Wealth Beyond Measure

I went to bed last night

uneasy about my finances and fearful of the future

 

I awoke this morning

realizing I’d been given a new day

 

I compared its value to those

grieving a lost loved one

or facing a terminal illness

 

I realized that I had my sight, and could therefore enjoy

the beauty of my surroundings

and the faces of my loved ones

 

I listened to the sounds around me

and I was thankful for the gift of hearing

I reflected on the gifts I often take for granted

— the aroma of fresh-roasted coffee

— of roses in my garden

— the fresh scent of rain and watermelon

I paused to really savor

the taste of an orange

and my morning cup of tea

I realized I had the gift of touch

and the opportunity for a gamut of feelings

 

I’m fortunate to be smaller than some things

and larger than others

 

Whenever I’m feeling unloved

I can choose to give myself away

to reach out to another

and offer comfort on their journey

I went to bed this evening

realizing I have wealth beyond measure!

~ Maryanne Ross

 

Attitude Adjustment

by Darryl Glick, Dale Carnegie Master Instructor

Often attitudes are the only difference between success and failure. Stanford Research Institute conducted a study a while back that concluded financial compensation in the workplace is determined primarily on how we deal with others and ourselves — and that approximately 20% of what we earn is related to technical knowledge, leaving more than three fourths of our income left to the ability to deal with others and keep an open and flexible attitude. Many supervisors will say “give me a new hire with a great attitude and the rest is easy.” There is a lot of truth to that statement. Attitude not only makes a huge difference in daily activities, but also in the way sanity is maintained, as well as business and profits. Technical training can be easy when the person being trained is willing to learn. In the early 1990’s a U.S. News and World Report survey said that 68% of lost business is due to “an attitude of indifference toward customers by some employee.” This is compared with only 14% who are dissatisfied with a product and 9% which move to a competitor. Those are sobering statistics and ones that need to be looked at in our own businesses.

Success in work related activities largely depends on our attitude toward the work itself. When a positive, constructive attitude toward work or a particular task is maintained, these activities become more enjoyable to us.  When a person enjoys what he or she does then they become more forgiving of their own errors. When an activity becomes something to dread, the natural instinct to be more critical comes out. The simple way to overcome this is to remember that our attitude at the beginning of a task will effect the outcome more than anything else. Giving ourselves a positive self-direction or “pep” talk will work wonders. In doing this, the focus should be on what similar situations have been successful and steps should be taken to work toward equaling those results. Take that one step further and make it a bigger challenge.

At the end of each day, write down the things that went well or accomplishments to be proud of. Don’t be shy. Keep a log of everything, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time, later it may be a source of motivation. Keep this list handy and refer to it when attitudes begin to change for the worse. It is a tough habit to get into, yet it can be a major boost in the way we look at ourselves. This is an activity that is introduced early in the Dale Carnegie Course. At first, it isn’t easy to look at accomplishments, yet with the constant reminder to do so, individuals begin to look for victories throughout the day and learn to reward their egos with a mental pat on the back.

Let Go of Negative Emotions

Let go of angers you’ve held onto for months, even years.  Let go of revengeful thinking.  When we carry around old angers and resentments, we give the person who injured us or made us angry free reign over our thoughts and emotions.  They may have forgotten about the incident, they may not even care that you are still upset. Maybe this person did ruin your yesterday, but do you want to give them the power to ruin your today and tomorrow?  If your answer is no, then you owe it to yourself to just let go of those old emotions.

Let Go of jealousy and resentment. Quit comparing yourself to anyone else.  Quit trying to fit in or conform.  You weren’t born to blend in, you were born to stand out!  Discover your own competitive advantage and leverage it.  And yes, we all have a special talent or ability. The trouble is we spend too much time “suffering by comparison,” which is the useless task of comparing ourselves to anyone else! When we let go of these time-wasting thoughts, we free ourselves up to discover our own star power.

Let Go of worry! You may not know this, so I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret.  Worry has always been an Achilles heel for me. But one thing I’m beginning to understand is that worrying doesn’t do anything to alleviate the potential problem, and it robs me of the ability to create the solution to my source of concern.  I now view worry as a reactive stance, and since I encourage my supply chain management classes to be proactive with their operational issues, I’ve decided to practice what I preach in my personal life.  My favorite proactive tool is prayer, and my favorite all time saying has become: Let go and Let God.

Lifting Hearts

One of my very favorite Christmas stories is “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry.  It is a delightful and whimsical story of Delia and Jim Young, a young married couple with very little money. Jim has suffered a thirty-percent pay cut, and the two must scrimp for everything. They each have a possession which they treasure.  For Jim it is the gold watch that was his father’s and his grandfather’s.  For Della it is her thick and glorious brown hair.  The story goes on to describe how each sacrifices their treasures to lift the spirits of the other with a carefully chosen Christmas gift.  Jim sells the watch to buy tortoise shell combs for Della’s hair, and she sells the hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim’s watch.  O. Henry ends this wonderful Christmas tale in this way:

“The magi, as you know, were wise men – wonderfully wise men – who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”

My Christmas wish for each of you is that you take on the role of the magi and lift the spirits of others this holiday season. 

Body Language in an Interview

By Gary Capone

How you present yourself in an interview can influence the overall impression you make on the interviewer. Some studies have said that the words we use account for only 10% of the information communicated. The other 90% is made up of your body language, eye contact, tone, pitch, pace, and volume. Can you improve the nonverbal aspects of your interview performance?

Absolutely. Your nonverbal behavior can be adapted to suit any situation. Individuals in the public eye – actors, politicians, and salespeople – work on their non-verbal behavior. Some employ coaches to work on these skills routinely throughout their careers. Although, hiring a full-time coach is not practical for most people.

There are a few basic tactics that you can employ. The first and most important is to be enthusiastic. In an interview, you should show your interest in the position. Speaking in a monotone with low energy will make a bad impression.

The second tactic you should employ is mirroring. Pay attention to the interviewer and their non-verbal queues. If they sit very straight and lean forward, adopt a similar posture. If they sit back and slouch, you can relax and lean back a little, although you should maintain a professional appearance regardless of what the interviewer does. Mirroring can be extended to speaking style. If the interviewer speaks very quickly, you should try to match their pace.

Mirroring is a talent and a skill. Some people do it very naturally, while others struggle. To be most effective, you should mirror the interviewer almost unconsciously. I’m sure you have had the experience where you met someone and immediately liked them and bonded with them. Usually, this happens when two people have significant similarities in their non-verbal communication.

Because our non-verbal communication is done naturally without thinking, it is extremely difficult to for most people to change. You can learn mirroring techniques, but they take work and practice. Many job seekers find interviews very intimidating and struggle to know what to say. Focusing on mirroring can make this a greater challenge.

Should you adapt your non-verbal communication?

Yes and No. There are significant advantages to a positive attitude, good eye contact, and paying attention to the body language of the interviewer. At the same time, you should only pay attention to these elements if they do not distract you from listening effectively. Failing to listen will hurt your chances much more than having your body language a little out of sync with the interviewer.  You should focus on listening closely, providing good answers, and adapting subtly to the interviewer.  If you do these three things, you will give yourself the best chance of getting hired.

For more great advice and for information on Gary’s upcoming series of webinars, visit his website at: www.palladianinternational.com