Less Attitude, More Gratitude

Hello my dear readers!

Today I found myself beginning to throw a pity party despite my best efforts not to.  I woke up with prayer and positive vibes and what do you know? Before I even began the busiest part of my day, negativity started to creep in.  I shared some of these thoughts with a family member who listened briefly and then asked "What are you doing to better the situation?"  Don't you just love family members and friends who keep you in check? :-)  But it got me thinking on how easy it is to complain and complain while not trying as hard as we can be.  When it comes to the things I was complaining about, I have been trying and patience is half the battle.  However, if I look carefully, I haven't truly been devoting all of my resources and energy to making things better, so ultimately I could be doing a lot more.  There are many things in life that you can't control, require perseverance or are at times unfair.  However, what most motivational speakers and authors will tell you is that you must keep working harder.  It may seem like you have to work so much harder than others and maybe you do, maybe you don't.  In any event, you've got to work to enhance that which you can control!

So what can one do to better a situation?  Every case is different but I think my points below best refer to working towards a goal.

1) Go all in-  It sounds simple and it should be but believe me it's not so easy!  Whether it's the new gig you want, the healthy lifestyle/image you want, or whatever, you truly have to work hard.  I've been reading blogs and articles of people who've attained things that I dream of and the number one thing they had in common?  They were relentless in going for it.  For example, if you want to make a dream your lifestyle, you can't just wish for it or put some energy into it, you've go to go all in!  That may require some creativity but you just have to be willing to work hard and for a long period of time.  Nothing worthwhile comes in a day!

2) Be patient- Whoever said that patience is a virtue was not joking!  Doors close and they remain closed and sometimes it doesn't make sense for a long time, if at all.  Through it all, exercise trust that your good intentions will be rewarded and remain calm.  Brighter days will come!


3) Have gratitude-  Being thankful for what you do have while working towards what you want can be challenging.  However, I believe that appreciation spawns better energy and greater opportunities.  If you sulk and complain daily, you are not only putting out negative vibes but you're likely also stressing and affecting your health negatively. 

I hope this helps!  Remember, it's impossible not to complain or feel bad when things don't go right.  It's natural.  The point is don't stay there!

Get Up!

Hey guys! It’s been a busy time within this past week. I attended my first professional seminar for work. It was a really awesome experience. I’ve done some development things in my professional life but never directly related to a field that I’m working in. The seminar was classroom format, the duration was for 2 days and the location was off-site (though only a train ride away) and I’d say it was just the change of pace I needed to get me recharged and even more enthusiastic with this field. I actually enjoyed the academic vibe, furiously taking notes and just being a student again.  Sometimes, in addition to receiving knowledge and guidance, we just need that affirmation that we’re doing something right. Mentoring can come in many ways, from someone well-seasoned or from your peers. I had the pleasure of both. Experience gives way to wisdom and we’re all living and on a journey. Identify the positive and sincere people in your life and embrace them! Learn from them! I strongly encourage everyone to seek out development opportunities, both professionally and personally, even if you’re not quite where you’d like to be. We all have potential to be great and no matter what age, learning and gaining new skills is key to that. You’ve got to go for what you want and I believe you can do so with integrity! And with networking and support. “So get up, don’t sit back…”

Below is one of my favorite, up-tempo encouragement songs (it includes the lyric I quoted above). Listen closely. Enjoy!

 

 

Go forth and be inspired!

Your Brain: Getting better in time

This blog’s for all my folks who have finished undergraduate and aren’t quite aboard the graduate school express. This is especially for you if you aren’t quite in your desired career field or just generally bored. Have you ever felt like you were just losing brain cells? Just think about it, in college your mind was consistently challenged in class, you were required to regularly use critical thinking, and who can forget all the research papers (wasn’t that just a blast)? Then you enter the workforce and unless you skipped up the ranks, you likely have done a host of administrative work. Don’t get me wrong; administrative assistants of the world—stand up! Companies wouldn’t have success without you. But you must admit that it’s not always the most interesting or mind-bending and chances are, you aren’t using the same part of your brain that you did in college.

