The Thankful List

Being brave doesn’t mean being completely stoic and cold in the face of crisis, fear, or hardship. Being brave is the acknowledgement of these things and finding the will to accept them. Bravery is being strong enough to stand tall in spite of adversity while also being empathetic enough to allow ourselves to feel.Overall being brave is the strength to stare hardship in the face and the compassion to still feel and show emotion. 

Reflection over past events is an important piece of learning, however to keep revisiting situations, relationships, and events can have negative effects. It is easy for us to be critical of our past selves and mull over what we should have said or done. Living in the past can cause our present selves to over think or not partake in experiences that could be beneficial because we are worried we will make the same mistakes again. It’s important to remember when we find ourselves starting to replay the past to remember the reason the we can so clearly see what we should have done or said then is because we have grown, we have used the past and learned from it. We are wiser now than we were before so the answers to the past become more clear. Don’t be afraid you will make the same mistakes of the past, you have learned and are now wiser for it for the future. 

Starting a new job or internship somewhere unfamiliar? It’s easy to feel like you are an outsider or a “guest in someone’s house” for the first couple of weeks. You aren’t sure what is the correct protocol, everything is really formal, and you might not know many people. But that’s okay! Everyone needs their own time to adjust to a new place, new co-workers, and new bosses. Here are a few tips for transforming from feeling like a guest to being right at home! 

1. Look and feel your best. This starts even before you step into the front door of your office or work place. Make sure you feel like you look presentable and great this could be done by wearing a cute (but business appropriate) outfit, or making sure your hair and make up are done. For the gentlemen it could be wearing a favorite tie or having a cleanly pressed shirt. Feeling like you look 110% will make you feel more confident. The more confident you feel the easier it will be to feel like you can engage with the professionals around you. It’s an old saying but it is so true, “dress for the part you want to have!”
2. Get to know your co-workers and bosses. It’s easy to forget but they are people too. They have families, go on vacation, and have stories to tell. Ask them about their weekend or how their day is going. People appreciate that kind of thing and they will begin to ask you in turn. Building a rapport with others is important in feeling like you are part of the team. Eat lunch in the break room with them, visit their cubicle or desk. Get to know them and let them get to know you.
3. Do not leave early and do not take short cuts. In your first couple of weeks you will have to make a lot of first impressions. Make sure that people’s first impressions of you are that you are hard working and dependable. People will treat you differently based on if you are a uncommitted worker or one that is hard working. Make sure you are the latter. You teach people how to treat you and if you skimp on the work and cut out early, you may not like the results!
4. Participate. If a group of co-workers invite you to go to a movie or out to dinner or a baseball game, go! You can get to know your co-workers in a more relaxed setting, cut loose (a little, don’t be a company PR nightmare), and have fun. It’s a great way to make new friends in your office. While you don’t have to say yes to everything, saying no to everything they ask you to do may cause the invites to stop. Make time in your out of work schedule to attend these events!
5. Add personal touches to your space. Whether it’s a desk, cubicle, or the background of a computer, make it your own! Add your own unique touches to your own space to make it feel more inviting. If you feel comfortable in your space you will be more relaxed. So add a little zen garden , fun mini poster, or cute desktop background! Your space will be instantly more cozy!
6. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does!” William James In the first few weeks you will be challenged to learn all the ins and outs of your internship or job. You will be tired, get annoyed, be so happy, and find out if it is what you love. Through it all work hard and stay positive! What you do each day matters in ending up where you want to be career wise in the long haul! 

These are just a few tips to go from house guest to right at home! As you work through your new job or internship you will find even more ways to leave your mark! Good luck! 

Other people will tell you that you can’t do things, you can’t reach your goals. Don’t listen to them. They don’t know what is in your heart, they don’t know how hard you are fighting to attain your goal. Know that you have it inside you to reach beyond what others think is possible. Know you can achieve your goal.

“Life is not tried, it is merely survived

if you’re standing outside the fire”

-Garth Brooks 

The best part of reaching our goal is getting there!

So often I feel like we are pressured into being mean to our enemies (or those we perceive as enemies) by friends, society, and ourselves. We feel like we have to get a reaction or a rise out of them and that will make us feel better or will make the other person know how we really feel. Sometimes after saying hurtful things or doing hurtful things to others we do feel better. But this is fleeting, it never lasts. All the superficial happiness we gain from gossiping, name calling, and being mean never lasts. We just end up either wanting more or having a big hole left where we thought satisfaction would be. 

Instead of reacting to those individuals that we do not like as much with anger and trying to get back at them, try being nice. You don’t have to act like their best friend but being polite never killed anyone. Plus you can have the satisfaction of being in the bigger person and being mature. Don’t sink to the level of being mean and slinging words around because everyone gets hurt and leaves the fight empty handed. Be a lady or a gentlemen, be nice. You’ll most likely find that you get a lot further with honey than you do with vinegar. 

“Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them.”

Benjamin Franklin

I think sometimes it is easy to get caught up in yourselves, in only doing what “I” wants to do. It’s so easy to do this, our society promotes “me” and “I” thinking. But we need to remember that there are other people in this world as well that have needs, wants, ideas, and opinions. We also need to remember that others’ needs, wants, ideas, and opinions matter just as much as our own. While we may think we are the most important, it’s also important to think about others. If we each took time to consider just one other person’s perspective each day, I think that could go a long way into making our interactions with others more positive and effective.