Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.
John Lennon
Alvin Foo in a LinkedIn post shared his view of the different stages of life. Here is his thought-provoking view. Is it a reality check or a paralysis digger? Hmm, read and decide.
Four Stages of Elimination in Life
At 60, the workplace eliminates you. No matter how successful or powerful you were during your career, you’ll return to being an ordinary person. So, don’t cling to the mindset and sense of superiority from your past job, let go of your ego, or you might lose your sense of ease!
At 70, society gradually eliminates you. The friends and colleagues you used to meet and socialize with become fewer, and hardly anyone recognizes you at your former workplace. Don’t say, “I used to be…” or “I was once…” because the younger generation won’t know you, and you mustn’t feel uncomfortable about it!
At 80, family slowly eliminates you. Even if you have many children and grandchildren, most of the time you’ll be living with your spouse or by yourself. When your children visit occasionally, it’s an expression of affection, so don’t blame them for coming less often, as they’re busy with their own lives!
At 90, the Earth wants to eliminate you. Some of the people you knew have already departed forever. At this point, don’t be sad or mournful, because this is the way of life, and everyone will eventually follow this path!
Therefore, while our bodies are still capable, live life to the fullest! Eat what you want, drink what you desire, play and do the things you love.
Remember, the only thing that won’t eliminate you is the your current families and friends. So, meet more, communicate more, say a hello, maintain your presence, be happy, and have no regrets!
Do you agree with his view of life? Did it put you in a state of melancholy, reflection or glee? Do share, we would love to hear.
Stress acts as an accelerator. It will push you either forward or backward, but you choose which direction.
Chelsea Eriean
Workplace stress can arise from various sources, and it affects employees across different industries and roles. Understanding the common causes of stress at work is crucial for both employees and employers to take appropriate measures to manage and mitigate its impact. Here are some key factors that contribute to work-related stress:
Excessive Workload: Overwhelming work demands, tight deadlines, and a constant flow of tasks can lead to stress as employees struggle to cope with the pressure to perform.
Lack of Control: When employees feel they have little control over their work, decision-making, or the outcomes of their efforts, it can lead to a sense of helplessness and increased stress.
Job Insecurity: Fear of job loss or instability due to economic conditions, restructuring, or organizational changes can create anxiety and stress among employees.
Long Working Hours: Extended work hours, lack of work-life balance, and overtime can leave employees feeling drained and overwhelmed, contributing to chronic stress.
Unclear Expectations: Ambiguous or constantly changing job roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations can create confusion and stress for employees.
Lack of Recognition: When employees’ efforts and achievements go unnoticed or unappreciated, it can lead to feelings of disengagement and stress.
Poor Working Relationships: Conflict with coworkers, difficult supervisors, or a negative work environment can significantly impact employees’ mental well-being.
Organizational Culture: Toxic workplace cultures that promote competition, lack of support, or an absence of work-life balance can foster stress among employees.
Career Advancement Pressures: The desire to progress in one’s career, coupled with intense competition, can lead to stress as employees strive to meet expectations.
Workplace Bullying or Harassment: Acts of bullying, discrimination, or harassment create a hostile work environment, triggering stress and anxiety in affected employees.
Lack of Resources: Insufficient tools, training, or support can hinder employees from effectively fulfilling their job responsibilities, leading to stress.
Workplace Change and Uncertainty: Frequent organizational changes, such as mergers, restructuring, or new management, can generate stress due to uncertainty and adjustment challenges.
Job Demands and Complexity: Highly demanding and intellectually challenging roles may lead to stress, especially when coupled with limited resources or support.
Physical Work Conditions: Uncomfortable or unsafe work environments can negatively impact employees’ mental and physical health, contributing to stress.
Personal Life Interference: When personal issues, such as family problems or health concerns, spill over into work, it can intensify stress levels.
Addressing these causes of workplace stress involves creating supportive work environments, implementing stress-reduction programs, promoting work-life balance, providing opportunities for coaching, skill development and growth, and fostering open communication between employees and management.
We often ask the question why some people succeed when others don’t. It seems there is a missing element. Something we lack. The truth is that you can succeed at whatever you dream about; whatever you put your mind to achieve. Know that you don’t have to go it alone. Here are some reasons why people hire a coach to improve their lives and their business.
People hire a coach to help put systems in place (e.g. time management, social media engagement, managing products, and managing people)
When they know what to do but not how to do it
Feel Stuck , confused
When you want to make more money …want to do what you want to do
When they know it’s time to break free
When they figure out they can’t do it alone
Need resources and don’t know where to find them (financial…
Hate your job? Feel sick just getting up in the morning to go (virtual or in-person)? We certainly understand. Many have been there. Just don’t jump ship yet. Here are 5 Strategies to do it right when you are at that crossroad and wondering what to do.
