio, are investigating reports of monkey sightings throughout the community. Residents have taken pictures of monkeys in trees, with many speculating that the monkeys were pets.