Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Holiday Cheer!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING DECEMBER 18, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will be too late."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

MAKE A WISH!
Remember when, as a kid, you took the wishbone from the holiday turkey, set it aside, and let it dry for several days. You probably argued with brothers or sisters about who would get to make the wish. Then, finally, you took one end, made your wish, got the bigger piece and . . . arghhh . . . nothing happened.

On a recent FOX News interview, someone made the statement that "hope is not a method." Neither is wishing. On a cold autumn day, you can hope or wish you were warm all day long, but until you turn up the thermostat or build a fire, nothing will change. Action always produces results.

So now it's Christmas time - time to be thankful for all your blessings. Chances are good that what you call "blessings" did not occur as a result of wishes and hopes. You probably reached out and worked hard - you took action - to allow them to come into your life. If you did - good for you.

Not everyone can do that. Unfortunately, a great percentage of the population lives only on hope and wishes. They just do not have the ability to comprehend the concept of cause and effect. Nor do they possess the motivation or skills to act on their circumstances. The result? Their blessings are fewer than most.

Since you are blessed with the ability to make things happen, why not reach out this holiday season to those who aren't. Don't expect anything in return, and whatever you do - do it anonymously. You'll be twice blessed!

(Originally published November 25, 2002)

posted by The Office Grapevine at 9:25 AM 0 comments  

My Early Christmas Present!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING DECEMBER 11, 2006

Inspiration for today:
Every cloud has a silver lining
~ Mom

Don't Forget to Plan

This past Friday I set my computer to back up. Nothing unusual there as with most people, right? Well, I come back from dinner and my monitor is black. I try to turn on/off the power button and nada. Deep breath, heavy sigh. Okay, I just need to let the monitor breathe for a while. It's been on for over 24 hours.

Wake up Saturday morning. YIKES! The monitor responds to my laptop but still no picture. Now what to do? Let's see. First, cuss wildly to communicate on a different plane with the monitor. Second, start having chest pains. Third, go into emergency mode and find out if anyone I know has a monitor. Fourth, fight the impending emotional breakdown. Fifth, get an old monitor from a friend. Heavy sigh. Sixth, allow the stress to course through my veins and go to sleep.

Sunday morning comes. It's 7:00 am and a flash of brilliance. Wait a minute! I have all the software to rebuild it. Six Million Dollar Man comes to mind. Thankful for this insight (i.e. freaky dreams) the next thought is how am I going to recover everything that was originally there? YIKES! Thanks to some colleagues for suggesting about 2 months ago this great online backup option called Mozy (www.mozy.com). All the documents for the past year - saved!!!

But wait there's more! Now what do I do about my Outlook Archives? Yes I don't keep everything in my inbox but actually file away. Mozy to the rescue yet again. Software. I admit it. I had old software that was not illegal before it was illegal to copy from someone else's program. Now what am I going to do? I really need to create PDF files no matter what happens. Ebay to the rescue! I purchased a download version of PDFNow (including a CD to be sent later) for under $25.

Regardless the time, regardless the situation, my only thought is that there is nothing more of a blessing than being prepared. Buy your software because you never know. Backup your important files and choose the system that works best for you whether it's a zip drive, online backup or an external hard drive. Finally, never throw out the box of software that comes with your new computer.

I can't WAIT to see what's in store for Christmas Day!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 8:28 AM 0 comments  

Monday, December 04, 2006

Time to Change Lanes?

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING DECEMBER 4, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"So is cheerfulness, or a good temper,
the more it is spent, the more remains."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING!

"If everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane." We've all read or heard similar humorous observations regarding the idea that, when all seems to be going well, it's merely the precursor to some sort of disaster. Unfortunately, many people seem to base their attitudes on that perception and, even more regrettably, they often permit such negativity to influence not only their lives but also the lives of others.
Is it possible you've never been guilty of this transgression? When a colleague made a particularly impressive sale, did you ever say something along the lines of "Well, it'll probably take forever to top that one!" or "Too bad you can't do that all the time, huh?"
Ever told someone going on a trip that you've been there and had a terrible time? Even telling a child who brings home a good report card to "Keep it up!" can lessen the moment, because it implies that the current achievement isn't truly enough or that you fear poor performance in the future. Such statements carry "conditional approval" that demands future accomplishment as well.
One of the keys to harmony, in the workplace or at home, is for everyone to feel good - about themselves and about their accomplishments. The next time you have the opportunity to make a comment, take a moment and carefully consider what you're saying - and how you're saying it. Squash any negativity right then and there.
It's an attitude that's easy to change once you're aware of it and its effect on those around you. Simply put, view the glass as being half full, not half empty. The power of negative thinking can make an even stronger impression than that of positive thinking, so be careful how you wield that power!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 10:38 PM 0 comments