The Upside of Down…
June 5, 2008
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You can always laugh
So when that car cuts you off and it’s barely a miss
Don’t give them the finger, just blow them a kiss
Instead of being angry you can chuckle at their reaction
Hopefully the “road rage” will now be a retraction
On the bus where the only seat left is somebody’s lap
Because some loser filled a spot with all of their crap
Instead of being angry and staring them down
Offer to help move their stuff to the ground
When you’re parking to shop at your favorite mall
And you see a deadbeat take a handicap stall
Just give them a wave as you calmly walk past
Call security; let them ticket their ass
While you’re there spending your hard earned money
And the cashier is miserable try calling them “Honey”
Of course that only works when you’re opposite sexes
But it’s better than shooting them like they do down in Texas
When you’re out at the golf course enjoying your day
And the people behind you think you’re in the way
Just let them go past, do your best to ignore
When they’re ahead, count slowly to three, and then yell “fore!”
When you’re sitting at home and you just want to relax
But the kids are going crazy; you can’t get them off your back
Don’t get upset and tell them to “get out of your hair”
They grow up too fast, soon they won’t be there
When you’re all dressed up to take your wife on a date
As usual she’s slow and you don’t want to be late
Give her a break; go get some fresh air on the deck
Remember, men only have to shave their face and neck
When your neighbor lets their dog poop on your lawn
You can’t keep watching out for them dusk to dawn
You might have to pick it up, and yes, that's a drag
But they’ll think twice when it's on their step in a bag
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.
The Power of Play to Exploit the Present
June 3, 2008
Jody Urquhart 
Constant worry about what’s around the corner is a waste of energy and can cause stress and anxiety. Your quality of life will improve a great deal when you take time to live in the present moment. You do that best when you play.
Recently I walked into a meeting of
Imagine you got up right now and played a game for the next 30 minutes with your colleagues. You laughed joked, poked fun at each other and were really engaged in the activity- what would be the result?
Decreased Tension
Expressed Emotion
Increased “feel good” endorphins
Increased Oxygen (increasing energy and focus)
Increased rapport and comrade
Have better social skills to relate to others
Elevated trust
Increased creativity…. Just to name a few benefits.
The sum result of all of this is when you go back to work you would have more energy, better teamwork and be more productive. No I’m not kidding.
This is not a program but a philosophy. Fun is spontaneous- it doesn’t necessarily happen on schedule; it grows in a culture that fosters its existence. You can’t plan to have fun you just have it.
The definition of play is, ‘a physical or mental leisure activity that is undertaken purely for enjoyment or amusement and has no other objective’. (Play Therapy International)
The use of play engages people in the moment. Time flies when you’re having fun because fun is in the present moment. It is positive, healthy, and vibrant and it is right here right now. When you play you usually laugh -Laughing heightens the experience of being in the present moment because it involves the emotions, the body, and the intellect, all at the same time.
The Power of Now.
When you are in the moment you have an infinite source of energy, it’s a state of flow where things are easy. You are in the present, and it’s the most dynamic, fluid awareness.
Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego (Landreth, 2002). In addition, play allows us to practice skills and roles needed for survival. Learning and development are best fostered through play (Russ, 2004)
More Fun = More Energy
Think of fun as something like electricity that can be accessed in different wattages. When you play more you learn to use higher energy levels for a sustained time. You can learn to plug into more power and use it without burning yourself out. Some people can use only very small amounts of power and some have developed and earned the ability to use very large amounts of it.
Managing time often involves setting goals to be reached within a set timeframe. Goals that won’t be accomplished immediately but hours, a month or a year down the road. To be most productive we have to also manage our energy. It’s our energy that we give to the present moment where we actually get the work done. There are numerous ways to increase energy like exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc and they all involve leaving the activity (the work that achieves the goal), get energized and come back to the work.
Fun also increases energy and it’s in the moment, so it doesn’t require time away from your present activity. If you can have fun while working, by experiencing the work you are doing as playful, light hearted and fun than you increase energy, accomplish goals, and stay in the moment. In essence with fun we can manage our energy and our time.
Play Therapy
So often in modern life we never seem to have enough time to spend with our children - just playing, just being there for them.
Play is now widely recognized as being beneficial in the emotional development of children. It has a therapeutic value. Play therapists are licensed professionals who use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. (Association for Play Therapy)
Techniques used by play therapists range from Therapeutic Story Telling, Drama and Role Playing, Puppets and Masks.
Some studies indicate that 70% of children who have psychological problems are helped through the use of psychological based therapies such as play and creative arts.
Nuero science research confirms the importance of play for infants in developing children’s brains and minds. It has also been shown that exposure to metaphor and symbols, as used in play, has a beneficial effect upon the development of the brain.
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who compels stressed-out and fed-up professionals to rediscover their passion, purpose & sense of play. To discuss having Jody speak at your next meeting please call us at 1(877)
How Showing a Little Appreciation Motivates Employees
May 18, 2008
Martin Haworth
There are a whole load of resources you can find on 'motivation'. Books, tapes, internet etc. Yet it need not be so complicated…
Recently, I had the opportunity to show appreciation to someone. I was really surprised to hear back from her the following, "Are you being sarcastic?" It turned out that she had never been appreciated. No one had ever said a simple "Thank you" to her.
