Category Archives: Quotes

Words That Make us Stronger, Smarter, and Happier

Quotes

Do you ever turn to famous quotes to inspire and motivate yourself. When we are dealing with stress, quotes can help us accept our situation and do things things to solve the very problems that are causing the stress.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~John Wooden

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

“It’s not that I’m so smart. It’s just that I stay with problems longer.” ~Albert Einstein

“Holding onto your anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” ~Buddha

“We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way we are.” ~Talmud

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” ~Robert Frost

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” ~Maya Angelou

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~John Wooden

“The two most important days of your life are the day that you’re born and the day that you find out why.” ~Mark Twain

Photo by Nathalia Segato on Unsplash

“If you’re growing a garden, you need to pull out the weeds, but flowers will die if all you do is pick weeds. They need sunshine and water. People are the same.” From "The Score Takes Care of Itself" by Bill Walsh

Positive Coaching

Confidence, Continuous Improvement, Emotional Intelligence, Quotes

“If you’re growing a garden, you need to pull out the weeds, but flowers will die if all you do is pick weeds. They need sunshine and water. People are the same.” From “The Score Takes Care of Itself” by Bill Walsh on the importance of Positive Coaching

Photo by Jean Lucas Camilo on Unsplash

One Simple Political Comment can Destroy Years of Trust. ~ Jay Wren

What are Dangers of Discussing Politics with Friends, Family, and Business Contacts?

Quotes, Success

One Simple Political Comment can Destroy Years of Trust. ~ Jay Wren

There are a number of dangers to discussing politics with friends, family, and business contacts.

Dangers of discussing politics with friends:

  • Strained relationships: Political discussions can quickly become heated and emotional, especially if friends have strong opposing views. This can lead to arguments, resentment, and even the end of friendships.
  • Echo chambers: Friends tend to share similar views, so discussing politics with them can reinforce your own beliefs and make it more difficult to see the other side’s perspective. This can lead to polarization and make it harder to have productive conversations with people who have different views.
  • Loss of trust: If you share confidential information about your political beliefs with friends, they could potentially betray your trust and use that information against you. This is especially true if your friends have different political views.

Dangers of discussing politics with family:

  • Family feuds: Political disagreements can tear families apart, especially if they are long-standing and deep-seated. This is especially true if family members are forced to spend time together, such as during holidays and vacations.
  • Hurt feelings: Family members often care deeply about each other, so political disagreements can be especially painful. This can lead to resentment, anger, and even estrangement.
  • Uncomfortable situations: If you have family members with different political views, it can be difficult to avoid political discussions altogether. This can lead to uncomfortable situations, such as at family gatherings or on social media.

Dangers of discussing politics with business contacts:

  • Damage to professional relationships: If you have political disagreements with business contacts, it can damage your professional relationships. This is especially true if your work is closely tied to your political beliefs.
  • Loss of opportunities: If your business contacts know that you have different political views, they may be less likely to do business with you. This is especially true if you are in a competitive field.
  • Create a hostile work environment: If you discuss politics at work, it can create a hostile work environment for employees with different political views. This can lead to decreased productivity and morale.

How to mitigate the dangers:

If you do choose to discuss politics with friends, family, and business contacts, there are a few things you can do to mitigate the dangers:

  • Be respectful: Even if you disagree with someone’s political views, it is important to be respectful of their right to have those views. Avoid personal attacks and name-calling.
  • Be willing to listen: It is important to be willing to listen to the other side’s perspective, even if you don’t agree with it. This shows that you are open-minded and respectful.
  • Agree to disagree: It is okay to disagree with someone about politics. You don’t have to try to change their mind. If the discussion becomes too heated, it is best to agree to disagree and move on.
  • Be mindful of your audience: It is important to be mindful of your audience when discussing politics. If you are with people who have different political views, it is best to avoid sensitive topics.

In general, it is best to avoid discussing politics with friends, family, and business contacts unless you are sure that they share your views. If you do choose to discuss politics, be respectful, be willing to listen, and agree to disagree.

Photo by 愚木混株 cdd20 on Unsplash

Creating a Positive Workplace

Leadership, Quotes, Success

Focusing on a negative can distract people from the positive side of doing their job.

It’s Not about Fruitcake

I love fruitcake.  Like everything else, fruitcake has people who love it and people who do not. Nearly two million fruitcakes are sold each year. I doubt that many people eat an entire fruitcake, since most fruitcakes have a very dense texture and are about a foot in diameter and four inches high less that plug missing in the middle.  However, I think that given a week, I could eat an entire fruitcake.

I read an article online the other day that was very critical of fruitcakes.  Fruitcakes seem to have a public polarity rarely seen outside of politics. It baffles me how people can be so serious about fruitcakes. On the other hand, these people must feel baffled about how much I love fruitcakes.