5 Strategies To Do It Right
Don’t leave (yet)
Start your search to see the job options available in the market place
Like your current career? Stay with it
Hate your current career? Plan an escape
Take into consideration your current skills, qualification and experience.
Upgrade skills if needed to suit your new role
Update your Resume to match the job you’re looking for and review your social media profiles to make sure nothing unprofessional exist
It’s time to begin your search to Ditch it for the ideal career you want
Keep Motivated. Prepare yourself psychologically. The going can get rough especially…
𝐵𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 you wish to See. That’s what I aim to be. The change to make a difference in the community. To contribute to the development of Emerging Leaders. A process that I have been involved since the program’s inception in Washington DC
Ignite CAribbean JUDGES work on 2023s 30 Under 30 Change-makers Award to be held on June 23 during Caribbean American Heritage Month Legislative week celebrations.
When things go awry, sometimes happy accidents ensue.
@amomentwithshell
When things go awry, sometimes happy accidents ensue. After a few days of attending a workplace reunion filled with laughter and cheer, I excitedly went to the airport to return home. All went well as I checked in, duty free shopped and finally went to get a snack before my international flight home.
On a whim I caught sight of an alert that said something about flight being cancelled! Did I see right, I asked my self. Quickly I checked the flight app and sure enough the flight was cancelled. But why? In the midst of shock, horror, inconvenience and more, many questions rolled into my head. I headed to the departure area to seek answers. That was of no repute since airline crew were filled with screaming passengers mad about missing work appointments and more. Unfortunately … the flight’s ground attendants had no answers. I kept silent … it was unnecessary for me to say anything that wasn’t already said. Thinking of my next day coaching appointments and more, I scurried to get a snack as I expected a long afternoon ahead.
Later, the crowd of more than one hundred plus passengers straddled behind ground crew to retrace our steps, grab checked luggage to get back to the airline’s main customer service area. There were no other flights available that evening. A few passengers headed back to friends and relatives while the majority climbed into buses ordered for commute to a fine 5-star hotel approximately 20 minutes from the airport.
What ensued was checking into the hotel all expenses paid including meals and accommodation at an exquisite tourist spot. I watched the changes unfold in the ‘distressed’ passengers’ behavior go from screams on hearing the news to exhibiting silent tales of gratitude with a few even saying how thankful they were for the extra ‘vacation day’.
Next day passengers made the trek back to the airport, bags in tow, for the journey to their various places of destination a la carte.
In summary, as I have often maintained, man plans but God directs his steps. Who knows what our plight might have been if our original plans stayed fixed on a flight with ‘per se’ mechanical problems.
What about you? Have you ever suffered a setback from an international flight delay or something else? Do share, we would love to hear.
Let no one define what Success means to you. Define it for yourself
@Dr. Shelly C
It was a pleasure sharing my background and coaching experience with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) South Florida Chapter Host, Eric Goeres, PCC. Listen to the Podcast recording or read the details below to learn more about my Journey.
My Journey
How did I become, what was your journey to, how did you wind up becoming a coach? What is your background?
I worked with a major global pharmaceutical company for over 14 years in a HR Strategic Leadership role where I held HR responsibility for countries in the Caribbean reporting into USA/Latina region. I coached and advised business managers on managing their people. At the height of my career, having led the project to successfully achieve the employer of choice award, I decided to go in a different direction. The goal was to make a difference in healthcare and the wider community in the USA.
Even though I already had a masters in HR Management, I enrolled full-time in the Masters Health Administration program. On completion, I got my dream role to manage a group of medical practices located throughout South Florida.
I eventually partnered with the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington DC, where I am Chief Judge for its Flagship 30 Under 30 Ignite Caribbean Initiative recognizing the changemaking efforts of outstanding individuals under 30 years old.
As I reflect managers I have worked with kept reaching out to me at major crossroads in their life. Ethics, trust, and confidentiality were always my standard and I guess it followed me. People would reach out to share and talk with me confidentially about their next steps. After noticing the pattern and giving myself to any opportunity that arose, I realized that coaching was something I was passionate about but never considered officially. It was then I decided to take the leap into becoming accredited. That’s how my formal accreditation journey began early 2022.
Leadership Coaching
What kind of coaching do you do? And who do you work with?
My focus is on Leadership Coaching. I work with 40+ Mid-Life Corporate Leaders in Transition. This niche was perfect for me as my experience included several global mergers and acquisitions and was formally trained in change management. On top of that my doctoral studies focused on organizational leadership. I later published Journal article titled: The Leadership Challenge: Success Strategies of Immigrant Leaders in the USA. This was also published in books titled Success Strategies as well another titled “Your Career: Ditch it Switch”, which I now use to help coach leaders in transition.
