Friday, August 31, 2007
Where am I? Where am I Going?
The term “news” comes from the geographical
directions of North, East, West and South. It’s
shocking to me how little people know about
geography, and what’s East or West, or what’s
North or South.
Americans have let their geographical
knowledge fall so much that many don’t know
the difference between Paris, France and Paris
Hilton.
But Americans are not alone—lack of
knowledge is contagious and worldwide. Many
of my friends here in Asia have no idea exactly
where Bangkok or Seoul are situated—the best
they can do is get to the airport and go to the
correct gate, get on a plane, and end up wherever
they’re going. Being oriented locally, or
globally is low on the priority list, as long as you
can have someone else find your way.
So what’s wrong with that? Two things; one, in
life, you will get lost. You better be resourceful
enough to find your way home, or you could end
up broke, or worse, dead. Being directionally
ignorant is no joke. Two, knowledge is power.
In life, you need to know where you are to figure
out where you are going. (Or others will gladly
tell you where to go! I think you get the idea.)
Recently, a beauty contestant in America made
headlines for completely botching a question
about geography—she looked like an idiot. Do
you want to look like an idiot? If I asked you
“How do I get to from here to there?”, could you
tell me? Or would I get the ubiquitous “I don’t
know” response?
Key Words
Geography-n-the study of places, maps, locales.
Contagious-adj-something that is easily spread.
Situated-adj-the location of something, where it sits.
Oriented-adj-having knowledge and awareness of the location of places and things.
Resourceful-adj-able to use what is available and make the most of it.
Directionally-adv-the ability of knowing which way to go.
Botching-v-doing something very badly, poorly.
Ubiquitous-adj-everywhere, very common.
directions of North, East, West and South. It’s
shocking to me how little people know about
geography, and what’s East or West, or what’s
North or South.
Americans have let their geographical
knowledge fall so much that many don’t know
the difference between Paris, France and Paris
Hilton.
But Americans are not alone—lack of
knowledge is contagious and worldwide. Many
of my friends here in Asia have no idea exactly
where Bangkok or Seoul are situated—the best
they can do is get to the airport and go to the
correct gate, get on a plane, and end up wherever
they’re going. Being oriented locally, or
globally is low on the priority list, as long as you
can have someone else find your way.
So what’s wrong with that? Two things; one, in
life, you will get lost. You better be resourceful
enough to find your way home, or you could end
up broke, or worse, dead. Being directionally
ignorant is no joke. Two, knowledge is power.
In life, you need to know where you are to figure
out where you are going. (Or others will gladly
tell you where to go! I think you get the idea.)
Recently, a beauty contestant in America made
headlines for completely botching a question
about geography—she looked like an idiot. Do
you want to look like an idiot? If I asked you
“How do I get to from here to there?”, could you
tell me? Or would I get the ubiquitous “I don’t
know” response?
Key Words
Geography-n-the study of places, maps, locales.
Contagious-adj-something that is easily spread.
Situated-adj-the location of something, where it sits.
Oriented-adj-having knowledge and awareness of the location of places and things.
Resourceful-adj-able to use what is available and make the most of it.
Directionally-adv-the ability of knowing which way to go.
Botching-v-doing something very badly, poorly.
Ubiquitous-adj-everywhere, very common.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Did I Say Yes?
Did you ever say yes to someone, and then later regret it? I do it all the time. Yes, yes, yes, sure I’ll do that—and then ten minutes later I’m wondering to myself “Why did I say yes?”
We’ve all been there, on the receiving end of a request from someone;
“Can you do this work for me?”
“Will you come to the party?”
“I need you to spend three hours doing (something)”
“Would you like to go on a date Friday night?”
“The school project must be done by someone”
Before our brain has a chance to process this information, out from our mouths blurt the words “Okay”, “Yes”, “I’ll do it”. And a short time later you’re wondering “Why am I going out with that guy on Friday?” or “Why did I commit to that party?” or “I have so much work to do, how am I going to do this?”
Unfortunately, how we usually deal with this is to either wait until the last moment and back out of our commitment, or follow through on the commitment with resentment toward the other person or ourselves.
