Before You Can Walk a Tightrope…..
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010My cousin is a trapeze walker and after having a discussion with him, I learned that to walk on a type rope is a lot harder than it looks. And the worst part is that it looks really hard. They fall so much that the first thing they have to learn is the right way to fall. After I had put some thought into that it made a lot more sense.
If a tightrope walker were to fall and were inexperienced at falling he would not know how to move his body to take the least amount of damage. Not only that, but he may just simply panic. He could land in a way that he could never walk again; or worse.
So I guess the moral of the story is that tightrope walking is no walk in the park. It’s more like a walk across a thin rope that is suspended in the air. Just remember that next time you’re at the circus enjoying the show. It may be even more enjoyable knowing how difficult it is to walk a tightrope!
Gardening With Your Kids
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010There is nothing like experiencing the outdoors with your kids and one of the best things you can do with children is garden. Most people make the mistake of getting the kids involved during planting but kids love to get dirty and there is nothing as dirty as turning up the soil. My boys had more fun in the soil prep then just about anything else except for when the plants start coming up. Of course, you need to be the type of parent who is okay with dirt getting between toes, in the ears and everything else in between.
Once you share this part with kids they are more apt to jump in for the other parts; planting, weeding and harvesting. Kids also love to experiment so try vertical gardening and gardening in raised beds. These are all ways to see what you can do and grow and they will love it too. Who knows, you might also get a small greenhouse and see if you can grow a few thing during the winter months? After all, it is about the fun and learning that is most important.
Surviving the Cold in the South
Sunday, January 10th, 2010If you live up north you have no idea how crazy it can get in the south when it snows, melts and then freezes because up north you learn how to dress, walk and drive in this type of weather. Down south you have no idea how to do any of these things. You see the guy that has just slammed his car into a pole and gets out in shirt sleeves to look at the damage. You stop and ask him if he has a coat and he tells you he does but it’s back at the house. You ask him why his coat is at the house in 12 degrees weather and he says it’s because he didn’t plan on having to go any further than his car to the pizza place and then back home; there is no pre-planning involved here outside of the transportation departments.
It’s not their fault that this type of weather is beyond what they know and it would beyond mine as well had I been born and lived here all my life. As it is, I have been going out and getting things for my family and bringing it back because I am the only one experienced with this weather in my neighborhood. The good news is next week it get above freezing once again and life goes back to normal.
Need Help Writing a Resume?
Monday, October 19th, 2009Are you one of the millions who are out looking for a job? That’s right, one of the millions of displaced workers in the current job market today competing with each other. The latest statistic is for every one job opening there are six people available to fill the job immediately. So how do you become the one they pick?
The first thing most employers will see is your resume along with hundreds, if not thousands of other resumes. The person in charge is normally not the first person that sees this piece of paper; it’s one of the people in human resources that has the job of sorting the resumes for the jobs as they come in. So the first thing you have to do is make it through the sort. More and more companies are also going to applicant tracking systems and you will need to have a resume that gets through these as well. Getting help with resumes is one thing, getting the correct help writing your resume is another. Take your time and make sure the help you are getting is coming from someone who has been on the other side. It could be the difference in you being chosen for the next job or not!
Toastmasters Help with Fear of Public Speaking
Monday, June 15th, 2009Some people fear public speaking more than death, taxes, marriage, changing jobs and having babies. Many people overcome their fears by joining Toastmaster’s International. A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop where members hone speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. There are timed, sequential, structured speech exercises, and members can spend years reaching higher levels of skill. A typical Toastmasters group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly or biweekly to practice public speaking techniques. The average meeting lasts one hour and is characterized by support, friendship and encouragement.
Members of Toastmasters often stress at least two main benefits to membership – confidence and leadership. Yet, confidence alone does not make someone a good speaker. That means members have to polish speaking skills, dive into subject matter, prepare and organize the material and practice delivery. Members learn strategies and tricks to improve their speaking. They are encouraged to speak about topics they know about and have a passion for. They are told to concentrate on the message, not the medium. A speech is usually successful when you focus attention away from your own anxieties and aim your message towards the audience. They learn how to transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.