Thoughts for today...
So last week at work I started reading Dr. Wayne Dyer's Change your Thoughts, Change your Life. It was great and I had an urge to share it.
So I typed up a single page synopsis of the first verse (the book goes through the verses of the Tao Te Ching) and gave it to my friend the claims manager. Well the Accounts manager then wanted a copy, and the Health Coach and the claims supervisor. Since I'd given one to most of the managers, I gave one to the enrollment manager too. Well today I went to pass out the second installment and the claims manager and I did some role playing on the action item which was good for me. The account manager had one of her people in her office who then asked for a copy of it. The health coach loved it. The claims supervisor had staff at her desk who all asked for copies of it (and we had a discussion on how - don't explain, don't blame, just fix it - applied to our jobs). The enrollment manager took it, told me she'd get around to it and I'm sure it went in the round file based on her tone of voice.
So, I've accidentally stumbled into doing some motivational work at work just because I got excited about a book.
A horoscope to work on...
September 29, 2008
Positive Power Of Persuasion
Pisces Daily Horoscope
Your positive outlook on life could make others look up to you today. Perhaps you realize that being able to make a good impression on the people around you comes from looking at the bright side of life, even when things seem awry. If you can understand the power your view of the world has not only on yourself but also on others, you might be able to use your optimism to benefit others in a positive way today. Should those around you seem upset or saddened by the way things are going in their lives, you can listen to their concerns and help them see the lessons they might be able to learn from their experiences. Showing others this point of view could make it easier for them to see that everything in life happens for a reason and that there is always a silver lining in every situation.
Our attitudes have the power to influence and impress others. Since our ability to look at life through a certain lens affects not only ourselves but also the people around us, using our sway in a way that is affirming and inspiring shapes the mood of our relationships and our immediate surroundings. If we are able to see the positive side of things, the effect we have on others will be longer-lasting and will also contribute to our society in way that is constructive and cultivates greater insight and awareness. By influencing people through your optimism today, your upbeat energy will have an enduring and positive impact.
And I started a new gratitude journal today...
And the house is full of teenagers....
and it's not what you think...yes, I have a house full of geeks, tonight. So there are odd shaped dice, graph paper, pencils, human calculators (no electronic ones), plenty of pizza and Cheeto's, and lots of caffeinated soda...Yes, it's D&D night at my house.
Great to see my kids carrying on the tradition.
On top of that, BNET just suggested that gamers make great employees since they know how to think outside the box. Of course, I know people who had to fire employees for WOW during work. As long as the gaming is saved for after working hours, and they know how to transfer gaming strategy skills to the real life world - I can see where gaming could be a beneficial skill to have in some workplaces. Of course, I know others where being a 12th level Drow wouldn't be an advantage.
When growing up...
it's a fine line between taking initiative and missing the boat because one didn't ask for help. My daughter is up at school but comes home weekends until she gets her work bonus from the zoo.
During the last week, she had a bit of a mishap and took out the sidewall of her tire. She was able to put on the spare and then went to the nearest tire store to get a replacement. She was so proud of herself for negotiating the price down to $70.
That's when her Dad informed her that if she had called home, he would have instructed her to go to a different tire store since she has a road-hazard warranty on her tires and they would have replaced it free. To top it off, the tire she bought is a bottom of the line tire that should have cost about $50.
Well, being my mother's daughter, I knew this wasn't the end. I instructed her to take the warranty papers into the store, explain what happened and see what they could do. So today she goes into Les Schwab and they honor the warranty on the tire but they did charge her for rotating the tires and stiping the new one (if she could have proved that the damaged one was stiped like the other three that would have been free too). All in all - $115 isn't bad for a life lesson learned. In the future, she'll put together the plan, and maybe call for advice.
New Playlist Feature...
So I've seen a few people with music on their blogs (my sister Kat among them). I followed the link and created my own. Unfortunately several songs I want were not available, but I can understand that because from what I can tell the site lists to free postings of the songs. I'm hoping that all the links are legal.
I also started reading What Color is Your Parachute? for 2008. I skipped straight to the know yourself section and began with the exercise to answer the question Who am I?
My ten items - -
1. A Daughter of God
2. A Wife and Mother
3. Avid Reader/Researcher
4. Blogger/Writer
5. LifeCoach
6. Intelligent
7. Outgoing
8. Listmaker
9. Creative Textile Artist
10. Computer Saavy
So, what do these items have in common?
How do they apply to the workforce?
Affirmation iPod playlist
Video by India Arie
Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns
She’s Sexy and Seventeen by Stray Cats
One Girl Revolution by Saving Jane
Strength, Courage and Wisdom by India Arie
God Don’t Make Lonely Girls by The Wallflowers
Bad for Good by Meatloaf
How do you like me Now? By Toby Keith
Radar Love by Wicked Tinkers
Female of the Species by Julia Ecklar
Beauty and the Beast by NightWish
The Queen of All Argyll by Silly Wizards
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have with her Clothes On by Panic! At the Disco
Over the Hills and Far Away by Nightwish
The One I Love by R.E.M.
The Look by Roxette
Red Barchetta by RUSH
One Winged Angel by Tetsuya Noruma
Missing the MP3’s but would like them on the list
One Girl Revolution by SuperChicks
Strut by Sheena Easton
1985 by Bowling for Soup
Her Strut by Bob Seger
Hips Don't Lie by Shakira
Need to move to the list
Seventeen Again by Eurythmics
I Want it All by Eurythmics
What is this Feeling from Wicked
Wait a Minute by PussyCat Dolls
Don't Cha by PussyCat Dolls
I know you’re out there somewhere Moody Blues
Consider me Gone by Sting
What Songs pump you up, make you feel better about yourself and are missing from my list?