That's it this week, notice good work and say thank you.
When?
When can you apply this? Well, it's easy to apply it to everything you see good in people and their performance. But, if it's been something you haven't made a habit of in the past, you need to be a bit smarter than that, to avoid your people wondering what's going on - even worse, they might end up being rather suspicious of what's going on.
So in this case, try and pick out special efforts of each of your people at least once a week to start with. Be fair and consistent with everyone. When that embeds, try it twice a week. Be real though, saying thank-you and giving greater appreciation when it doesn't really mean anything, will end up with a response like I heard above.
Where?
Where can you use this simple encouragement? It's easy. Find the moment when you experience something good from your team members and share your appreciation in the moment if you can. It is so powerful to say it as it happens. And again, even if you forget at the time, don't give up on it, being able to say, "I meant to tell you earlier, but I missed the opportunity, thank you for the way you…", still works.
In fact this can be even more powerful - that you meant to say something, forgot, yet still found the time not to miss the opportunity show how much you really care. Strong relationship building stuff!
Back to the point - where? Anywhere that you notice.
Keep praise informal and frequent so that your people come to appreciate it when it's due (them appreciating you eh?). So not just in an office, but out in the workplace - in the moment.
Why?
Why bother? Well now, let's see. When was the last time someone thanked you for a great piece of work? When was the last time someone thanked you for your help today?
If you haven't been on the receiving end, then I'm sorry. But when you have been, it's a great warm feeling when you are recognised for the efforts you've made. Going home at the end of the day feeling that your contribution is valuable and valued is a very strong motivator.
Your people will feel much more inclined to come back the next day, to a job they do well and feel appreciated for.
So if you have had that experience - share it with your people and if you haven't, try it out on others and see the benefit it creates.
Being appreciated is one of the strongest motivators I know for people - give it a go - and there's no time like the present!
Enjoy!
Copyright 2006 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.)
"Used by permission of www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com"
Motivation - 7 Tips To Keep Your Motivation Fire Burning!
May 11, 2008
By Jeanne May
Motivation is an essential part of everything we do … it governs whether or not we will successfully achieve our goals and dreams throughout life.
Motivation is our desire or level of energy to do something. Our motivation comes from within us, it is our drive based on our desire to achieve something, to do something, or to become something. Motivation also comes from outside us e.g. other people, events, actions of others.
Motivation isn't a constant — it's normal to experience fluctuations in our motivation level at different times… sometimes our motivation is strong and at other times it's hard to find!
When our motivation is strong, we complete tasks easily, successfully achieve our goals… we feel more positive about ourselves and what we are doing. Everything feels good.
When we struggle to find our motivation, things become more difficult… tasks take longer to complete, we find ourselves easily procrastinating, our confidence and self belief takes a hammering… our energy and vibration levels are low!
Although we can be motivated by others or external events, it is the motivation that comes with in us that really makes the difference in being successful.
There are many things we can do to keep our motivation going… to give ourselves a much-needed boost… to keep our motivational fire from going out:
Set a goal that's important and meaningful for you… a goal that will improve your life… a goal that excites you just thinking about it. Outline the necessary steps you need to take to achieve your goal and keep on that path! The more detailed your goal, the easier it is to keep motivated and on track
If your motivation has taken a vacation, you feel lethargic and unable to get anything done, you are aware you're procrastinating… set yourself a time limit to achieve something, to do something and stick with it until you have it completed. Make this a short time period e.g. 10 minutes, and stick with that task for the entire time. It's important to set small time periods for yourself when experiencing low motivation
Read motivating books — read autobiographies of people you admire, look up to, people who have succeeded in some area of life. There are many motivational writers and motivational books are easily found on the net, library or bookshops
Listen to motivating audios — Some of my favorites include: Bob Proctor, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield… download your favorites onto your IPod or burn a CD… and listen to them in the car while you're driving, doing exercises, while you're waiting on queues or for appointments… any time you have spare, play your motivational audio!
Write out a whole lot of motivational quotes… and put them throughout your home, workplace, and on your computer. When you find your motivation is low, read the quotes
Mix and socialize with people who themselves are motivated. It's important to surround yourself with people you find motivating… when you do, your energy and vibrational level increases and this gives you the extra charge you need to achieve what you desire
Learn more information or new skills on subjects that inspire you — when you learn more about subjects you find enjoyable and inspiring, your motivation increases and you become more confident and self-reliant
Do you have difficulties at times getting motivated?
Jeanne May works with spiritually minded people providing them information, inspiration, guidance and support to achieve their goals and dreams… subscribe to Aspirations Plus and receive updates and a complimentary copy of "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!" I invite you to discover more about the difference confidence makes in your life, and learn easy to use techniques to develop Unstoppable Confidence. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanne_May
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