Strengthfinders 2.0 - Links to other References

Hope all the links still work - found this in my DRAFT Blogs and decided to publish it.

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Since so many of us are identifying and wanting to know what to do with our strengths, I thought I would just do a blog with some interesting links that support Strengthfinders 2.0.

• Personal Development for Smart PeopleTM Forums: http://www.stevepavlina.com/ This site seemed interesting because: 1) It is for smart people, like all of us, and 2) it had a page on Strengthfinders 2.0 with some comments: http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/personal-effectiveness/16291-putting-strengthsfinder-work.html


• Cliftons Strengthfinders Blog: This one actually mentions what to do if you have Becky's strengths. http://cliftonstrengthsfinder.blogspot.com/2007/03/building-strong-teams-using-4-domains.html


• Ten Big Ideas....http://personalmba.com/strengthsfinder-20/


• How Not to Hate Mondays (and he has a Strengthfinders page, see next bullet): http://naturalbias.com/how-to-not-hate-mondays/


• Improve Your Life by Embracing Your Strengths: http://naturalbias.com/improve-your-life-by-embracing-your-strengths/


• Here's what one person did to support loking for a job: http://charlesstricklin.com/2010/12/top-5-strengths/

What bothers me...

OLD BLOG from (2008?) I am publishing.

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Not a whole lot bothers me, I am pretty flexible and I like change, new situations and learning new stuff.

What bothers me is when people deliberately try to shock me. Hey, I was 16 once myself and I can recall thinking I was soooo cool. I wanted to shock my parents, and I am not sure why. Graphical language, sex in public and being deliberately provocative are just plain stupid.

So, people are still going to do it, so I can only control my own reaction. Do I treat it with humor? Do I ask the person to stop? Ignore it? What surprises me is that so many people seem to not even NOTICE it.

1. So, there are a couple high school kids pretty much going at it by the doorway of the mall, being cheered on by a group of skanky friends.


2. My friends' daughter posts nude photos on YouTube, and every other word on her FB site is "F" this.


3. My friend is harrassed and sworn at online, for no apparent reason, by a teenager.


4. A coworker's 50 year old boyfriend has a My Space account soliciting young women.

Hmmm.

Xanga final blog: snippet

Conflicted
(Link no longer works)


PUBLISHING an old BLOG from 2008!
"Everything Happens for a Reason" - see below for update.
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Well, it took me some time to find the page where I can actually enter a blog now. K, maybe I should convert to Facebook or something. I should download all my stuff into a private journal. Guess that would be copy/paste...I don't see any way to exit gracefully from Xanga (which I have liked, by the way).

Where did I leave off?

Well, I resigned my job at the "Happy Factory" May 7th (I got fired, it was called "resigning"). They gave me a few bucks and a kick out the door. I have been enjoying my time at home, but very busy looking for a new gig. I thought about my own company (reviving it), we will see. I have been interviewing, but the jobs are in project management type work, although they sound a bit better. My friend RayNelle has been coaching me to "Do what makes you happy". Well, sitting on the deck drinking MaiTai's probably is not reasonable.

In fact, here are some words of wisdom from niece Desiree:

Good for you! It feels good to leave a job that is sucking the life/purpose out of you. I just did that in March, and it is tough without the extra income. But the whole family is much happier because I am. It's funny how that works. If Mom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Craig's Dad got that job here in Portland. Craig is really excited to live in the same vicinity as him for the first time in 12 years. And it will be nice for the kids to get to know their Grandpa.

Well, I'm sure that you will find "you" agian. I've just recently found "me" for the first time ever, so I know how you are feeling. It's such a great feeling when you find the right path. The right path for me is currently sweeping up the dry rice that Andrea just dumped all over the kitchen floor. Well, I'd better go....

-Desi

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2018 FOLLOW UP - Everything happens for a reason!  In June 2008 - I ended up with a job a month later that was wonderful, filled with bright, intelligent and good people.  I learned a lot and was able to make a positive difference managing internal and external technology projects.  My intelligence was respected.  From 2008 to 2017 and even now, semi retired and doing part time work, I am still with the same company.  (Happy Factory, am I ever glad you wanted me to resign!  A new and better door opened up for me.)

Perceptions...Everything begins with a decision

Another old blog that was sitting in my DRAFT folder.
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I was thinking about perceptions this morning and thought I would google "perception is reality". I liked the title of this paragraph from Tony D. Clark's we site.

Change Your Story, Change Your Perception, Change Your Life

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/your-perception-is-your-reality.html#

Tony D. Clark

We all get caught up in our stories. Most of us think we are our stories. It’s when those stories take on a life of their own, and that life isn’t the one we want, that things start to suck.

Think about the story you’re living right now. Who wrote it? Did you consciously decide to create the reality you’re living now, or was it mainly shaped by your parents, friends, spouse, school, or the media? If you don’t like the story your living, then change the perception. Envision how you’d write the next chapter of your story. Better yet, actually sit down and write it. Focus your perception on creating a new reality, one where you are in charge of the story. Take back the job as screenwriter and director, and stop just being an actor (unless you’re Rachel McAdams – I rather enjoy her acting).

Everything begins with a decision

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Having read that, I proceeded to think about how I have consciously tried, failed or succeeded in changing my reality.

First of all, when I was younger (teens to thirties), I believe I was self-absorbed. It was all about me: tragedy, grief, despair. I don't remember a lot of happy times. That was my reality. When I was a teen (15-16), I used to write dramatic, black poetry. I am not sure where it was, but I saw one of my poems and an instructor had written some comment on it about "life not being that bad"...I think they were concerned for my mental health. Re-reading that poem in my (40's?) I could see why.

I wonder why so many of us go through those pain-filled staged of life? We make it our reality. I pulled myself out of my angst ridden youth, thank goodness!

I Hate Performance Appraisals

OLD BLOG from 2009 I think.

Today I had my annual performance appraisal. I understand why they are done. I comprehend there can be benefit. I still hate them.

It made me start to think: do people REALLY improve because of performance appraisals? Would they have improved anyway? Are PA's merely a way to track an employees flaws for HR purposes? I could read up on it but my brain is full tonight and since I hate them, I am not interested in learning any more about them.

Was my PA bad? No. I have a very good manager who tries to make the process relatively painless.

I just don't want to be bothered by with PAs. Let me work, make money, continue to improve myself (because I know damn well when I need to make a change) and get on with life.