Why do we do this? Two reasons; one, many of us are people-pleasers, and don’t know how to say NO to people. Two, we’re unprepared.
The person who comes to you with a request, has mentally prepared themselves to ask you. This preparation may be a simple mental rehearsal, or an elaborate persuasive argument. As far as being a people-pleaser, this is based in our own insecurity—we fear losing that person as a friend if we say NO and disappoint them. So, we put the burden on ourselves for the sake of being likable.
What to do? Tell the person “Let me get back to you”, or “I need to check my schedule”. This will give you time to process the information and make the best decision possible for both of you.
In some situations we have to say yes immediately, such as at work, when the boss needs you to do something, or at school when the teacher needs our cooperation. But often we have the right to bargain for time to think things through.
Be a good steward of your time—it’s the most valuable resource you have.
Key Words
Regret-v-feeling bad about something we did or said.
Blurt-v-quickly said, a reaction.
Commitment-n-an agreement to do something.
Resentment-n-negative feelings about a person or thing.
People-pleaser-n-someone who does almost anything to make others happy.
Elaborate-adj-complicated, detailed, containing many facets (parts).
Persuasive-adj-convincing, able to get agreement.
Insecurity-n-lack of self-confidence, fear, doubt about oneself.
Burden-n-a heavy load.
Steward-n-a manager of things, a person responsible for taking care of something.
We’ve all been there, on the receiving end of a request from someone;
“Can you do this work for me?”
“Will you come to the party?”
“I need you to spend three hours doing (something)”
“Would you like to go on a date Friday night?”
“The school project must be done by someone”
Before our brain has a chance to process this information, out from our mouths blurt the words “Okay”, “Yes”, “I’ll do it”. And a short time later you’re wondering “Why am I going out with that guy on Friday?” or “Why did I commit to that party?” or “I have so much work to do, how am I going to do this?”
Unfortunately, how we usually deal with this is to either wait until the last moment and back out of our commitment, or follow through on the commitment with resentment toward the other person or ourselves.
Why do we do this? Two reasons; one, many of us are people-pleasers, and don’t know how to say NO to people. Two, we’re unprepared.
The person who comes to you with a request, has mentally prepared themselves to ask you. This preparation may be a simple mental rehearsal, or an elaborate persuasive argument. As far as being a people-pleaser, this is based in our own insecurity—we fear losing that person as a friend if we say NO and disappoint them. So, we put the burden on ourselves for the sake of being likable.
What to do? Tell the person “Let me get back to you”, or “I need to check my schedule”. This will give you time to process the information and make the best decision possible for both of you.
In some situations we have to say yes immediately, such as at work, when the boss needs you to do something, or at school when the teacher needs our cooperation. But often we have the right to bargain for time to think things through.
Be a good steward of your time—it’s the most valuable resource you have.
Key Words
Regret-v-feeling bad about something we did or said.
Blurt-v-quickly said, a reaction.
Commitment-n-an agreement to do something.
Resentment-n-negative feelings about a person or thing.
People-pleaser-n-someone who does almost anything to make others happy.
Elaborate-adj-complicated, detailed, containing many facets (parts).
Persuasive-adj-convincing, able to get agreement.
Insecurity-n-lack of self-confidence, fear, doubt about oneself.
Burden-n-a heavy load.
Steward-n-a manager of things, a person responsible for taking care of something.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
"I Hate My Job"
I hate my job! No, not me—I love my job with Studio Classroom—really! Best job I’ve ever had. But I constantly hear people say that they hate their job. It’s amazing—sometimes I wonder if anybody is happy at work. If you love your job, then consider yourself lucky;
you’re part of a small percentage of people on earth who actually enjoy waking up in the morning. At most, 10% of the workforce loves their jobs. Then there are people who merely tolerate their work. After that, the majority of folks would like to change their job.
I hear it all the time—I hate my job, I hate my boss, I hate my company, I hate everything! My wife, my husband, my cat, my neighbor! Ai-you! Why do people hate their jobs? There are many reasons, but I’ll give you a few of the most prevalent ones;
1. You are only doing it for money. It doesn’t matter if you make a lot, or make a little, if you only do a job for money, eventually you will hate it. Why? Money is not a sustainable motivator over the long run. And then what happens is you get trapped by your obligations. Figure out exactly what you need—not what you think you need (which is inflated). Remember, you can't take it with you.
