Work Sucks – and Everyone Knows It!

by Bookt.com

We all have those days (and weeks) when it just seems that work is totally overwhelming. Stacks of paperwork, ringing phones, endless emails, and continuous complications.  Days when nothing you touch is simple.

Those are the times when it’s a relief to admit it – work sucks! It’s confusing and frustrating, tedious and monotonous, and takes up every minute of your day.  Days when you sit in your little cubicle making phone calls and correcting mistakes and never even see the sun.

It’s good to admit that work isn’t always the “love your job and your career” utopia that some people enjoy. It can be a grind.  It’s a headache making, tiring whirlwind of forms, deadlines, and overflowing in-baskets.  Weeks when it’s seems your to-do list has been hit by a growth-ray of evil scientist proportions!

Luckily, a little venting goes a long ways.  Just knowing you’re not alone, that other people feel the same way can help.  Grumbling with your coworkers, as long as stays within reason, can help you feel like someone else appreciates the pressure you’re under.

A good old fashioned listing of your blessings never hurt either. All the reasons why you have this job in the first place.  Some of mine include:

• It’s close to the house – within 5 miles.
• It has great vacation time and a flexible schedule
• The pay is good and so is the healthcare
• It’s helping to finance my passions – music, drawing, movies, books, etc.
• I get a steady set paycheck each week which helps me set a budget
• I get satisfaction from helping other people by getting them what they’re entitled to

Your list doesn’t have to be spectacular – especially in this economy.  Everyone is different.  It just helps to know that there is some good in your job, even when it’s so taxing that you think about work in your off time.

Read Full Post »

The Magic of Laughter.

by Bill Gracey

Today is Global Belly Laugh Day. At 1:24 p.m. on January 24th (1/24) you can stop and have a good deep belly laugh.  Laughing is good for you.  It lightens even the most solemn moods and can even help lower your blood pressure.

With today’s pressures, many of us find it hard to have the lighthearted spirit needed for a really deep belly laugh.  You know, the kind that has you gasping for air and clutching your stomach as you loud ha-ha-ha’s fill the room – or even the entire house.

Make the decision to find time for laughter.  That’s why silly holidays like these can be so important.  Today I was not feeling like laughing, especially at work.  But I saw this holiday listed on my calendar and checked out the web site. As I scrolled down and saw the video for “Can’t stop laughing” I stopped and watched it.

When the best man lost his pants at the wedding, I couldn’t help but giggle.  When the groom continued snickering, I began to laugh a little more, but when the groom, his bride and the crowd all started chuckling, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Of course I shared the video with my coworkers and we all started laughing.  One giggle led to another, and then another, and soon we were all having a great time.  This is the magic of laughter.

If you make time to visit funny web sites, read humorous emails, watch sitcoms, or any other activity that strikes your funny bone, you’ll feel better. It will invigorate your mind and body.  Suddenly you don’t feel quite so tired anymore.

One of my favorite activities is watching children.  It can be in the grocery store, at home, or even on TV.  Ever see a child in a shopping cart making faces at people as their mother shops? Or a 5 year old making clucking sounds to the delight of his baby sister?  Children are full of the enthusiasm that laughter brings.

Here are a few ideas:

• Read the funnies – newspapers comics are still a great source of laughter
• Play with a puppy
• Read a great bit of Giggle Poetry
• Smile at everyone you see
• People watch at your local mall – guaranteed to find you something funny
• Visit You Tube
• Have a Tickle Fight
• Have a Laughter Yoga session and “fake it until you make it”

Have a great Global Belly Laugh day, and discover the magic of laughter for yourself.

Read Full Post »

Making Mistakes Means Making Progress

by elycefeliz

I know I’ve made mistakes, lots and lots of them. I’ve been rude, given the cold shoulder, let down a friend in need, and not lived up to my own expectations.  I’ve forgotten birthdays, skipped lunch and dinner invitations, and gotten so caught up in work that I’ve gone home tired, headachy and grouchy.

I’ve tried to become a writer, planned to open a store, and didn’t apply for better jobs when I had the chance.  I’ve not exercised, eaten far too much, and skipped cleaning the house when it needed it.

Isn’t it great?  Because all these mistakes mean I’m making progress. At least I’m working.  I’m doing something.  I have found so many things that don’t work for me over the past 20 years.  So I must be pretty darn close to figuring out the whole mystery of life.  (Well one can hope can’t they?)

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
Albert Einstein

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
Thomas A. Edison

As every inventor knows, life is all about making mistakes –there would be no new inventions without them. Babies fall down more times than they stand, but they keep trying.  They know the goal is worth the effort – a whole new world awaits if they can just get it right.  Basketball players can miss half their shots and still win the game.  Even when you fail you can still succeed.

Don’t just look at your missteps and errors and not see the accomplishments, skills or lessons you’ve learned. Maybe you discovered you weren’t quite organized enough to run a business and you need to work on that first.  Perhaps you learned to arrive late like your best friend instead of wasting time waiting for her.  Maybe you saw that your passion for writing was not for a novel, but better suited to magazine articles, poems or some other shorter bits of material.

Making mistakes means making progress.  I forget this vital truth from time and time and need to remind myself.  There is relief in knowing that each blooper and blunders is just part of the journey.  The path you’re on may swerve in an unexpected direction – it’s up to you to decide which whether to keep going or not. It’s the adventure of life and we all live it.  Where will you’re adventure lead?

Read Full Post »

Word of the Year – Freedom.

Picture by thatbluepuppy

I’ve heard several blogs talking about picking a word of the year for your New Year’s resolution. I really like the idea, but last year I just couldn’t narrow down my choice to one.  This year I’ve got it – my word is FREEDOM.

Freedom to make mistakes.  Freedom to change my mind.  Freedom to be silly.  Freedom to do what I want to do. I tend to get way too caught up in doing what I “should” do.  Going to work, paying my bills, cooking, cleaning, and all that stuff.  Which is fine in it’s own way, but I spend more time on what I HAVE to do, instead of what I WANT to do.

I’m giving myself PERMISSION to have the freedom in my life that I envy in the lives of others.  The freedom to CHOOSE to make time for the things I’m missing out on.  Going on more trips, eating at new restaurants, learning new ways of making money so I can afford the things I want.

Freedom is allowing me to stop complaining about my life.  I’m free to find a new job that is more align with my passion.  I’m free to try dressing in a new way and even overhaul my whole wardrobe if I want to.  Lately I’ve been trying many new foods and finding that my taste buds have changed and I enjoy flavors I didn’t before.  Freedom allows me to say, “I’m different today than I was yesterday – and that’s WONDERFUL!”

My own inner critic was holding me back far more than any real-life criticism I received.  If a person told me I couldn’t do it, I’d just say – “Yeah right –watch me!.”  If I told myself I couldn’t do it, I was convinced that I was a smart person and I must know what I was talking about!  By focusing on FREEDOM, I know that I’m free to change my mind, try again, or completely revise my old ideas. This focus word is helping me put things into perspective.

So what is your word for the year?  And how does it help you?  Share your ideas with me.

Read Full Post »