Tag Archives: New thoughts

Monday Anagrams – What’s your Awareness. . .

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 Although we lost an hour Early yesterday morning, we made it through the day this Monday.  Throughout our career path, we lose time, appointments, colleagues and friends and an occasional discussion.    It happens that we grow, develop and become more aware of who we are and how we interact with others.    Since I traveled to New York City on business, twice this month, I wanted to share with you a few anagrams I wrote, as follows:

 E arnestly the Speakers engaged

T he audience to

H ear how their journeys gave them strength to change.

I t never fails to reach the

C onsciousness of each person’s awareness.

S electively, we chose our next steps.  ©Jo Ann M. Radja

 

E arly on it became clear

T hat a Speaker told the truth.

H e said, “What was for many of us, was not in our future.”

I t was necessary to Pivot in order to 

C hange our chosen path.  Be guided by your integrity

S o the judgment of others won’t keep you from your Purpose..  ©Jo Ann M. Radja

 

 E verything outside of the vehicle was very still.  After

T he quick glance out his window, the driver

H eard no voices or sounds on the street or parkway.  He

I nstantly and 

C asually drove slower at 1:30am.

S o we continued to be safe for the next 10 blocks.  ©Jo Ann M. Radja

 

 E ver so softly people moved

T hrough the 9/11 Museum this Sunday morning.

H ow it affected people was

I nterrupted by watching

C arefully placed videos.  We were reminded to

S ee though our pain in order to appreciate the joy of the value of life.  ©Jo Ann M. Radja

Have a great week as you Choose Who You Want to be Known As.

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive & Career Management Coach

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A New 2016 Thanksgiving

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A great challenge of life: Knowing enough to think you’re doing it right, but not enough to know you’re doing it wrong.  Neil deGrasse Tyson

I have never seen a photo of a Turkey in flight; of course birds fly, and it was whimsical to see the above photo of the majesty of a turkey in flight.  Since the American Thanksgiving holiday came to be in 1789 ,  we can reflect on positive history over our past generations.  Here are a few videos to listen to over this Holiday Weekend:

Thanksgiving music:   http://www.fuse.tv/2014/11/thanksgiving-music-playlist-ultimate#7

How our first President, George Washington handled the surrounding conflict as he set about organizing the First Thanksgiving celebration of our young Nation: http://www.wsj.com/video/opinion-journal-the-first-thanksgiving/1AD96C87-0CB2-45FA-A8F3-274CE8D7C096.html?mod=djemBestOfTheWebtha

Lastly, from Chicago, the Thanksgiving Day Parade – :http://www.chicagofestivals.org/ 

I hope you enjoy a new experience this Thanksgiving Holiday as you Choose Who You Want to be Known As.  Enjoy!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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When Mindfulness leads to Emotional Intelligence. . .

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stick_figure_balance_mind_heart_md_wm Bing 052016At the heart of great leadership is a curious mind, heart, and spirit.   Chip Conley via Brainy quote.com

Over the past few days, I’ve read a number of blogs from Social Media Influencers and Government Leaders.  Stories emerged of how dysfunction not only causes breakdowns in communication but reason takes a backseat at a place of work.  We may become a bystander to a discussion that causes us to become very uncomfortable and we don’t wish to enter the “fray.”

Some four years ago I was attending a Networking Event and was participating in a conversation between two men who were consultants.  One man was from the East Coast and the other lived in a Chicago suburb.  Another man, unknown to us, walked up and asked if he could join our group.  We welcomed him (the black coat man) and he asked me about my business – that conversation led me to give him a sample coaching session.  The man was eager and surprised himself by telling me something he had not told his wife; he was uncomfortable with the disclosure and decided to walk away.  The two consultants offered that I shouldn’t have given my time to someone who clearly wasn’t appreciative of joining our discussion group.