2. You have no sense of purpose in your work. You’ve never sat down and figured out what you really want to do with your life. Most people simply bounce from job to job with no thought of the long-run view of their life. What you need to do today is take a big-picture view of your life, and write things down.
3. You’re pleasing someone else. Parents, spouses, friends, family, culture—all have a powerful impact upon our choices. Often, we let these outside forces influence our work choices. Bad idea! Nobody is more interested in your well-being and satisfaction in life than you—only you can figure it out. You’re the one who has to get up every morning and live it, so why let someone else choose it?
Certainly, other reasons exist for job dissatisfaction, but my experience shows these are the most common. People hate their work, and then bounce from one job to the next, thinking that another place will make them happy. It doesn’t work. I got news for you--wherever you go, there you are. So instead of just saying “I hate my job”, then switching companies, figure out what the problem really is—most likely it’s misguided expectations, lack of planning, or submission to someone else’s desires rather than your own.
Key Words
Tolerate-v-to put up with something, such as mild pain, suffering or discomfort.
Prevalent-adj-widespread, most common.
Sustainable-adj-ongoing, can be continued on an ongoing basis.
Motivator-n-a reason to do something, a reward or incentive.
You can’t take it with you-cliché-when we die, all of our possessions stay on earth, we give them up.
Big-picture view-idiom-looking at things over the long-run, or looking at your life as if it were a movie, seeing trends, important events, and their connection.
Wherever you go, there you are-cliché-you are the same person whether you move or change jobs, with the same good and bad habits.
Submission-n-giving in to another person’s wishes or desires.
you’re part of a small percentage of people on earth who actually enjoy waking up in the morning. At most, 10% of the workforce loves their jobs. Then there are people who merely tolerate their work. After that, the majority of folks would like to change their job.
I hear it all the time—I hate my job, I hate my boss, I hate my company, I hate everything! My wife, my husband, my cat, my neighbor! Ai-you! Why do people hate their jobs? There are many reasons, but I’ll give you a few of the most prevalent ones;
1. You are only doing it for money. It doesn’t matter if you make a lot, or make a little, if you only do a job for money, eventually you will hate it. Why? Money is not a sustainable motivator over the long run. And then what happens is you get trapped by your obligations. Figure out exactly what you need—not what you think you need (which is inflated). Remember, you can't take it with you.
2. You have no sense of purpose in your work. You’ve never sat down and figured out what you really want to do with your life. Most people simply bounce from job to job with no thought of the long-run view of their life. What you need to do today is take a big-picture view of your life, and write things down.
3. You’re pleasing someone else. Parents, spouses, friends, family, culture—all have a powerful impact upon our choices. Often, we let these outside forces influence our work choices. Bad idea! Nobody is more interested in your well-being and satisfaction in life than you—only you can figure it out. You’re the one who has to get up every morning and live it, so why let someone else choose it?
Certainly, other reasons exist for job dissatisfaction, but my experience shows these are the most common. People hate their work, and then bounce from one job to the next, thinking that another place will make them happy. It doesn’t work. I got news for you--wherever you go, there you are. So instead of just saying “I hate my job”, then switching companies, figure out what the problem really is—most likely it’s misguided expectations, lack of planning, or submission to someone else’s desires rather than your own.
Key Words
Tolerate-v-to put up with something, such as mild pain, suffering or discomfort.
Prevalent-adj-widespread, most common.
Sustainable-adj-ongoing, can be continued on an ongoing basis.
Motivator-n-a reason to do something, a reward or incentive.
You can’t take it with you-cliché-when we die, all of our possessions stay on earth, we give them up.
Big-picture view-idiom-looking at things over the long-run, or looking at your life as if it were a movie, seeing trends, important events, and their connection.
Wherever you go, there you are-cliché-you are the same person whether you move or change jobs, with the same good and bad habits.
Submission-n-giving in to another person’s wishes or desires.
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