Coaching Style & Philosophy
What’s your coaching style? How do you coach? What’s your coaching philosophy?
Versatility, depending on the needs of the client.
Special Project
Is there anything specifically you’d like to talk about?
My writing is something that is special. I write to satisfy my curiosity or personal growth and development. It then turns out that others seem to have the same issues as me, so I share, and it inspires. So, I will continue my publishing journey. I also talk a lot about Fear because it’s something that holds us back. My philosophy is to “do it in spite of your fear”.
I have partnered with Dr. Indiana Robinson to publish book titled Women Immigrants and the Challenges Faced: Perspectives on Higher Education in the United States.
Growth of coaching in organizations and its link to change management
The Future of Coaching
What do you think the future of coaching looks like?
The market is filled with many who call themselves ‘coaches’ but are untrained. I believe with the rise of credentialing; the world of coaching will become attractive to organizations and individuals who are credentialed and stick to ethical standards of the ICF. Accountability will be the gold standard for success.
With the influx of the pandemic changes, I was already coaching individuals for years across borders, but the pandemic made the process official. Individuals liked the flexibility of being able to meet virtually on zoom at times convenient to them.
That was the question asked. It’s fitting for those who are stuck. Those who have dreams, goals, and aspirations yet like a Nested Sludge, do nothing to progress towards achieving them.
Why do we hesitate? Why don’t we step out and do what needs to be done? What holds us back?
Here I share some of the responses from individuals to the question posed.
Fear …period
Confidence
Not believing in myself
Laziness
Fear of Failure
Fear of the What if’s
Judgment of others
Not knowing where to start and not having the means
Lack of money
Fear of failure and having possible regrets
Selecting career
People
Being disappointed
Possible rejection
Procrastination
Platform
Capital
Double faced people
Lack of confidence and confused
Discipline
Pain and fear
Losing people who I love
Interacting with people
Daily conflicts with people but they are not stopping me just standing…
It’s the people we hardly know, and not our closest friends, who will improve our lives most dramactically.
Meg Jay
Stimulating interview with Executive Coach, Founder and CEO of Soft Skills Services, Maxine Barnett. In it she shares successive nuggets on effective networking for new entrepreneurs and professional desiring to build their personal growth.
Strategies For Effective Networking
Here are three strategies:
Be prepared to meet 2-3 persons while attending the event.
Make a connection. Introduce yourself using your elevator speech and be present during your conversation.
Follow-up within 2-3 after the event to remain top of mind with your new strategic connection.
Networking is a soft skill–a people skill needed for business and people purposes. It is useful for purposeful growth. Be intentional about it. View the full conversation here.
What are your thoughts on networking? Do share, we would love to hear.
You know those things you have always wanted to do, you should go do them.
What is it that thing you have always wanted to do? Change job? Start a family? Enroll on that degree? Learn a new skill? Take that vacation?
Life gets hard at times. Chances are with everything happening around us at work, home, school, it can knock us off our feet. The result often is being stuck. Not moving. As in a state of shock, standing still. Below are 7 Things you can do when you are stuck.
Do something! Step out! Complete that application! Try something new!
Plan an escape rather than daydream about different scenarios. Go on a trip to relax and reboot your thoughts.
Switch up your daily activities.
Don’t envy and compare yourself to others.
Do one positive thing for yourself today.
If you want to change your life, Pray. Change your…
Reflecting on its application to life, can we do everything and be everywhere all at once?
I was in San Francisco with my girls celebrating my sister’s birthday when the movie everything everywhere all at once came out. We went to see it. The theater was filled mainly with college students and those in their late teens or early twenties. My own young adult college student loved it. The movie had a few walking out early. With it’s multiverse focus, it was long and seemed to end about three times with the theater dwindling as the movie progressed. We stayed to the very end. It’s emotional theme was filled with laughter, some crazies, and a few tears especially at the end. To this day my youngest still adored that movie.
Life’s Application
But as I reflect on its application to life, can we do everything and be everywhere all at once? Really hard, even tiring and strenuous. Sure grounds for emotional imbalance and high stress.
Business coaches will tell you to focus on one thing at a time. Being everywhere all at once depicts lack of focus and going nowhere. Apply this concept to your goals. Sometimes you may have to reflect on all your life experiences to get to where you want to go. If it’s studies, you have to choose a major. If it’s career, you have to choose one or one will choose you (if you’re to survive) and chances are you may end up miserable. Not to mention relationships. You have to choose. You have to decide who your friends will be. Who will you be with long term to start a family and build a life?
Our society today seems all over the place. Values have gone awol. Anything goes. You can do anything provided it makes you happy. But at the end of the day, are you really happy?
Photo by Pixabay on 
