They’re everywhere. In every big city and small town. In every neighborhood, apartment building, and office complex. In classrooms and hospitals. On the streets or on the bus. They’re the unseen people. They’re often those who serve us – the person who cleans your hotel room or the airport restroom. The stocker or checker at the grocery store, the person at the drive-thru window, the wait staff in the restaurant. The person who delivers your mail or picks up your trash. But they’re not just people in low-profile jobs. They may sit near you at work or at church. They live across the street. You see them on the elevator every day. They’re everywhere, and yet they’re unseen. They’re unseen… [Read More]
Glossophobia!
I’ve recently encountered a number of people who suffer from glossophobia. People of all ages, education levels, and positions are susceptible. For some, it starts at an early age; for others it’s the result of what, for them, was a traumatic event, and for still others, it can strike unexpectedly. You may be saying, “Yikes! What is glossophobia?” “Is it contagious?” “How do I know if I have it?” And, most importantly, “Is there a cure?” Believe me, you know if you have it. And fortunately, there is a cure. Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. It comes from the Greek term glossa, meaning tongue, and phobos, fear or dread. According to some studies, speaking in front of a… [Read More]
Comfort Zone / Danger Zone
I’m a softie. I love comfort. I love ease. I love doing things that I’m good at. I’ll bet you, too, enjoy the effortless simplicity associated with your comfort zones. But do you ever entertain the thought of doing something challenging? Something that pushes you, that makes you sweat? When that thought occurs, do you simply push that pesky notion out of your mind? Most of us do – because doing something challenging and new would most likely be hard. And dealing with difficulty and discomfort isn’t fun. The problem is that none of us like the “stupid phase”. The “stupid phase” that typically accompanies any new effort or learning process is the direct opposite of the comfort zone. It’s… [Read More]
Love, Love, Love
It’s February – the love month. Actually, we didn’t have to wait until February to begin thinking about it, did we? Stores in my area had the Valentines and candy hearts out the day after Christmas! After all, no retailer worth his/her salt would let a day go by without gearing up for the next big $$$ event. Yes, retailers love Valentine’s Day, and here’s why. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend $18.2 billion (that’s billion with a “B”) on Valentine goodies. Here’s how it breaks down – jewelry $4.3 billion, flowers $2 billion, candy $1.7 billion, greeting cards $1 billion, and then, of course, when you add in dinner and a movie, it’s easy to get… [Read More]
SO-SO
It’s 2019. Will you be living the “Same-Old-Same-Old”, a life that’s just “so-so”? If you watched any of the memorial services honoring the late President George Herbert Walker Bush, perhaps you remember references to CAVU, a Naval acronym that stands for Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited. It’s a phrase used by Navy pilots to describe the weather they desire when flying off of an aircraft carrier. The term truly described Bush’s courage and optimism, a philosophy lived out by a man who never lost his passion for his family and country, his sense of humor, or his desire for trying new experiences – like celebrating his 80th, 85th, and 90th birthdays by sky-diving. As Vice-President Pence noted in his comments, for… [Read More]