What happened next was an example of personal mindfulness.  The black coat man walked around the room and said to more than a handful of people, “You see that woman in the red jacket [meaning me] she won’t talk to me.”   People began to ask, “Do you know that man?”   It was unclear to many why the black coat man continued his pointing at me and saying she won’t talk to me.

Mindfulness allow you to become aware of your surroundings, what you are thinking, what you are feeling and what these sensations mean to you at that moment.  Emotional Intelligence is a learned process where mindfulness forms the basis for you to manage yourself and by doing so, manage others.  As you manage your emotions you are able to assist someone else likewise.  Put another way, you observe what is happening around you, describe what it means to you, accept that someone else has something going on causing a disturbance, don’t take it personally and don’t become judgmental.  While it may seem like a balancing act between your mind and your heart, in fact, it is a process that allow you control over how you are in the moment.  The image above displays the end result of mind and heart balance – when you are comfortable in the emotional intelligence realm. 

Emotional intelligence is a process and it most definitely can be learned.  How you act in the moment is what I call, “Choose Who You Want to be Known As.”   Since today is the last day of June we have another beginning in our imperfect world tomorrow on July 1st.  Have a great month of July in your chosen career path!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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Tolerance. . .

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Biases, like diseases, have many causes; yet we throw the same cure at everything.  Dr. David Rock

 

People seem to act on beliefs that do not seem wholesome. When a sale may be imminent and your intuition has been urging you to go the other way, take a moment and choose to be compliant.   Speak up is the new mantra so we don’t find ourselves saying,  “I wish I hadn’t done that.” I  wish I had known what I know now.”   “What was I thinking.”

Our first reaction is often, judgment, after learning unsettling facts. It’s very hard to sit back and wait for the truth to be known. We feel an emotion so strong that our anchored initial judgment will not allow us to hear, let alone listen, to facts that answer our questions. The anchored initial judgment will not allow the pain to be diffused easily. Humanity hurts and our level of patience and understanding seems to have reached a level close to exhaustion because the unsettling reality is so painful. When the Challenger Space Shuttle blew-up before our eyes on television, people said enough, take it off the media. http://www.history.com/topics/challenger-disaster. The deaths we have witnessed recently across the United States in the past few weeks is enabling many people to also say, enough. President Obama offers a number of strategies to keep us safe at our workplaces: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/06/address-nation-president. Tolerance is a basic American value, both at the workplace and our community.

We are living and working in a new era.  Our responsibility lies within us to follow the advice of our Leaders to maintain the common good for all of us.  Peace. 

 

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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Right now, at this moment, and no place else

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During your career, I’m sure you have realized it’s not easy to answer the question, “What do you want, right now, at this moment?”  Perhaps it’s because we don’t often get what we want or we don’t give ourselves permission to get what we want.  The reasons for this are so numerous; they would easily fill an unabridged dictionary.  So how would you answer the question, “Right now, at this moment, and no place else, what do you want?”

Perhaps there are actions available to you right now.  Are they reasonable, at this moment?  If the WANT is within your reach, what impact does not attaining your WANT have in your life right now?

A well-respected Neuroscientist, Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, offers tips on “How to Reset Your Brain” as follows:

 

Change is Pain.     Behaviorism doesn’t work.

Humanism is over rated.  FOCUS is power.

Expectation shapes reality.

Start by leaving problems in the past.

Focus on identifying and creating new behaviors.

Self-insight creates change, not advices.

 

Dr. Schwartz explains that the reasons why goals weren’t met may be valid, i.e. the goals didn’t support or generate change.  So give yourself time to think.  When you do so, you generate new circuits of thought.  And with continued practice, new behaviors of change help you to achieve your WANTS.

Dr. Schwartz also tells us to remind ourselves to think regularly.  As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As this Summer weekend in July, consider whether this is an avenue that brings value to you.  Enjoy.

 

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

Notes:  AMEX OPEN FORUM, Strategy and Business Section, “The Neuroscience of Change, or How to Reset Your Brains.” Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine. December 8, 2011.

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