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Just for Fun |
Mark Your Calendar
August National Inventors’ Month. Pay homage to the inventors of the world who have changed the quality of our lives.
August 5 National Night Out. This marks the 25th anniversary of this event created to promote police-community partnerships and encourage everyone to help fight crime. For more information, visit The National Association of Town Watch.
August 8-24 Summer Olympic Games. The XXIX Olympiad will take place in Beijing, China. The five animated mascots—one for each Olympic ring—are called “fuwa” or “friendlies.” They symbolize a fish, a panda, the Olympic flame, an antelope, and a swallow. The first syllable of each mascot’s name spells out the phrase “Beijing welcomes you.”
August 9–17 Elvis Week. Each year, Elvis fans from around the world visit Memphis to celebrate the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” at his beloved Graceland. For all things Elvis, visit the official website.
August 25–28 Democratic National Convention. The convention will take place in Denver, CO. The last time the Democratic National Convention was held in Mile High City was 1908, which was also the first time that a major party had held its convention in a Western state.
Tips & Tactics
Transform your workplace with this question
Anyone can transform a workplace, says Steven Dahlberg, founder of the Connecticut-based International Centre for Creativity and Imagination (www.appliedimagination.org). It doesn’t have to be your formal responsibility in order for you to accept the challenge. The key, Dahlberg says, is to continuously ask this question: “How might I improve the quality of my life?” This will help you sculpt the life you want—and that includes the time you spend in the workplace. To create meaningful work, Dahlberg suggests that you focus on three areas:
• Imagining Visualize the workplace that you would take pride and pleasure in. What does it look like? How do people act? How would it be different from your current workplace? How would you be different? Brainstorm all the optimal conditions you can dream up.
• Connecting Consider how your dream workplace might dovetail with other people’s dreams. Could another person’s idea of a meaningful career complement your own? What connects you with the people around you? Start conversations with others about the brainstorming you’ve done and what you hope to accomplish.
•
Engaging Now do something. Don’t wait for someone
else to give you the quality of life you want. Start by
implementing even a small element of an idea you had. And help
other people implement their ideas.
You may not transform your entire workplace. But you will reshape—if only a tad—your destiny.
Walk a mile in their shoes
Is there
someone in your office who just naturally seems to irritate you?
Do you sometimes say, “I can’t stand Joe. He’s so arrogant!” If
so, you’re probably no different from the majority of workers in
the world. What can be dangerous about this, though, is that
such feelings can lead to destructive and unproductive
behavior—especially when your assessment of the “Joes” in your
life has no factual basis. One of the best ways to befriend an
“enemy” is to look at the world from his or her perspective. You
may discover that there’s a reasonable explanation for the
behavior that drives you crazy. Once you understand where the
other person is coming from, it’s easier to find common
ground.
Beware work-at-home scams
“Earn thousands of dollars a month from your home!” We’ve all seen these types of ads posted on telephone poles and the Internet. It sounds great, but the Federal Trade Commission recommends exercising caution when it comes to work-at-home opportunities. Many of these companies don’t deliver on their promises, warns the FTC.
What many of these ads don’t disclose is that you may have to work many hours without pay or front the money for the materials needed to accomplish the job, such as envelopes, paper, stamps, or other supplies. Many consumers have lost thousands of dollars to companies like these—not to mention their time and energy, says the FTC.
Before you accept a work-at-home job, ask questions like these to determine the legitimacy of the offer and the appropriateness of it for you:
• What does the job entail? Can you describe the process step by step?
• Who will be my contact with your organization?
• How is the compensation determined: Is it a salary? Piecework? Commission?
• Who will pay me?
• When may I expect my first paycheck?
• What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment, and membership fees? And what will I get for my money?
Quotes
My
biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see
life almost like one long University education that I never
had—every day I’m learning something new. Fantasizing about
the future is one of my favorite pastimes.
—Richard Branson
Time is free,
but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t
keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get
it back.
—Harvey Mackay
Chuckles
The reason a
dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his
tongue.
—Author unknown