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Communication skills
“Lack of communication leaves fear and doubt.” ~Kellan Lutz Lately I’ve been thinking about communication — and what makes good communication. I’m an over-communicator by nature and by trade. After college, I had publishing jobs that required a lot of meetings and follow-up phone calls. Later, as a newspaper columnist, my career was all about talking to people in print. (Early in my marriage, one of my in-laws told me I “talk too much.”) But after years of living among both chatterboxes and quiet people, I’m much more comfortable with the chatterboxes. While some folks believe it’s safer to say less — or nothing — silence doesn’t help build relationships.…
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Can you walk in someone else’s shoes?
“We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other. It is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other’s opposite and complement.” ~Hermann Hesse, Narcissus and Goldmund In popular culture, we talk a lot about the importance of honoring our differences and celebrating our uniqueness. We want others to appreciate our flaws and quirks — or at least accept them — and respect our opposing points of view. We want the freedom to worship as we choose, the freedom to express ourselves, the freedom to choose our…
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Lofty expectations
“Never expect anything less than you deserve. But never expect anything more than you are willing to give.” ~Jen Groover, entrepreneur I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of “expectations” — and how our own expectations often influence and impact what we get out of life. For instance, I’m thinking of all the times I’ve eaten at trendy five-star restaurants, only to feel duped when my meals fell short of the rave reviews I’d heard or read. At the same time, I also recall a few small-town eateries that surprised me with delicious, creative entrees when I least expected it. It’s never a bad idea to hold ourselves and others…
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The complaint department
“When you consistently maintain a positive frame of mind, you’ll become known as a problem-solver rather than a complainer. Most people avoid complainers. They seek out problem-solvers.” ~ Joseph Sommerville, PhD, The Five Keys to Interpersonal Success Are you a complainer or a problem-solver? According to behavioral research, if you hang out with folks who always gripe and complain, you might find yourself sporting a negative attitude and extra frown lines in the middle of your forehead. When complaining becomes the norm — at home, in the workplace or in social circles — it’s hard to break the cycle. Negativity is both contagious and repellent. But spending time with positive people…
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What is integrity?
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” ~C.S. Lewis With so much turmoil unfolding in our country lately, I’ve been thinking about the word integrity. Growing up, I was taught to believe that integrity was an essential quality to expect in leaders of business and government. Integrity was also something to consider (without compromise) when choosing my friends and life partner. So what does integrity really mean? Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines it: 1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility. 2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness. 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness.…
