If we stay where we are, where we’re stuck, where we’re comfortable and safe, we die there. We become like mushrooms, living in the dark, with poop up to our chins. If you want to know only what you already know, you’re dying. You’re saying: Leave me alone; I don’t mind this little rathole. It’s warm and dry. Really, it’s fine. When nothing new can get in, that’s death. When oxygen can’t find a way in, you die. But new is scary, and new can be disappointing, and confusing – we had this all figured out, and now we don’t. New is life.” ~ Anne Lamott
Tag: personal-development
Writers Block. Stuck In A Rut. 21 Ways To Overcome…
You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block. ~John Rogers
Writers block is a common phenomenon among writers. It’s the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. The question was asked and the list was compiled from advice gleaned from a Book Writers’ forum. The ideas are simple and delightfully thought-provoking. Here I share 21 of the more exhilarating.
- Embrace it as gestation
- Listen to music
- Take a break or work on something else
- Go back to what inspired you first
- Change your scenery.
- Go for a walk
- Write something personal
- Read. Get motivated. Then go back
- Put the pen and paper down.
- Leave it alone and the ideas will come home
- Ask questions of your stories
- Try writing something different
- Take a shower. Let the water flow and the ideas will come
- Free write. Write about your day. Just write
- Ask another writer what they are working on. The change of focus will inspire you
- People who succeed as writers write
- Take a writing course
- Be in a group
- Write about writer’s block. Something will inspire
- Watch a movie
- Get physical. Go to the gym. Break a sweat
Did any of the above resonate? Can you add any? Do share! We would love to hear!
Cheers!
Rushing To A Place Where You Don’t Want To Be. The Answer Is In The Why…
I go to seek a Great Perhaps. ~Francois Rabelais
Rushing to a place where you don’t want to be. Why? Why do you do that? Why do you spend your life rushing around? Rushing to work? Rushing home to a place where you do not want to be. Rushing to water a failing relationship with family, friends or foe? Rushing to do what others want you to do?
Then after all the rush…when you finally arrive at your destination, you are miserable. Life seems hard. Unfair. So many questions. Why do you do it? Is it because you can’t do any better?
The Answer Is In The Why
You rush to the job because you need to pay the rent-to have shelter. A place to rest. A place where you want to feel the solace of those who care. You need food. Independence. You need to feel worthy. To avoid the shame. To avoid the dread of what others may think.
Forget Them
Forget them. Take the steps needed to do you. To go after that dream. Make a plan. Work that plan. Keep it at the forefront of your mind. And when the going gets rough…work it even harder. You will get there… someway, somehow.
Here are a 7 tips to help you when you feel stuck. Need help? Let’s connect.
Cheers!
Top 20 Companies To Work For…
Success is no accident
Years ago I managed the process that led to GlaxoSmithKline capturing the coveted Employer of Choice Award. It was indeed a great place to work. Since then I have always been encouraged by other companies who achieve the same feat and become the envy of many who long for a great place to work…somewhere you can’t wait to jump out of bed in the mornings to get to.
Fortune 100 Best revealed its list of the top 100 Best companies to work for in 2019. Here I share the top 20.
- Hilton
- Salesforce
- Wegmans Food Market Inc
- Workday
- Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
- Cisco
- Edward Jones
- Ultimate Software
- Texas Health Resources
- The Boston Consulting Group Inc
- Stryker Corporation
- Publix Super Markets Inc
- American Express
- Quicken Loans
- Orrick
- Baird
- JM Family Enterprises
- Kimley-Horn
- Camden Property Trust
- Cooley LLP
Didn’t see your company’s name? Check the list to see where they fall.
Cheers!
On The Hunt? 7 Ways To Show Your Talents And Accomplishments…
Life changes. Careers that once were exciting later becomes a strain or even boring. Sometimes the organization changes or a beloved supervisor leaves and the environment becomes unbearable. Other times you may simply want more…or less as with managers who no longer wish to lead. Newly weds may want to start a family and just want to do enough to get by.
Resume Reveal
Well if you haven’t looked at your resume for a while you’ve got some work to do to capture your the journey your career has been on to start your search. Don’t rush it. Take your time to get it done. You may not get it perfect immediately, but in time you will.
Here are 7 ways authors Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark espoused by SHRM on updating your resume. The tips can be applied to any situation. Read the full article How to Write Powerful and Memorable Resumes
- Use a well-branded headline
- Share details about the organization you worked for
- Emphasize Achievements
- Highlight key words
- Prepare your resume for applicant tracking system (ATS)
- Share what makes you special ( what separates you from others)
- Write tight, clean and lean
Need help? Let’s connect
Cheers!
Living Your Life As A Mask…
A new writer shared her Instagram name. It was nowhere close to her real names . I beckoned to her… smile in tow…”you do make it hard, don’t you? In haste she retorted “it’s so my employer can’t find me”.
I smiled.
Our Lives In Compartments
How many of us are like that? We live our lives in compartments trying to separate our true selves from what those around us see publicly.
To Hide…To Be
It’s a hard choice but sometimes you have to hide in order “to be“. I pray one day that you will be able to just be. To reveal your true identity and just be the you that you want to be.
Cheers!
The Biggest Challenge Writers Face….
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
― Maya Angelou
A public writers forum asked the question “what is the single biggest challenge you as a writer face?” Here I share responses as writers chimed in:
- Writing everyday
- Marketing
- Not enough erasers
- Find an agent
- A full-time job that isn’t
- Learning all the required skills – writing, editing, cover art, publishing, marketing, salesmanship, accounting …
- Identifying my audience
- Details
- Time
- Reviews
- Getting books sold
- Selling myself
- Lethargy
- Butt in chair
- Discipline
- Marketing costs. Dispite what some may say, it is expensive to self-publish. Editor, copy editor, cover design, copyright, ISBN numbers, authors copies, advertising, website, domain name, contests, give-aways, and on and on it goes
- Self-Doubt
- Stay Motivated
- Writers block
The list goes on. Are you a new or published author? Is anything missing? Do share. We would love to hear.
Need help? Let’s connect.
Cheers!
Dream Journal…
Every dream begins with a dreamer
Little 7 year old Xavier quietly whispered that he captures his dreams in the morning in a journal. Often I encourage individuals to keep a journal to capture thoughts on their dreams and goals. This will help them to work on them to achieve.
Unknown to me he has been listening and took it literally by writing his ‘dreams’ every morning.
Oh how much a little child leads.
Don’t Confuse A Season For A Lifetime…
You have to stop thinking that you’ll be stuck in your current situation forever. We feel like our hearts will never heal, or we’ll never get out of this impossible struggle. Don’t confuse a season for a lifetime. Even your trials have an expiration date. You will grow, life will change, things will work out. ~Brittney Moses
Success: The Passion. The Show. The Win…
Just love it when we do what we do with a difference! The attitude is contagious.
UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi earned a perfect 10.0 score for this incredible routine she performed over the weekend. Here’s a peek at the routine.
Success sure delight!
Cheers!
