When I say things like that, I can hear the crowd behind me murmuring with exasperation at such a comment. When faced with a blank page, many people just freeze. Well, let me tell you, so do writers. The difference is that writers are resourceful and know where to look for inspiration. You don’t need a muse per se, but you do need something to tip over the bucket so the words pour forth. So, let’s get kicking some buckets. And I am going to share one little secret with you today. First, a little tidbit. When you write a blog post or create posts to publish on social media, it helps to include a nice image with it. It could be funny or beautiful, but an image draws...
Read MoreThe other day I heard a colleague on the phone with a service provider. They had been working on a project that I know both sides of that phone call felt had been the definition of forever pulling teeth from a wild boar. It had been painful. In that final call, I heard my colleague thank the vendor and then he said something that caught me by surprise. He said, “You have been so patient and helpful through this whole project. I thank you so much for that and I am going to write up a testimonial right away and send it to you.” Now, if you are a small business owner, you know people might appreciate your work or what you have done for them, but you don’t often have...
Read MoreOne of the things I like about Dan Rockwell’s Leadership Freak blog is that he is just so darn positive – and that he encourages others to be positive with words and his actions. He put forth a challenge called the 4 to 1 Challenge. He explains that for every one negative, four positives should be given as well. Whether you accept that philosphy or the bucket theory (How Full is Your Bucket?) or any other ideology for personal and professional interactions, I don’t think it really matters. We all KNOW that it feels better to hear positives than negatives and we spend a great deal of time and energy listening for them. When heard, we get a good feeling,...
Read MoreLoretta LaRoche’s book, Life is Not a Stress Rehearsal, has truly been fodder for thought. It was so funny – and so real – that I even read long portions to my husband as we lay in bed at night. I just had to share it with him. Not so much to enlighten him, but to share evidence that someone else thinks like he does! Yes, he’s wonderful and smart and funny – but don’t tell him that, OK? I wanted to just let him know, “Hey, now I get some of what you’ve been saying.” So much of what she covers has to do with communication. She comically weaves around it but when she’s done with the basket – it holds all the communication issues between genders,...
Read MoreDoes content really matter? I just finished Loretta Laroche’s 2001 book, Life is Not a Stress Rehearsal. She takes a humorous look at the absurdity of life in America at 2001 – and how it relates to the stress levels we feel. (Guess why I picked this book up off the library shelves …) In between all the Duh! and giggles is a nugget of truth – which is where the humor comes from, sadly. One topic she splits wide open is conversation – and it’s messy and sticky like a cracked and bleeding watermelon. There it is – splayed wide open with tempting juicy fruit and we’re afraid to eat it because it’s a mess – just like the state of conversation today. She...
Read More
Recent Comments