Help Wanted

The phrase "Help Wanted" usually indicates that someone is hiring for a job.  You may see the advertisement online, in the newspaper, or even in a store window.  People have help wanted requirements for situations in life as well as employment.  It is important that you recognize help when it appears.  Help may not always take the form that you expect.  Both positive and negative experiences can help you reach your goals. What do the H, E, L, and P represent in your help wanted sign?  Hurdles, Expectations, Laughter, and Problems might be more useful than you think.

Hurdles cause you to stretch farther and jump higher to get over the obstacles in front of you.  When you clear one hurdle, you gain the confidence and skills to get over the next one.

Expectations contribute to your pace and identify results that need to be met.  They can be too high or too low.  Measuring your progress against your expectations can help you adjust them to a realistic level.

Laughter relieves stress and helps you put things in perspective.  It can ease tension and provide common ground for negotiation.  Recognize when humor can benefit you.

Problems need to be solved.  They will help you strengthen and refine your analysis and troubleshooting abilities.  When you have a strategy to work through problems, they become less of a distraction for you.

Leave a comment and share which component of help (hurdles, expectations, laughter, or problems) you need to focus on this week. 

You Time

What comes to mind when you think about yourself?  Do you have thoughts about your responsibilities for and to others?  It is okay to have some you time.  Put yourself at the top of the list and take care of you.  Great men and women have provided advice and encouragement to facilitate your growth and confidence.  The quotes below highlight that you matter.  Look in the mirror and say them to yourself or send them to someone that needs to be reminded of their value.  

• Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland
• Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
• You were born an original. Don't die a copy. ~John Mason
• If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~Dr Wayne Dyer
• You have to ‘Be’ before you can ‘Do’ and ‘Do’ before you can ‘Have’.  ~ Zig Ziglar
• Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life’s about creating yourself.  ~ George Bernard Shaw
• You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
• You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.  ~ Maya Angelou
• When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. ~Les Brown
• You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.  ~ C. S. Lewis

Did one of these quotes strike a chord with you?  Leave a comment and share what you thought about this week's post.

Battery Sizes

Batteries are needed to power so many of the things that you use on a regular basis.  Remote controls, flashlights, and smoke detectors are just some of the items that depend on battery power.  The battery size depends on the device and its use.  You have an internal battery that enables you to operate your skills and bring your ideas to life.  What serves as the AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V power source for you?

AA - Attention, Appearance

The people, things, or situations that get your attention affect your energy level.  They can empower you to keep moving or make you feel tired with a bleak outlook.  Pay attention to what charges you and gets you excited with hope and possibility.  Your appearance also plays a part in how you feel.  When you look in the mirror, your reflection should give you a boost of encouragement.

AAA - Aspirations, Assignments, Alliances

Your aspirations drive you to work hard and keep striving for success.  Clearly identify what you want so that you can design a plan to get it.  Assignments are a key variable for increasing and maintaining your influence and regard among others.  When you are asked to do something, find out how it fits into the big picture.  Look for a way to add value to any situation.  Form alliances that contribute to your goals and expose you to new possibilities.

     

C - Courtesy

When you are courteous, people take notice.  They remember how you treat them and others around you.  Courtesy helps you build bridges over obstacles.  People respond well to kindness and graciousness.

D - Depth

Depth contributes to your battery power because it indicates that you are well-rounded.  You have more options and are able to prioritize your steps more effectively when there are layers to your planning and experience.  Do not be one-dimensional.  Broaden your horizons by moving in diverse circles.  Equip yourself with knowledge of current events so that you can participate in conversations about a variety of topics. 

9V - View

The capability to shift your point of view allows you to recharge when you deem it necessary.  It is helpful to use these 9 views on a rotating basis:

• Preview - Look at samples of what is in store for you. When you have an idea of what is coming, you can prepare accordingly.
• Review - Use the opinions of others (positive and negative) for motivation to improve.
• Interview - Ask questions of those that offer you suggestions.  Make sure they are qualified to advise you.
• Purview -Before you commit to do something, make sure you know what is expected of you. 
• View from the Top - You can identify ways to help others grow and advance. 
• View from the Bottom - Don't be overwhelmed by what you see.  Move up one step at a time.
• View from the Middle - Being able to see all sides of a situation increases your value to all parties involved.
• View from the Front - Leadership involves the ability to anticipate problems before they arise.
• View from the Back - Evaluate the steps of those leading you to make sure you are on the right path.

Leave a comment and share the battery sizes that you will use this week.

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (YTT)

As you move through your week, you may evaluate your progress by what happened yesterday, what is happening today, and what will happen tomorrow.  Those three points of reference are commonly used as markers for your planning.  Your YTT activities can provide a road map to help you navigate the route to your desired destinations.  Consider yesterday, today, and tomorrow as variables in an equation to help you make decisions about your movements.

Where did you go yesterday that made you smile?  Was it work, school, the grocery store, or somewhere else?  Use the smile as a landmark to mark the place, or activity that leaves you with a positive feeling.

What are you doing today to build yourself up to reach your next level of accomplishment?  Complete at least one task each day to strengthen your foundation of preparation.  Put the milestones on your calendar to remind you that you need to make time for them.

Are you excited about tomorrow?  Do you expect something positive to happen to you?  Put yourself in a position to receive good news, meet great people, or take advantage of unexpected opportunities.  Your environment contributes to your experiences. 

Leave a comment and share a yesterday, today, or tomorrow moment that impacted you this week.

Before and After

To present a picture of the magnitude of a change, before and after comparisons are often made.  You see it on commercials for weight loss products and programs that feature makeovers.  Usually, the after story is highlighted as the better option.  However, if you apply the before and after model to your thought process, both statuses can help you.  There are times that you need to think before you do something.  There other times that you need to think after something happens.

1. Think before you identify yourself. While your name is your primary introduction tool, there are other labels that can be used.  Depending on the situation, you may want to be known by your role (parent, coach, doctor, lawyer, etc.), association (friend of, fan of, spouse of, etc.), or attribute (friendly, smart, creative, etc.).
2. Think after someone thanks you.  Is the appreciation for what you did or how you did it?  Does the gratitude have anything to do with you at all?   When you recognize the behavior you exhibit that positively impacts others, you can make an effort to display it more often. 
3. Think before you turn on noise (radio, television, computer, etc.) in the car or the house.  The background sound may be a welcome distraction from a busy day.  However, quiet time may also be refreshing and the silence can help you set priorities.
4. Think after you lose someone or something.  There will be lessons learned and memories that will make you smile.  These things can help you adjust to the change and move forward.  You will feel the loss, but don't allow emotion to dictate how you view your new reality.  Think about the value that you received from your association and look for ways to share that with others.

  Leave a comment and share a before or after thought that you will use this week.