Evaluating Media with a Fresh Mind

The Daily Om has a great post today on evaluating media with a fresh mind.

"It is up to us to seek out and support media that empowers and informs us, and to say no to media that drains our energy and our hope. "

They also talk about considering a media fast, so that when we return to consuming electronic info, we will approach what we take in with a fresh mind.  "A media fast," says Daily Om, "involves not watching television, reading any newspapers or magazines, checking or sending any e-mails, or even talking on the phone."

Have you taken a media fast?  If so, for how long?  How did it impact your return to taking in daily electronic input?

You're great!

Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin used to say:

"The worst fault a person can have is to forget his intrinsic greatness as a human being."

From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's Daily Lifts.

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Life gets crazy sometimes.  Things change.  People move on.  Clients move on.  Priorities shift. All of these can have an impact on you forgetting to take care of yourself.  

Today, reaffirm your commitment to being gentle with yourself.  Renew your work on self-talk.

See through the mask of mean people

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, in his Daily Lift e-mail, writes:

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

I wrote about a similar topic on my business blog recently. I was working with an individual last week for whom being mean or angry seemed to be her most go-to and natural emotion. That's a rough way to live. As I wrote in my business blog:

Yelling at a colleague or a customer service rep may temporarily make you feel better, but will it really solve the problem? Probably not. Instead, you may have just spread unhappiness to others, who in turn may become frustrated, hurt or angry and pass it on to another, who passes it on to another and on and on.

My Nana said it best. "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."

Rabbi Pliskin's Daily Lift really caught my eye today. He reminded me that mean people (or angry people) are really just insecure and unhappy under their mask -- a reminder that there is no power in a person's anger and that compassion for that individual frees you from that person's destructiveness.

Jump Start

"One of the hardest challenges we all face in our lives is staying motivated. No one's fire burns all the time. We actually need that ebb and flow to distinguish where we are and what we need to do to jump-start things."

- Deborah Shane

Between the holidays, the yahrzeit of my mentor on January 3, challenges our older son is facing and some really silly shenanigans by the OMEA against some academic achievers (our younger son is part of the group) at Lakota, I've had real challenges getting back on the horse.

I've also been nagged by a client situation that is just not working out, and have been reluctant to sever the ties.

This morning, as I read the online edition of our local paper, I saw an article that quoted Deborah Shane. I found her comment "We actually need that ebb and flow to distinguish where we are and what we need to do to jump-start things" an intriguing one to consider as I step back onto the horse.

Everyone deals with ebb and flow in their "fire." Take the ebb time and use it for contemplation to help evaluate yourself and your situation and to plan your best attack on jump starting your work.

Have the Talk - dealing with those difficult conversations

PickTheBrain.com has a great blog entry about survival tips for difficult conversations. This stuff is very appropriate during the holidays, when family has more together time, or you are seeing family members who you don't often see.

The entry reminds us to be direct, and also to remember that someone's testiness is likely due to a larger, underlying issue. (To read the rest of the 5 tips, click here)

The author of this post is Sheila Heen, co-author of the book "Difficult Conversations." Sheila also has a web site entitled "Have the Talk, America."

Having those difficult conversations is a hard thing for many of us. Particularly as women business owners, I believe, many virtual assistants struggle with having the difficult talk with an unreasonable client, or saying "no" to a task that you don't want to do or is outside of your skill set.

Spend a bit of time reading PickTheBrain.com's blog entry, as well as surfing the Have the Talk web site. You'll find some tips there for having that difficult talk, and clearing the air for yourself and possibly your business. Take the "Are You Easy To Talk To?" quiz from the Have the Talk web site below.

Gratitude

A recent scientific study indicates that gratitude plays a role in our sense of well-being. Some refer to this as the gratitude theory. Do you need a lift? Try this fun, feel good gratitude exercise. See if this list of favorite things lifts your spirits. Really think, feel, and recall each experience, one at a time, before moving on to the next one.

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. A hot shower.

4. No lines at the supermarket.

5. A special glance.

6. Getting mail.

7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.

12. Chocolate milkshake (or Vanilla!) (or Strawberry).

13. A long distance phone call.

14. A bubble bath.

15. Giggling.

16. A good conversation.

17. The beach

18. Finding a 20 note in your coat from last winter.

19. Laughing at yourself.

20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

21. Running through sprinklers.

22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

23. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful

24. Laughing at an inside joke

25. Friends

26. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

27. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

28. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).

29. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

30. Playing with a new puppy.

31. Having someone play with your hair.

32. Sweet dreams.

33. Hot chocolate.

34. Road trips with friends.

35. Swinging on swings.

36. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree.

37. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.

38. Going to a really good concert.

39. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

40. Winning a really competitive game.

41. Making chocolate chip cookies.

42. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.

43. Spending time with close friends.

44. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.

45. Holding hands with someone you care about.

46. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

47. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.

48. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.

49. Watching the sunrise.

50. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

Kindness

In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load. When you go through your day expressing kindness and courtesy to all you meet, you leave behind a feeling of warmth and good cheer, and you help alleviate the burdens everyone is struggling with.

-- Brian Tracy