I ONLY HAVE TWO HANDS

By Vernalee

Hold on! Wait a minute! Give me some time to catch up. There is only so much that I can do in a day. Admittedly, I am capable of performing several tasks simultaneously, but truly I only have two hands! You may think differently, but it is a biological fact. For most of us, multitasking becomes a necessity of survival at home and at work. Being a Jack or Jill of All Trades who can do – a little bit of this and a little bit of that – helps. Versatility is the name of the game. In our fast paced environment, if you cannot walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, you are in trouble. It is wise however to analyze tasks and determine an approach before you get started. By doing so, you can review the options, techniques, and time savers. Becoming more tech savvy is a critical necessity. Technology and its gadgets have simplified and added speed to many functions. They have enhanced our productivity and made us “Working Wonders.” They add more horsepower which fuels our levels of expertise, efficiency, and organization. Tasks that once took hours now only take minutes. Proficiently is the name of the game. The more time that I can save on tasks; the more time I have for myself. It’s just that – plain and simple. So watch me intelligently and efficiently work; then, watch me comfortably and enjoyably relax! That doesn't mean that you can still send tasks my way. Now, if you do disregard my “no work zone“ status and send work anyway during my rest and relaxation period, one of my hands can ignore it, while the other can pretend that it doesn’t exist. That's why I have two! Photo credit: www.ruthnazrullah.com

WHEN THE WEIGHT IS ON YOUR BACK

By Vernalee

This proverb, “Once you carry your own water, you’ll learn the value of every drop” means that when you carry the load, you will appreciate the work that goes into getting or producing something.

Think about it. When you turn on your faucet and the water automatically flows, you don’t give it a second thought. It’s as easy as one, two, three. However, if you had to carry every drop of water that you used - to drink, to cook, to wash or bathe - in a bucket from a distant pump, you would soon begin to take caution not to waste any of it and literally appreciate every drop. When the weight is on your back and you carry the load, it is then that you recognize what it takes to do the tasks at hand. You will also see things differently - up close and personal. In addition, when you have to rely on yourself (i.e. carrying the water) and no one else, you do what it takes to get from point A to Z; to make ends meet. Once again, self preservation kicked in and we re-engaged our timeless motto, “If it is to be, it’s left up to me!”

Water just like the tasks of life can be a heavy load. I know it all too well.

Back in the day, I was the “water girl” who wore a big straw hat and gloves (to prevent callouses) as I carried a heavy tin bucket of water in the scorching Mississippi sun to soothe the thirst of the field workers chopping cotton. “Oh my aching back!”

Nevertheless, my job and theirs got done.

...It was all in a day‘s work! ...

Today, I appreciate my parents and the hard working people that I grew up around. Their tireless work ethic was incredible! They taught me values.

One of which is that hard work pays off!

Photo credit: me.me

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

By Vernalee

Sometimes, it cannot always be business as usual. Change is necessary to foster progress. For many, change poses a reluctance. Why upset the apple cart? However, change is imperative in many situations, which brings me to one of my favorite management clichés: Thinking outside the box. “Thinking outside the box is a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. It refers to novel or creative thinking. To think outside the box is to look further and to try not thinking of the obvious things, but to try thinking of the things beyond them.” To do so may require a paradigm shift in our thought processes and our methodology to problem solving. In that light, I share with you many wise sayings that will if no more encourage critical thinking. Here goes: * When nothing goes right … Go left. * “Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box.” (Deepak Chopra) * Thinking is not enough, you have to act. * “Being able to think outside the box presupposes you were able to think in it.” (Bob Lutz). * To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. * “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” (Albert Einstein). I occasionally think out loud. Don't you? Yes, I have been known from time to time to put on my thinking hat. To “Vernalize” this point, I share with you one of my personal mottos which reflects how I operate and think. “If it is to be, it is left up to me.”

When you are “it,” you not only think outside of the box, you move the box and do what is necessary “to make ends meet“ as you mobilize your agenda … whether it is in or out of the box! Photo credit: www.aconsciousrethink.com