What caught my attention is how negative this person was about fruitcakes. The author put a negative opinion out there. I felt on the defensive. The negativity was polarizing. Moreover, the subject of the article was not about fruitcakes. The article was promoting a company’s product by drawing a negative contrast between their products and other products.

They drew my attention away from their products and focused my attention on defending fruitcakes! They didn’t sell me on their products. Instead, their negativity cluttered my mind and I lost interest in their products.

Getting Discovered: How Powerful People Find Great Jobs

Emotional Intelligence, Interviewing, Job Skills, Leadership, Quotes, Success

Getting Discovered: You have all the skills, the talent, intelligence, charisma, and emotional intelligence for success.  But what does it matter if no one knows?

Spread the Word

Retailers, manufacturers, and service providers have resources for putting their name out there.  They run ads in print, radio, television, social media, and billboards.

Furthermore, they sponsor public events.  They take part in community service projects with volunteers and donations.  Their executives do interviews on mass media.

Additionally, these companies have the money and the professional support to engage shoppers and spread create awareness of their products and services.

Confidential Job Search

You can use the same principles of putting your name out here as companies use.

Furthermore, you can promote your job search with nominal expense and minimal exposure.

Here are some suggestions.

Recruiters

There are pluses and minuses to using recruiters.  The top recruiters represent companies that offer more than a job.  They offer great opportunities for a career with long-term professional and financial growth.

Furthermore, unlike some employment agencies, recruiters don’t charge the job seeker a fee for helping them find a job.  The hiring companies pay the fee.

If you are uncertain about the terms of working with recruiters, ask each recruiter directly who pays the placement fee or any other recruiting costs.

Applying for a Job In-Person

When you apply for a job in person, bring the information with you that you need to complete an application.  Some examples include your salary history, job history, and references.

Resumes

Sending recruiters and hiring managers your resume is an essential step in getting discovered in a professional career.

Important point:  you don’t need permission to send your resume.  All you need is a postal address, email address, or a website upload link.

Recruiters on LinkedIn, often have their email address on their LinkedIn profile.

Volunteering

Volunteering for activities where you can use your professional skills is a way to expand your network and become discovered.  Furthermore, these volunteering opportunities can help you meet employers and meet people who know employers.

Internet Profiles

You can post your profile in multiple places on the Internet. The best places include LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Additionally, if you are willing to create a website, you can put your name out there as a source of information and assistance to other people.

Speaking Opportunities

If you have the skills and the contacts to speak in front of audiences, you can become discovered for your skills and experience at events where employers will see you.

Based on your skills and education, your opportunities to speak or do interviews can vary from mass media to trade shows or college programs.

For example, when I worked for Polaroid, I would contact local television stations to give interviews and discuss new cameras.

Conclusion

Just as retailers, manufacturers, and service providers do, you can become discovered by putting your name out there where the best people to help you will find it.

Fate and Luck I have had good luck and bad luck.  But without work, I could not have had the luck to do so many things I enjoy.

Fate and Luck: Playing Comes Before Winning

Continuous Improvement, Emotional Intelligence, Health and Fitness, Quotes, Success

Fate and Luck: Luck comes to those who act.  Fate decides who wins.  But acting often and acting smarter increases our odds of turning fate in our favor.

In life or in cards, we can’t win without playing.
~ www.jaywren.com

Fate and Luck

I have had good luck and bad luck.  But without work, I could not have had the luck to do so many things I enjoy.

My luck in college increased greatly when I realized that I didn’t have to be the smartest student in the room.  I had to put luck on my side by doing the things that, for me, were necessary to be as successful as people smarter than I was.

I was lucky to get into Naval Officer Candidate School. However, if I had not worked hard in college, I would not have had the opportunity to apply for NOCS and become a bridge officer on the carrier, USS Midway.

Also, I had the good luck to work at two major consumer companies. However, the time and effort I put into college and into my work as an officer in the Navy paved the way for me to get an interview with these companies.
Adrenal hormone in ED is not much clear, but many diagnostic reports predict its role in male impotence. *

As a business owner, I had success and frustration.  I learned early on that I could not control the results.  Results are about fate.  However, by making more phone calls, working extra hours, adjusting to changes in technology, I had the good fortune to run a successful business for thirty years.

You Can’t Control the Results

Some you win. Some you lose. Some get rained out.  The results are fate.  We work hard.  We do the correct things.  But the world changes. Technology, industrial dynamics, economics, and other things change.  Things beyond our control change.

However, you can do the things that influence the outcome.  For example, poker is a game of betting on the cards you have and the cards you hope to have.

However, great poker players know as well as anyone how fate controls the outcome of a hand.  Holding aces never guarantees a win.  But playing the hand, and playing it smartly, increases the odds of winning. And great poker players win often.

Not only in poker, but in everything I do, I play to win.  I know that taking the right action increases my chances of success.