Word Search

Choose your words carefully.  They have value, impact, and longevity once they are uttered.  You cannot always control where they go or how they will be interpreted.  While some words sound alike, they may have very different meanings.  Do a mental search to make sure that you are using the right words that will benefit you and others.  Some examples of word pairs that can be used for motivation include weak/week, role/roll, hear/here, reign/rain,  meet/mete, coarse/course, pen/pin, and grate/great.


Don't let a weak start keep you from making a strong finish.  Work hard this week to make up any ground that you may have lost.

While it is okay to admire others, seek to be a role model for yourself.  Practice the positive characteristics that you want to strengthen, and break your bad habits when you roll over them with discipline, creativity, and awareness.

If you hear something that you don't understand, get clarification before you try to process it. Ask questions here, so that you will have some answers when you get there.

A reign of success will have peaks and valleys.  There may be a drought when nothing goes your way and other times when a continuous rain of favorable circumstances produces a flood of opportunities.

When sensitivity and communication meet, tact is developed.  Tact will help you mete out your words and gestures to deliver an appropriate message.

You might have to work with coarse material, or people, to remove rust from an abandoned dream.  A detour will have signs to help you get back on course.

A pen is a simple tool to help you record your past and present progress.  Connect them with a purpose pin to establish the base for your future.

Wise counsel can serve as a protective grate to help you avoid productivity holes that will drain and discourage you.  Being a great listener helps you make sound decisions.

Leave a comment and share which words applied to you this week.



 

Show and Tell

Did you have a show and tell day when you were in school?  You would have to bring in something from home and stand in front of the class and tell them about it.  The order of the words is significant.  Sometimes people will tell you about what they have or what they can do, but not be able to show you.  While you may not be in school anymore, there are still times when you need to show and tell. 

• Show up each day ready to work, withstand, and win.  Work on you, withstand distractions, and win strategically.  You can't control the attitudes or actions of others, but you can determine your response.  Circumstances may arise that hinder your progress for a period of time.  Work through and around delays.  Know that victory may come in different formats.  Some battles are not worth your time or energy.
• Tell your success stories with humility, humor, and honor.  Humility from you opens the ears of listeners.  Humor establishes a connection for common ground.  When you honor those that helped you along the way, your credibility increases. 
• Show enthusiasm at the beginning, perseverance in the middle, and focus at the end of a project.  The timing of your display of certain attributes can impact their effectiveness.  Others are more likely to offer support when they see the consistency of your effort.
• Tell yourself that you can; tell your supporters that you will; tell the doubters that you did. 
• Show patience to gain wisdom.  Some things take time to be revealed. 
• Tell what you will risk; tell why you are ready; tell how your skill set is relevant.

Leave a comment and share what you will show and tell this week.

  

Parallel Parking

When you see an opening that interests you, how do you approach it?  Do you rush to fill the spot before anyone else can get to it?  Or do you move slowly and analyze the best way to enter?  Your answer may depend upon what surrounds the space.  If there are no obstacles that you may hit, it makes sense to take a direct approach and move quickly.  However, if there are things (or people) in the way, you should proceed with caution.  You can use parallel parking as an analogy.  There is car in front of your space and one behind it.  You need to go in backwards, at an angle, and at close proximity to the other cars.  Consider how that strategy can work for other opportunities.

When you back up, make sure you keep your target in sight.  Going backward requires more concentration and attention to detail than moving forward.  Your progress can sometimes be assessed better by how close you are to what is behind you rather than what is in front of you.  When you look back, do so with a purpose.  Don't dwell on the past.  Use it to mark the spot for your fresh start.

There are adjustments that need to be made when you try to fit into a space that has limits to it.  Remember that you won't be "parked" there permanently, so leave yourself enough space for an exit.   Don't let others confine your thoughts and aspirations.  You control the wheel of possibility for where you want to go.  Steer it in the direction that allows you to perform productively in your personal and professional roles. 

The phrase "too close for comfort" is often associated with something unpleasant.  However, it can be an indication of a hard fought victory.  Don't avoid tough topics, challenging situations, or high expectations.  These are the things that will bring out your best and build your confidence.  Your success may be found right in the middle of the past failures that are fresh in your memory and future obstacles that are right in front of you.  

Leave a comment and share your thoughts on this week's post.