There is good news though. You’re not getting dumber over time! Watching my local news this morning, I learned that the brain itself stays sharp in some areas. According the a report from English newspaper The Telegraph, long-term memory, vocabulary, emotional intelligence and social skills stay intact or might actually show improvement. This probably explains why we can look at past events that at the time seemed monumental and view them as just “little things.”

With all good things, there is always a flip side. As you get older, aspects such as short-term memory, learning skills, and the ability to reason decrease. Now you understand why it’s sometimes harder for senior citizens to remember recent events, pick up new skills like technology (I’m in my 20’s and I still need help), or be rational. Be patient! This is likely going to be you when you are their age.

All in all, you MUST engage your brain to stay sharp. You can only fight biology through effort! Reading books and newspapers (yes they still exist) and doing puzzles like crosswords, Sudoku, or even math problems (yep, I really said math) are excellent ways to challenge your mind in a simple, easy manner. You could always study for grad exams like I did, too. Borders, Barnes & Nobles, etc are our friends!

Feeling bored? Do a puzzle! You will be so glad you did in about 30 years!

Reference article: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpps/news/study-aging-brains-retain-knowledge-dpgoh-20100628-fc_8368690

The DESK step to office success

(Getty images)

So, we've all been there right? Tired, stiff limbs, stressed out; if you work (or have ever worked) in an office, you know what I'm talking about.

It’s a well-known fact that sitting too long is never a good thing. It induces sleepiness, lack of motivation, and worst of all: negative effects on your health. From bad posture to weight gain to depression, the threat is real. Most of the time we can avoid prolonged sitting due to ease of mobility. What about the times when you can’t avoid it? If you work in an office or cubicle regularly, then you likely fall into the category of unavoidable.

However, all is not lost! In addition to taking breaks to stretch or go for a walk (make sure those breaks aren’t TOO long), companies are taking a new approach to helping employees be limber. How, you ask? The treadmill workstation (or desk treadmill)! This unique workstation combines the ability to maintain productivity while letting you move.
(photos courtesy of Amazon.com)I saw a feature on my local Fox news affiliate and saw a woman who typically spends 10 hours a day around her desk as a customer service representative. It was interesting to see her still take calls, get a workout, and not miss a beat. Of course, the treadmill doesn’t move fast but wouldn’t it solve people’s main complaint? I know personally I miss the days of college where I walked all over campus and sat in seats no more than 2 hours at a time. Imagine the culture shock to basically be expected to be desk-bound for the majority of an 8-hour day. Most offices do allow employee breaks and are certainly open-minded about stretching, etc but it does something to your mental state to be deskbound for more than a couple of hours.

I personally think it would be interesting to have something like this in my office. I probably would not want to walk and work all day but it would be nice to rotate from sitting to walking occasionally. Within the last year, I developed upper back pain and I knew it was from prolonged sitting. Work breaks are only but so long, as is lunch and taking long walks or hitting up the gym is not always possible. Other than granting us siesta periods to be used for leisure or shortening the average work day/week, employers are on the right track. Another idea that many companies have explored is inner-office yoga and Zumba.  I am a Zumba enthusiast, so I would be all for it.  As for the treadmill, it will be interesting to see if more companies adopt this technology and if people will actually use it. 

So what do you think? Would you use the desk treadmill? Do you have other suggestions on how to get fitness into the workplace while still maintaining efficiency? Leave a comment and let me know!


Check out the concept:



MyFoxAtlanta news report





Other great sites on this topic:

http://last10pounds.org/blog/2008/09/27/lose-weight-using-a-treadmill-workstation-desk/
http://livehealthy.southernliving.com/2008/10/putting-work-in.html
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/22/desk.job.bad.health/