Happiness is...
Continued education. Today in class we were each invited to share a relevant article about counseling. It was fun to investigate extra things in the field, and it revealed a lot of other information through classmates' articles... they were all so interesting, and an excellent reminder of the continual learning within this profession!
When I was in college, I used to say I wanted to grow up to be a student; I guess this is about as close as I could get. :)
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Yoga lessons
Happiness is...
Plank. It's a stability pose. It builds strength and endurance. It's as simple as getting on the floor and holding a stance.
It's much like my life at the moment, holding steady and hovering. I get through it one day at a time, and it makes me stronger. Just breathe... you can maintain the difficult position too.
Plank. It's a stability pose. It builds strength and endurance. It's as simple as getting on the floor and holding a stance.
It's much like my life at the moment, holding steady and hovering. I get through it one day at a time, and it makes me stronger. Just breathe... you can maintain the difficult position too.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Travel
Happiness is...
Travel. It's one of my biggest passions... but I suppose I can't write a post every few days about it (what a shame). I have the heart of a foreigner!
I love experiencing new sights and getting a glimpse into a different culture... the language, the customs, the food, the people. When I was studying abroad I feel like I grew more in three months than I had in my 21 years before! I want to live my entire life in the mindset of a traveler, constantly exploring and learning. There is so much more to the world than our materialistic ignorant American background. I intend on looking into it all. I love trying new dishes, and I have a strong urge to continue with my language.
Traveling will always be a priority for me. Since I left Spain (and toured France, Italy, and Greece) I came home and have not left U.S. soil. It has now been over two years. Sure, I've visited South Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Chicago, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee... but it's about time for another stamp on my passport. I need to see more than the same life, different accent. I am beyond stir crazy.
That's why I'm so excited for Jamaica. What's happier?
Travel. It's one of my biggest passions... but I suppose I can't write a post every few days about it (what a shame). I have the heart of a foreigner!
I love experiencing new sights and getting a glimpse into a different culture... the language, the customs, the food, the people. When I was studying abroad I feel like I grew more in three months than I had in my 21 years before! I want to live my entire life in the mindset of a traveler, constantly exploring and learning. There is so much more to the world than our materialistic ignorant American background. I intend on looking into it all. I love trying new dishes, and I have a strong urge to continue with my language.
Traveling will always be a priority for me. Since I left Spain (and toured France, Italy, and Greece) I came home and have not left U.S. soil. It has now been over two years. Sure, I've visited South Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Chicago, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee... but it's about time for another stamp on my passport. I need to see more than the same life, different accent. I am beyond stir crazy.
That's why I'm so excited for Jamaica. What's happier?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Life lessons
Happiness is...
Learning important life lessons without significant consequences. They say it's best to learn from mistakes, but I disagree, slightly. We could all benefit if we learned from near-misses. You end up much more grateful that things worked themselves out and won't take it for granted! Example: try almost losing something, or misplacing it entirely for a few hours... when you rediscover it, not only will it be that much more valuable, but you'll be that much more careful with it. Lesson learned. Thank you, last night.
Learning important life lessons without significant consequences. They say it's best to learn from mistakes, but I disagree, slightly. We could all benefit if we learned from near-misses. You end up much more grateful that things worked themselves out and won't take it for granted! Example: try almost losing something, or misplacing it entirely for a few hours... when you rediscover it, not only will it be that much more valuable, but you'll be that much more careful with it. Lesson learned. Thank you, last night.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Lessons from the Last Lecture
Happiness is...
The last lecture. A lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?
When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. Here are some of my favorite pieces of advice.
-If you can dream it, you can do it.
-Get in touch with your childhood. Play.
-Be prepared. All you have is what you bring with you. Always bring something to the table, because it will make you more welcome.
-Be a communitarian. Your rights are accompanied by your responsibilities.
-Look for the best in everybody.
-Watch what they do, not what they say.
-Don't complain, just work harder. Complaining doesn't work as a strategy, and the time we spend whining is unlikely to help us succeed. It won't make us happier.
-Never give up.
-Time must be explicitly managed, like money. Time is all you've got. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.
-A bad apology is worse than no apology.
-If nobody ever worried about what was in other people's heads, we'd all be 33 percent more effective in our lives and on our jobs.
-Go out and do for others what someone once did for you (pay it forward).
-You can always change your plan, but only if you have one.
-If at first you don't succeed, try again. Don't be afraid. The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures.
-Sometimes with the passage of time and the deadlines that life imposes, surrendering is the right thing to do. Life. Is. Too. Short.
-Just because you are in the driver's seat doesn't mean you have to run people over.
The last lecture. A lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?
When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. Here are some of my favorite pieces of advice.
