If you ever studied Roman mythology, you know that the Romans had a god for everything. There were the major gods. Jupiter, the king of the gods. Mars, the god of war Mercury, the god of travelers and tradesmen. Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Ceres, the goodness of agriculture. Vulcan, the god of blacksmiths and volcanoes. You get the picture. There were minor gods as well, among them – Janus, the god of doors, gateways, beginnings, and endings. Janus is always pictured as having two faces, one facing the past and the other the future. We get our word “January” from Janus, and that makes sense, doesn’t it? Because in January, we look back to the year that’s… [Read More]
Simplify!
Hello, Friends! After taking some time off from sending out Great Days e-Tips, I’m back! How have you been? What have you been doing? I’ve spent a little time this summer cleaning out, clearing out, cutting out, getting rid of a lot of “stuff.” While I’m far from being a minimalist, I’m working on simplifying, and in doing so, I’m discovering that the process clears not only the clutter but also the mind. Admittedly, a significant amount of time is still spent looking for things (i.e., my phone, keys, glasses, phone, glasses, phone…). But I’m learning that life becomes more manageable when there’s less to manage. One of my projects has been to eliminate the number of emails I receive,… [Read More]
Keep Your Cool, Baby
Would you like to know the secret to good communication, positive relationships, and a peaceful, harmonious existence? It’s pretty simple. Just keep your cool, Baby. If you’re like most folks these days, you’re stressed to the max. There are many contributors to the out-of-control feeling that many people feel on a daily basis. Escalating gas and food prices. The threat of war. Physical and mental exhaustion. Traffic. Polarized politics. Each one of these circumstances contributes to stress that can erupt in anger and frustration. Recently the feeling of scarcity has been pervasive. Scarcity means not having enough – not enough employees, enough supplies, enough time, enough money. And when you get caught up in scarcity, tempers can flare and lead… [Read More]
Don’t You Want to See What Happens…
When Jane “Nightbirde” Marczewski appeared on America’s Got Talent, she immediately grabbed the hearts of the judges as well as the television audience who saw her performance. Her voice was amazing, captivating – as was her story. Marczewski shared that she had stage-4 breast cancer and that her chances of survival were slim, so slim that –although she was a hands-down winner – she took herself out of the competition so that she could focus on dealing with her health issues. Her story of faith and courage in facing her disease caused her to be interviewed on numerous talk-shows, and those interviews spread her fearless message. Although her body was frail, her message was one of strength, tenacity, persistence, and… [Read More]
Words Matter
Have you observed how so many people these days spew out their thoughts and opinions seemingly without thinking about or considering the impact that their words will have? My friend and colleague, Dr Shirley Garrett (www.SpeakLikeAPro.com), never fails to remind her communication coaching clients and the executives in her training classes that words do indeed matter. One’s choice of words, the tone in which they’re delivered, and the intention behind them carry more power than many people realize. We fail to think before letting the words rush out of our mouths. I read something recently that’s attributed to Bernard Meltzer. (Who? I know. I never heard of him either.) A quick Google search revealed that Bernard Meltzer was the host of a… [Read More]
