Spring

Thursday March 28, 2013 began with a temperature of -24 Fahrenheit at the Fairbanks International Airport. But the seasons changed in record time and winter ended in a flash by mid-afternoon. Well not really but we are always overly optimistic this time of year. The temperatures soared by 55 degrees for a high of +31 Fahrenheit.

On April 3, 1944, the temperature climbed 56 degrees in one day. On March 11, 1930, there was a 54-degree rise.

Setting records! Bring on spring!

High Five Friday

Today I give a HUGE high five to... gratitude!

What are you grateful for in your life?

...

Can You Learn to Be Happy?

What can you change in your life that will lead to a happier day?

Creating rituals around the things we love to do.

 Expressing gratitude for the good things in our lives. 

Setting meaningful goals that reflect our values and interests. 

Playing to our strengths instead of dwelling on weaknesses. 

Simplifying our lives — not just the Stuff, but the time.

Can You Learn to Be Happy?

YES . . . according to the Tal Ben-Shahar a teacher of Harvard University’s most popular and life-changing course.

HOW?

Grounded in the revolutionary “positive psychology” movement, Ben-Shahar ingeniously combines scientific studies, scholarly research, self-help advice, and spiritual enlightenment. He weaves them together into a set of principles that you can apply to your daily life. Once you open your heart and mind to Happier ’s thoughts, you will feel more fulfilled, more connected . . . and, yes, HAPPIER. 

Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment by Tal Ben-Shahar

 

Vivian Maier ~ Photographer

Who was Vivian Maier?  I recently discovered the story of Vivian Maier and the images she captured throughout her lifetime. I must say I am in awe of her work.  Check out the web site, read her story and view some of the wonderful images.  Click HERE for the web site.

Photo by Vivian Maier

Tip Tuesday ~ Leadership

Leadership Resource 101

Last Installment...

Support may be as simple as words of encouragement or a specific tool needed to perform a task. By listening to team-members, a leader can often learn about the barriers preventing a goal from being achieved and, through facilitation, find a way to an appropriate solution.

The best tool that a good leader can have is the ability to communicate. Open communication among the group that you are part of and leading is a must for the groups on going success.

Remember to:

Foster a reputation for being helpful and resourceful

Be a self-starter

Mentor someone newer

 Get on the radar by networking

Lead collaboratively, not cutthroat

Gain you colleagues' trust

Encourage others through positivity

Leaders exude positivity, and it's this energy that helps fuel everyone to do their best. This goes back to being solution-oriented and resourceful. A can-do, pleasant attitude is much more respected than a negative one.

I hope you have enjoyed these tip Tuesday installments and have a better sense on the skills necessary to be a good leader. Also remember that all of these tips can be transferred to parenting, after-all a good parent is a good leader.

Simplicity

Ancient Chinese philosophy

“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.”

Simplicity just might be the key.

....

The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything by Matthew May

“The world is more overwhelming than ever before. Our work is deeper and more demanding than ever. Our businesses are more complicated and difficult to manage than ever. Our economy is more uncertain than ever. Our resources are scarcer than ever. There is endless choice and feature overkill in all but the best experiences. Everybody knows everything about us. The simple life is a thing of the past. Everywhere, there's too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right. The noise is deafening, the signal weak. Everything is too complicated and time-sucking.”

“Welcome to the age of excess everything. Success in this new age looks different and demands a new skill: Subtraction.”

“Subtraction is defined simply as the art of removing anything excessive, confusing, wasteful, unnatural, hazardous, hard to use, or ugly . . . or the discipline to refrain from adding it in the first place. And if subtraction is the new skill to be acquired, we need a guide to developing it.”

.....

I wonder what other wise words this book has to share.  Have you read it?  If so what did you learn?