-If you can dream it, you can do it.
-Get in touch with your childhood. Play.
-Be prepared. All you have is what you bring with you. Always bring something to the table, because it will make you more welcome.
-Be a communitarian. Your rights are accompanied by your responsibilities.
-Look for the best in everybody.
-Watch what they do, not what they say.
-Don't complain, just work harder. Complaining doesn't work as a strategy, and the time we spend whining is unlikely to help us succeed. It won't make us happier.
-Never give up.
-Time must be explicitly managed, like money. Time is all you've got. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.
-A bad apology is worse than no apology.
-If nobody ever worried about what was in other people's heads, we'd all be 33 percent more effective in our lives and on our jobs.
-Go out and do for others what someone once did for you (pay it forward).
-You can always change your plan, but only if you have one.
-If at first you don't succeed, try again. Don't be afraid. The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures.
-Sometimes with the passage of time and the deadlines that life imposes, surrendering is the right thing to do. Life. Is. Too. Short.
-Just because you are in the driver's seat doesn't mean you have to run people over.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Personality tests
Happiness is...
Personality tests.
This year in my work there has been a lot of personal and professional development. One of these opportunities came with a series of personality tests, which has been super exciting for me. I enjoy learning about personality, and it helps put my work in context with other aspects of my character.
It started with Myers-Briggs (I am ENFJ) which was revealing and comprehensive.
We also did our Strengths Finder results and I found my top five: Achiever, Empathy, Maximizer, Relator, and Intellection. Something I would recommend to all!
Now, it's the Enneagram. A little more difficult to navigate, but a learning experience all the same... And that's one thing I love about this position; I have continual opportunities to learn more and more about myself. I am able to be self-aware and work on my skills and talents, as well as things that hold me back. I'm excited to see how I can take it all into the future, for sure.
Your turn, who are you?
Personality tests.
This year in my work there has been a lot of personal and professional development. One of these opportunities came with a series of personality tests, which has been super exciting for me. I enjoy learning about personality, and it helps put my work in context with other aspects of my character.
It started with Myers-Briggs (I am ENFJ) which was revealing and comprehensive.
We also did our Strengths Finder results and I found my top five: Achiever, Empathy, Maximizer, Relator, and Intellection. Something I would recommend to all!
Now, it's the Enneagram. A little more difficult to navigate, but a learning experience all the same... And that's one thing I love about this position; I have continual opportunities to learn more and more about myself. I am able to be self-aware and work on my skills and talents, as well as things that hold me back. I'm excited to see how I can take it all into the future, for sure.
Your turn, who are you?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Women in leadership
Happiness is...
A little inspiration from women in leadership.
This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a women's conference, where I had several insights make an impact on me:
- Perception matters: the language about women is powerful. What are your defining characteristics? Hard-working? Dependable? Collaborative? Smart? Driven or Strategic?! I thought not.
- Women do not get ahead because they are not expected to strive for it. We are marginalized, not by men but by everyone. No is not an answer, it is the beginning of a negotiation. What we do to get ahead defines if we will. It is not aggressive, nor is it bragging, if it's fact.
- Women need a group of women who support them and build up their successes, not a group threatened by them (or settling).
- Your personal brand has a voice, whether or not you choose to manage it. Your image and voice can communicate the experience of working with you.
- Positive, authentic communication changes things.
- You must be able to leverage your emotional intelligence, ask for what you need, and make quick decisions in order to find opportunity.
- APRIL 12, 2011 MARKED PAY EQUITY DAY: It took until that day for a woman to make the exact salary as her male counterpart in the 2010 calendar year.
It's all a learning experience. What have you learned?
Me---I've learned that I AM enough.
A little inspiration from women in leadership.
This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a women's conference, where I had several insights make an impact on me:
- Perception matters: the language about women is powerful. What are your defining characteristics? Hard-working? Dependable? Collaborative? Smart? Driven or Strategic?! I thought not.
- Women do not get ahead because they are not expected to strive for it. We are marginalized, not by men but by everyone. No is not an answer, it is the beginning of a negotiation. What we do to get ahead defines if we will. It is not aggressive, nor is it bragging, if it's fact.
- Women need a group of women who support them and build up their successes, not a group threatened by them (or settling).
- Your personal brand has a voice, whether or not you choose to manage it. Your image and voice can communicate the experience of working with you.
- Positive, authentic communication changes things.
- You must be able to leverage your emotional intelligence, ask for what you need, and make quick decisions in order to find opportunity.
- APRIL 12, 2011 MARKED PAY EQUITY DAY: It took until that day for a woman to make the exact salary as her male counterpart in the 2010 calendar year.
It's all a learning experience. What have you learned?
Me---I've learned that I AM enough.
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