Difference Maker!

Difference Maker!

Social media, whether we realize it or not – whether we admit it or not –has been a difference maker in all our lives.
 
For many of us, stories of our past remain concealed. I am so grateful we did not have smart phones when I was in college. These days, we all see the younger generations so much more exposed. Sure, they know how to Tweet, use Tik Tok, Snap, and Insta better than we can, but they also live in a world where right and wrong is not as clear cut as it used to be.  Navigating a world with countless competing messages creates endless gray area where saw black and white.
 
I know my profession is deep rooted in social media.  And I, seemingly, am a big fan.  But there is a huge part of me that wishes it did not exist. Public relations are public relations.  My first foray into marketing came in a world that used paper, television, and banner ads. So, I know, I would still be right here.
 
The impact of social media has made as just as much good in this world, as it has bad. It is beautiful for across the globe connectivity. For all businesses it is easier to broaden your reach through social media. We can share our stories, be part of a wonderful support system, and collect all our memories. Who doesn’t enjoy the “remember when’s” that pop up daily on our feeds?
 
It is also so ugly. Exposing peoples’ prejudices, intolerance, and hatred. The easy ability to spread lies. The increase of body dysmorphia in our youth and adults. The depression it can create, the inability to break from bullying, or the in-your-face (yet behind the safety of a computer screen) defriending of people. Not to mention the creepers and predators out there.  It is all so much more overwhelming.
 
I believe seeing social media for all that it is has been a major difference maker in my life. Getting to know it, in all its intricate details, helps drown out the bad and elevate the good.

No lie though, the exposer of people’s intolerance on social media is scary. When you see them in public, they seem so normal and nice, never mentioning their hatred of a person, group, or thing.
 
But as Taylor Swift says, “You say in a tweet it’s a cop out, you say in the street it’s a knockout.”

Evergreen and Everlasting!

Evergreen and Everlasting!

“A lot of what we do is not forward facing.” Karen Cooper, creator of Empowering Women in Real Estate, said these exact words on this week’s podcast. She’s right. But those things that we do for our businesses and our colleagues are essential, even though they largely go unrecognized.
 
The conundrum is while employee recognition is the cornerstone of any business, who recognizes you?
 
Well, I’m here to say, I see you and know how hard you are ALWAYS working. Even when things are not perfect, you are still killing it. Every day you show. When it rains, you don’t go back to bed, you grab your umbrella. When you need help, you still answer your phone to help others. When shit literally hits the fan, you grab the Clorox and start cleaning.
 
And thank you, thank you for not giving up, for persevering, and having the tenacity that is so necessary to be who we are in this world. I see you and I need you, because when I’m at a low, you are my high even when you don’t know it.
 
Remember “tears of failure have the ability to make the loudest cries of success.”

Edible Fact!

Edible Fact!

Communication is hard. You would think all of us speaking the same language would make it a little bit easier, but it doesn’t. Figuratively speaking, communication is an onion that you must continually peel.  Yet there is no core to be found at the epicenter.
 
There are many reasons why our message isn’t understood by the recipient: misusing details, tone, time, not thinking before we speak, and not knowing our audience. But there is so much more to it. There are straight up communication barriers that truly exist. I remember reading the book, The Color Code by Taylor Hartman Ph.D.  The text details various types of people and how we either successfully or unsuccessfully interact with each other. This book is a deep dive into who we are and helps us understand others around us. It’s supposed to give us guidance on how to identify and communicate with people. I do highly recommend this book.
 
I’m not going to lie, though.  While I can identify people’s color code, I still have difficulty communicating. I am who I am:  a very direct person who really isn’t into the minutia of detail. And the details I do notice are not those of others.
 
However, I have learned to pause. I have learned to accept differences in communication.  I find this understanding and acceptance the most helpful when interacting with others. It shows them I see them for who they are, and in turn, they learn who I am. Typically, grace and understanding are the result.
 
Listening is also an essential part of communication. How often do we find our minds wondering while someone is talking to us? Or wanting to move on to the next thing, because as we believe it, our minds have processed what the person is trying to say, so we stop listening.
 
find myself doing this more than I care to admit.  I’m especially guilty of jumping to the end. It’s the age-old problem of not listening, but instead “waiting” until it’s our turn to speak. This is something I am truly trying to work on in my professional and personal worlds.  As they say…the first step is admitting you have a problem, right? 
 
There are so many more reasons beyond the basics, the color codes, and listening that makes communication hard. Yet, I feel like if we cover our basics, then take it a step further to see ourselves and others more through active listening, we definitely will improve our results.
 
And PLEASE do not text when it should be a call!

Sun or Shade?

Sun or Shade?

Time flies when you’re having fun! We have heard this idiom used a thousand times and in various ways. The first record of this little phrase dates all the way back to the 1800s. If the earth had a voice, I wonder how many events would cause it to say that little phrase.
 
The older I get; the quicker time seems to go; I know I can’t be the only one who feels this same way. And for the past couple of weeks, every time Thursday hits, I wish it was Tuesday. Not because I don’t enjoy Fridays and weekends, but because there is still so much to do, and I want the satisfaction of a completed to-do list so that I may truly enjoy my Fridays and weekends. 
 
So, me being me, I dove headfirst down the rabbit hole!  I set about gathering information pertaining to the passage of time. I discovered I was right! The older we get, the faster we perceive time to pass. It’s not because we are overwhelmed with work, kids’ activities, or the stress of constant change. It’s neurological.
 
It turns out, there are significant differences between the ticking of the clock on the wall and the ticking of the human biorhythm. According to Professor Bejan of the Harvard Business Journal, it is possible that the rate in which we process visual information slows down as we grow older. Therefore, time flies by. I know, it would seem based on that information time would slow down, right?
 
Since this is a hard to conceptualize, I am just going to copy and paste a portion of what the blog says:

“As we age, he argues, the size and complexity of the networks of neurons in our brains increases – electrical signals must traverse greater distances and thus signal processing takes more time. Moreover, ageing causes our nerves to accumulate damage that provides resistance to the flow of electric signals, further slowing processing time. Focusing on visual perception, Bejan posits that slower processing times result in us perceiving fewer ‘frames-per-second’ – more actual time passes between the perception of each new mental image. This is what leads to time passing more rapidly. When we are young, each second of actual time is packed with many more mental images. Like a slow-motion camera that captures thousands of images per second, time appears to pass more slowly.”
 
There was no way for me to paraphrase that without losing its luster.
 
However, I will summarize it the best way possible in my own words… always try to stay in the moment. Like I said last week, we are always pulled in so many different directions. We need to make more conscience effort to stay present. I don’t know about you, but I want the slow-motion camera back in my life. Even in the bad times I want it, so then I enjoy the good times even more.