Labels: Music
Time to hit the gratitude journal again...
You Are Boundless
Pisces Daily Horoscope
You might feel that your resources are limited, and as such could be judging yourself harshly today. Perhaps these feelings of inadequacy are the result of your comparing yourself with others and feeling that you do not measure up to a certain standard. If you can remind yourself that imperfection is part of life and that you are perfect just as you are, you might feel better about things. Should thoughts of scarcity or hopeless arise today you can simply repeat to yourself "My life is fine. I have enough." A simple affirmation such as this could help you not only to realize that your life is right on target, but it might also make it easier to feel better about yourself and see just how blessed and full your life is.
Picked up my stuff from the fair...
And I made a profit again this year. I spent $8 to enter and I have $12 in prize money plus a $10 gift certificate to Quilts, Etc. So I made a 36% return on my investment. Not bad considering I also get bragging rights for one more year.
Yep, I kept my 1st place blue ribbon for the Needlepoint pillow category. And for the first time, I got a ribbon on cross-stitch from a pattern. Yep, all my previous cross-stitch ribbons have been for original designs. I think there was a part of me that believed that it was the extra points for design and not the stitching. See, I know I have a tension issue. It comes from using stitching to relax at the end of the day.
I did get judging comments on the quilt - both judges said I needed to square it up better and one suggested that I iron it better. They wanted me to pick up an entry for next year's quilt challenge but I was good, I didn't pick up any new projects. After all, I'm on a
100 project challenge.
bRAdburY
"We ran breathing ice cream..." the metaphor from
Something Wicked This Way Comes remains glued in my memory as a beautiful example Ray Bradbury's rich writing. His works have been a basis for Hollywood since the early days of the Science Fiction movie - It Came from Outer Space, Farhenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, A Sound of Thunder, Ray Bradbury's Science Fiction Theatre, and they're still using his work. 2005's A Piece of Wood and this year's Chrysalis are both from short stories he wrote.
One of Science Fiction's most prolific writers, his story "The Veldt" is accepted in elementary school as a work of literature and may be some children's first introduction to science fiction - I remember "The Veldt" as part of the Great Book series when I was in 4th grade. Starting with Dark Carnival in 1947, books have been published almost every year. When I read
Let's All Kill Constance I knew it was him writing and not something along the lines of L. Ron Hubbard's books. (Hubbard died in the 1980's but the church he started still publishes works supposedly written by him although the writing style is totally different.)
I was excited to find an
interview by him posted this year. It's wonderful to think that one of my favorite authors is still alive and still writing. I wish him health and happiness and life as long as he wants it.
Hmm, in shades of Men in Black - could Ray be one of those visiting aliens and his stories actually biographic and journalistic instead of science fiction?
Hmm, wonder how I did at the fair?
Usually I get off work early and go to the fair for a few minutes on the first day when it's free. This year, things were too busy and I didn't get away. So I have no clue how either my stitching or photography did this year. I'm not going to get to the fair before it closes on Sunday either. So I guess I'll find out when I pick my stuff up on Monday.
An indulgence to unpack emotional baggage
Once upon a time, school rings were an important fashion accessory. It meant something to have the heavy band and colored stone. It identified you as someone with a connection to a history and traditions, if you were a girl with a guy’s school ring it announced that you were dating a college age guy.
I couldn’t wait to get my school ring, it meant I would be a graduate and ready to move on to college. However, when I brought home the packet with all the graduation accessories and showed my dad the ring I had selected, he told me that I didn’t need a colored stone. After all in a few years, I would have a diamond when I got married.
A few years later, I did have a diamond but I also wanted a college ring. After all, my husband had this beautiful ring with a red stone that had USMC on the band.
I missed graduation because I gave birth the day after the ceremony. And since I wasn’t walking, I didn’t send out announcements and I didn’t buy any of the graduation accouterments so I didn’t get my ring or a tassel for that matter.
So this time around when I got the graduation package with all the stuff I could buy, I went straight for the ring. It was expensive but I knew that this was one piece of emotional baggage that I could not afford to bypass. I’ve always regretted not getting either the high school or the college ring – I wasn’t going to spend any time regretting this one. Oh, and I did negotiate a price lower than the one in the package and the one on the website. Never pay retail, baby!!
But I thought I was an ENTJ?
So I took the Briggs Meyers test again this weekend and I came out as an ENTP instead of my usual ENTJ. The difference? Instead of being a field marshall (looking for leadership and dying to be in charge), I'm an inventor (lots of ideas, always wanting to share, can't believe that everyone else isn't as excited).
I can see how I vary between these two depending on the mood. Maybe I'm an Inventive Field Marshall - who sees the strategy but knows there is something better out there.
Who do you want to be when you grow up?
I started with listing what I love about my work...
1. Solving the impossible problems
2. Holding employee education meetings
3. Creating solutions with which all team members could agree or at least see the logic.
4. Persuading and motivating my teams.
5. Helping employees find purpose and meaning in their work.
6. Having the data prove me right
7. Research and challenges
Now to find a job that matches these things and a work environment that isn't toxic.
My first created lol...
moar
funny pictures
